'The A Word.'
I've been wanting to write a review since watching the series' premier this week on BBC1.
I was interested to watch as I'd read that this series was well researched. I wanted to see if there were any similarities to what we, as a family, have been through or may experience in the future. I recently had a conversation with a professional where we discussed that SPD is usually diagnosed alongside other conditions, such as ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, etc. I have certain suspicions that Lou is on the spectrum, in particular Asperger's, but I'm not hopeful that anyone will actually confirm this... ever! If the last year's experience is anything to go by!
I related to many aspects of the first episode, where Joe laid down on the carpet when he didn't want to join in with dancing at his birthday party. My parents even noted that Joe's idea of football skills were the same as Lou's! Wanting to pick up the ball every time, instead of kicking it! Joe was different in many ways too. Its early on in the series, but I noticed that he didn't have the extreme meltdowns and tantrums that we experience in our household, I did however, cry when Joe slapped his dad across the face when asked to come off a tree trunk that lay in the water, this hit home and was raw for me as it happened to me for the first time only last week, a slap straight across the face and no real reaction from the child once they've done it. Its only a televised drama but this felt real to me.
I found it interesting to see the family dynamics of the programme, how different members of Joe's family perceive the situation. I was so proud of my own dad who rang me the next day to say that 'The A Word' was not normally his 'cup of tea' but he found it interesting and thought he could too relate to aspects of the programme, from our own experiences. I have always had the tendency to see what could be done to prevent a child's meltdown, I was saying that Joe's mum could prevent a meltdown by just singing the song he was interested in then would gain back his attention, but why am I able to make these suggestions, then in the heat of the moment in my situation, get angry and forget what to do myself!?
Another interesting aspect of this drama was how the parents perceived the situation themselves, I fight until I'm worn out to get people to believe me, yet Joe's parents are the opposite and found it difficult, at first, to see that he had difficulties. It made me think that there are different stories out there, not everyone perceives situations in the same way.
I'll be interested to see how the rest of the series progresses...
I was interested to watch as I'd read that this series was well researched. I wanted to see if there were any similarities to what we, as a family, have been through or may experience in the future. I recently had a conversation with a professional where we discussed that SPD is usually diagnosed alongside other conditions, such as ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, etc. I have certain suspicions that Lou is on the spectrum, in particular Asperger's, but I'm not hopeful that anyone will actually confirm this... ever! If the last year's experience is anything to go by!
I related to many aspects of the first episode, where Joe laid down on the carpet when he didn't want to join in with dancing at his birthday party. My parents even noted that Joe's idea of football skills were the same as Lou's! Wanting to pick up the ball every time, instead of kicking it! Joe was different in many ways too. Its early on in the series, but I noticed that he didn't have the extreme meltdowns and tantrums that we experience in our household, I did however, cry when Joe slapped his dad across the face when asked to come off a tree trunk that lay in the water, this hit home and was raw for me as it happened to me for the first time only last week, a slap straight across the face and no real reaction from the child once they've done it. Its only a televised drama but this felt real to me.
I found it interesting to see the family dynamics of the programme, how different members of Joe's family perceive the situation. I was so proud of my own dad who rang me the next day to say that 'The A Word' was not normally his 'cup of tea' but he found it interesting and thought he could too relate to aspects of the programme, from our own experiences. I have always had the tendency to see what could be done to prevent a child's meltdown, I was saying that Joe's mum could prevent a meltdown by just singing the song he was interested in then would gain back his attention, but why am I able to make these suggestions, then in the heat of the moment in my situation, get angry and forget what to do myself!?
Another interesting aspect of this drama was how the parents perceived the situation themselves, I fight until I'm worn out to get people to believe me, yet Joe's parents are the opposite and found it difficult, at first, to see that he had difficulties. It made me think that there are different stories out there, not everyone perceives situations in the same way.
I'll be interested to see how the rest of the series progresses...