"Wild? I was livid!"

[miss_squiddy]

Did anyone see Make me Normal on Channel Four last night? It was all about autistic children trying to conquer their problems and get on with their lives. These children had behavioural issues. They were frustrated, they didn't understand the world and they lashed out.

But did anyone else notice the attitude of the staff at Spa School? Yes, we saw them patiently trying to calm angry children and reward them for their behaviour. But they also told the children that they were "broken", that they couldn't do things or understand things because of their "disease" and that they weren't "normal".

Victorian values anyone? Train the poor social misfits to act like everyone else!

I accept that the children might have difficulty understanding why they couldn't do or comprehend certain things, but surely telling someone that they're a freak isn't going to help them to blend in and live the ordinary life they're after? At no point during that programme did I see a teacher reassuring a child and telling them that they were capable of achieving everyday things.

*Grrr!*

Comments

[nibber.livejournal.com]

bring back the big centralized self sufficent asylums. protect us from them and them from us. while we're at it, bring back caning in schools, and fuck you brussels, i'm gonna smack my kids if needed wether you like it or not...
:) :) and i'm a hippy at heart...

[miss_squiddy]

*Hands you a top hat and a pocket watch*

[wood--elf.livejournal.com]

I worked for barnardo for ten years working as a foster carer with autistic children and teenagers with other learning disabilities. We used to get kids parents doing the same thing. Telling the children that they had this illness and thats why their behaviour is bad. This attitude is a dangerous one because it stops the children taking responsibility for their own actions. They just need to be given the tools to deal with their disability and in the case of children with challenging behaviour (crappy social worker term) help to control their behaviour.
At the end of the day its about fullfilling their potential and every one has a different potential whether they have a disablilty or not! And they (just like any other child) should be encouraged to fulfill their potential not told that they are "freaks".
..woah ive gone on a bit there....but essentially yeah...i agree.
*steps of soap box*

[miss_squiddy]

I was just amazed that teachers in a school specifically for autistic pupils were allowed to hold such attitudes - and weren't afraid to show them in public...

[evilpixielady.livejournal.com]

no i didn't...and from the sounds of it its probsably best that i didnt, i think it would have made me angry then quite sad

[miss_squiddy]

The programme didn't comment on it and it wasn't raised as an issue - it was just there in the background. I don't really expect that people would have noticed it unless they worked in education.

[cyberpunkgrrl.livejournal.com]

yeah... I kinda wondered that (having dyslexia, dyspraxia and probably some aspie tendancies to). Although it is inportant for people like that to know they're different, not wrong/stupid/whatever... But I did freak out when they talking about the autistic world vs the "normal" world! I don't feel that there's anything such as either of them - there's the world fullstop and many different types of people in it!

[miss_squiddy]

I reckon that if they had said any of those things to kids with physical disabilities there would have been total and utter outrage. Just because they have conditions which aren't visible doesn't mean it's OK.

And different, yes - broken, no.

[tawdryfilth.livejournal.com]

Grr.
People can be really crap.
Probably a case of lack of training/being overworked though tbh!

[gommog.livejournal.com]

Yeah i watched it, i was a bit sozzled so i didn't notice that. I was impressed with the patience they had though, personally i'd lose the head in about 2 hours. My Uncle's autistic and has had to do one shitty job after the other and has been seen as a problem so i think it was good these kids were encouraged to go out into the big bad world.