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!*
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