Make Me Normal

[garyfontaine]

Did anyone catch this show? (Channel 4 9pm)
This week was on autism.

Followed four students at Spa School (one of Britain's largest schools for autistic children) :

Moneer, 12, has a form of autism called Asperger Syndrome. When he loses his mother to cancer, the teachers struggle to help him deal with his feelings and manage his violent behaviour. Roxanne just wants to be a normal teenager, but her realisation that autism is for life is extremely painful. Roy, 18, is trying to make sense of the world during his last year at school, but what he really wants is a girlfriend. And Esther, also 18, has a special gift for explaining the autistic world.

Heart warming in parts but left you feeling the pain and frustration these kids have in dealing with this condition.

[Junkyard Sal]

This was unbelievable, you could actually feel the fustration. When Roxanne was in the play ground litterally pulling her hair out.... it was so sad. the teachers seemed to be great tho. even trying to understanding it yourself is hard going.

[garyfontaine]

I'm a student teacher at the mo-the teachers were a complete inspiration.
They always had time, oodles of patience and showed complete understanding. Above all else they were always positive and amazingly kept their emotions away from the children.
It is a sad state of affairs when the most human thing to do is give the pupils a hug and let them know everything is alright, but we can't have any contact due to the constant fear we will be sued by parents or branded a paedophile.

(I understand why this must be in place though)

[generaljimmy]

the schools and paedophile situation is a complete joke, the way that all prim schools now have 10ft bars everywhere is really ridiculous, talk about moral panic. children shouldn't have to spend a few hours a day in a prison

[Tony Montana]

There's a nursery on edge hill that makes most prison's look like teletubby land can't remmber the name of the road at the top of oxford road, opposite the bay horse pub...Its scary

[generaljimmy]

yeah i think i've seen that, it really is bad. brass eye summed the topic up perfectly