Waterloo Road

[Minxygal]

I am appauled by the way the subject of AS was just dealt with in Waterloo Road.

It made me want to scream at the TV, sensationalised bullbob.

If the girl with Aspergers had taken her tablet that day she wouldn't have become violent.

Nothing about the fact that it was her first day, no attempt to tell it from her side, just utter rot that will do nothing to educate the negative minds who already think that people on the spectrum don't belong in mainstream school.

 

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

 

 

Statement of the programme,.......A young girl with Aspergers no statement from the LEA thats weird pmsl till I'm sick

[pingu]

I am appauled by the way the subject of AS was just dealt with in Waterloo Road.

It made me want to scream at the TV, sensationalised bullbob.

If the girl with Aspergers had taken her tablet that day she wouldn't have become violent.

Nothing about the fact that it was her first day, no attempt to tell it from her side, just utter rot that will do nothing to educate the negative minds who already think that people on the spectrum don't belong in mainstream school.

 

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

 

 

Statement of the programme,.......A young girl with Aspergers no statement from the LEA thats weird pmsl till I'm sick

 

Absolutly agree with you minxygal

[kizzy]

arrrgggg

 

i missed it do you know if its being shown again

 

kiz

[tsmom]

i agree

[Guest Lya of the Nox]

ok i recorded it cos was out at pilates

if i watch it will it undo all the goodness ?

x

[Tally]

Now I thought it showed quite clearly how she only kicked off because the teacher did not communicate clearly with her and then wound her up. I thought the camera angles made him look extremely intimidating. It also showed how the staff were completely unprepared for her and made no effort to understand AS, or her in particular, and the one who did make an effort to understand her managed her very well.

 

The stuff about the tablet was a bit silly, and so was her unrealistically astute observation about the headmaster at the end.

[Annea]

My husband and I watched this together and have very mixed feelings.

 

On one hand I feel appalled that they played up the violent side of things and did make her look extremely menacing. The programme did make no mention of her struggling becuse it was a new school with violent and initmidating teachers.

 

On the other hand it did highlight just how ignorant the education system can be, and how ill prepared many teachers are to teacher children with A/S.

 

As for her very astute comment at the end, this actually made me smile, as it is exactly what my daughter does to stop people asking her how she is feeling, and she knows she does it for this.... I doubt she would recognize someone else doign it though!!!

 

All in all I hope that the programme balances this storyline, or I for one will not be watching it again!

 

Anne

[farfalla]

I did catch the programme just as the teacher was getting the chair in his nose.....

 

I thought there wasn't enough time within the whole program to get the right point across,

I didn't like the Rainman quote, or the fact that teachers in this day and age

would strike from lack of understanding.

 

Didn't do much apart from say people with AS can be violent........

 

come on tv bosses we need more real life documentaries on

[Kazzen161]

I liked the way it showed how she could be seen as being cheeky, but was only stating a fact eg: "you weren't one second - you were 35 seconds", and telling the teacher he was a liar as he was talking when the student was.

 

I knew she would go "outside" when he meant outside the office, I'm just surprised her Mum didn't make it more specific for her.

 

I also felt for the Mum as she rushed into school when they called her - I have been there, and know that "oh, what now?" feeling.

[Annea]

I think the problem with the whole world of Asperger Syndrome, is that there is no 'one way' that our children are..

 

I found I was dismayed that the young girl was so troubled and was treated so badly. I think I think that I thought this because my daughter isn't like this, I am aware that her friends my have watched this and will not have the maturity to understand that this script is not 'typical' (I do of course understand that some children are of course like this and some parents will be relieved to see the truth of their childs life portrayed)

 

My daughter would most definitely have thought about the 1 second becoming 35 seconds.. but she never would have been able to say it...

 

As for the teachers! well I thinkt hey were portayed abominably.... but as you know from some of my recent posts, there are teachers like that in our schools today... I can think of two in my daughters school who act very similar to two of the characters.

 

It's a drama, but dramas carry a huge responsibility and the BBC must understand that this programme will definitely colour peoples view of A/S...

many of us fight bigotted and uneducated people evry day of our lives, I hope this will not make it worse...

Edited October 11, 2007 by Annea

[Clare63]

I too had very mixed feeling about this program. Interestingly my son was keen to watch and commented as he compared himself to the girl, somethings alike some not, the thing stuck in my mind was when the girl said she smiled to stop questions and Connor said that exactly what I do. He also picked up on that the pastoral care woman did not try at all to help or understand the girl.

 

Clare x x x

[purplegail]

Hi all

 

I saw the second post first so replied there too.

 

I was so glad my daughter was in the other room. I am really worried that the BBC have really not helped people to understand what is a very complex condition. All our children are so different. My daughter was NEVER violent or even slightly agressive at school - she saved that for when she came home!!!

The way she was dealt with on her first day was disgusting. Why hadn't the staff been informed and trained - oh, because they're just like the school that failed my daughter!!!!

 

Is anyone actually complaining to the BBC?

 

Gail

[soraya]

My son Nick goes to a special ASD school, his headteacher is going to complain to the BBC

[Raych]

Hi all,

 

I've just watched this programme from last night and just wanted to add my comments. I am a teacher myself and generally watch this programme as i think it is so far from the real world of teaching!

I so enjoyed this programme, my DD is 7 and has been diagnosed for a year now, although i knew for much longer than this, however she has only just been statemented. I spent 2 years fighting for her to get some recognition for her condition at her last school, the portrayal of every teacher and the headteacher at Waterloo road was EXACTLY what i have had to put up with at the school, added to this I had the ignorance of the other parents.

The girl in the programme was exactly like my daughter is now at school and in some parts it was chilling to see the resemblence, like others have already said, I could pre-empt exactly what the girl was going to say and do!

I am looking on the positive side of this programme and hoping it will highlight the condition to the general public then perhaps people will give my daughter the space she needs and understand her for the special person she is.

[BusyLizzie100]

My son Nick goes to a special ASD school, his headteacher is going to complain to the BBC

 

Yeh! Good on him!

Didn't catch the programme myself, but wish I had. Although glad I didn't, because I'm pi**ed off enough at the moment.

 

Big <'> to everyone who did.

Lizzie xx

[Guest Lya of the Nox]

tried to watch it found it chilling the way adults were responding so stopped

x

[sesley]

I have created a thread on the BBC Points of view board if you would like to add anything.That is the best way to complain and put your views across, i had a bad feeling when they decided to put a yet another disabled person on a soap,because they seem to b eusing them for entertainemnt purposes, and portrayed in a negative light, just like they did on Eastenders with the Downs baby.

[Bell]

With a dx of Asperger's myself I watched this with a fair idea of how it was going to go. I found myself cringing though large chunks of it and laughing at others.

 

My overall feeling is that this episode sets up a storyline which I hope will be ongoing. In 'Waterloo Road' in previous series there have been self-contained episodes, but also arcing storylines that continue throughout the series. I think what they're trying to do is educate the general public to a condition that rarely gets a positive spin in the press..... this was the episode to conform with the stereotypes and what will come will alter the misconceptions. The "Neil Morrisey" character (sorry can never remember character names!) and the HT's girlfriend will be central in bringing out the positive aspects of this new character.

 

On the other hand that could be, and probably is, just wishful thinking on my part. What with this and 'Doc Martin' being told by his annoying new neighbour that he thought he was Aspie last week I'm pleased to see more reference to Asperger's on mainstream TV drama.

 

Bruce

[Cariad]

My friend watched this and told me about it on the phone today, I hope it's repeated sometime. I might check out Youtube and type in waterloo road, you never know it might have it on there.

[Minxygal]

Thanks for the points of view idea, I've said my bit!

[MichelleW]

I have watched this series before, and didn't realise this episode was going to be about a girl with Aspergers. I must be getting good at recognizing ASD signs as I suspected she was as soon as she started saying she had been sent outside not outside the room - it was so "typical". And my son also has to be precise with time!! I can not say "wait a minute"!

 

But I was astounded by the attitude of the teachers and the head teacher "losing" the pages from her file! Did she actually have a statement? And the comment about all Aspergers children having a statement - what planet are they on????

 

I was also concerned about the violence being portrayed as going with aspergers. My son has never been violent at school, but the first thing his new teacher asked me was "is he aggessive?"

 

I am hoping they develop the story to show the difficulties that faces the girl, and how people can help - I'm hoping it can raise awareness in a postive way. It just wasn't a good start highlighting aggression at the beginning.

[Cariad]

I think I've found a snippet of this episode on Youtube :

[KateBall]

I just wanted to say that I also watched the prog last week - I don't normally watch it but did so to see how they dealt with the issue of aspergers. Quite unrealistic (I hope) in terms of support and preparation for the inclusion of such a girl. BUT aside from those issues what really upsets me is the attitude of teachers in dealing with children whoever they may be. No wonder teenagers behave they way they do. These teachers were aggressive in language and body language and so disrespectful to children and colleagues. If that's how senior teachers behave at school then they have a lot to answer for.