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House of Tiny Tearaways- BBC Three

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Hi - did anyone else see this last night - there is a family with 3 boys under 5 (one mild ASD) this week. I do remember someone on the forum going forward for this so I dont know if its them/you? Anyhow, I dont know how it'll pan out, but thought I'd let you know it was happening......

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I didn't see this wish I did now. My mum is always saying I should go on something like this but it is definatly not for me.

 

I do think that whatthey do do sometimes is successfull so it would have been good to watch it especially in a house with a child with asd.

 

If it was someone on here can you let us know how it's going

 

Thanks

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This sounds like a programme which I watched a few weeks ago now. If it is there was nothing 'mild' about the child who had asd. Then again in my opnion the words 'mild' and 'asd' should never be used together in the same sentance.

 

Oracle

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Times and information on the programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/tv/tiny_tearaways/index.shtml

 

The doors of the sanctuary are open for four weeks to families seeking solace. In this series she'll tackle not only the problems of eating, sleeping and behaviour which so many parents experience, but will also be looking at selective mutism, coping with autism in a family dynamic, and what to do if you suspect your child might have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). With Tanya's help and advice, will the families be able to solve problems they've never been able to crack before?

 

 

I agree, I don't believe autism in any form should be described as mild.

 

Nellie xx

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This is a new series and no it's not me on there. I did apply but have not heard anything since I sent back all the forms including all of Bens medical and pshyc reports.

 

You would think they could have the courtesy to let me know I was not successful. Then again, no news is good news and they might want us for a later series.

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This sounds like a programme which I watched a few weeks ago now. If it is there was nothing 'mild' about the child who had asd. Then again in my opnion the words 'mild' and 'asd' should never be used together in the same sentance.

 

Oracle

 

Oracle I totally agree - I've never understood how anyone can be diagnosed mild AS (or mild ASD) - just doesn't make sense to me at all.

 

Jb

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This is a new series and no it's not me on there. I did apply but have not heard anything since I sent back all the forms including all of Bens medical and pshyc reports.

 

You would think they could have the courtesy to let me know I was not successful. Then again, no news is good news and they might want us for a later series.

 

 

I to did apply for the house of tiny tearaways but never got a reply, I then applied for the little angels programme and the bbc were brilliant in getting back to me. Just goes to show you how diffrent they are.

 

My daughter was also described as having mild aspergers to start with. But this was then changed to a more challenging form, i dont understand what that means, as far as im concerned if a child has asd then they have it..there shouldnt be any of this... mild....severe...catageries..

 

just my opinion anyway..

 

Debs..x

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Saw it last night, it was on from 8.00-9.00............I think it,s running all week as last night was the introduction.The family with the ASD lad are actually there because their middle boy nt(?)..........rages and is violent.It,s not for help with the asd lad.Although I think the dynamic of the family will show how the pressue of having an asd sibling can affect brothers and sisters.The middle boy liked to play cars and the asd boy line them up so they would argue :( .

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I emailed them and got this reply.

Hi Wendy

 

The show has begun but they are still debating familes for the upcoming

weeks. I am not fully aware of your case but do know within the next

couple of weeks yo will be hearing from the team whether you would be

participating or not. I believe that their are procedures with relevant

numbers that get sent out to you but I would suggest that if you have

head nothing in the next three weeks that you call the team on ******

and find out your situation. Good luck with everything in the

future.

 

So it sounds like I might still have some hope.

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Thats really good news.Lets hope you get that call what made you decide to go ahead and do it? People said i was mad to go on the little angels programme. But i did it because i was at the end of my teather and knew that these people have fantastic knowledge of asd.

 

Anyway keep us posted..fingers crossed for you..

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I watched it last night and i love the show, i hope you get on Viper, Dr Tanya is brilliant. I must say though dh and I have had this argument before as regards to the MILD autism and my belief is that it should not be used - you either have autism or you dont....

 

He said look i told you,you can have mild autism they have said so on the telly, so i kinda lost my case when they re-itereated mild autism... I have just shown him this thread and he did say i see what you mean everyone else thinks they should not say mild.... Hubby thinks if we say K has MILD AS then he feels better because then his "problems" are not so bad, it's his way of dealing with the dx...

 

Justamom

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Good luck with getting on the shows! :D Tanya is brilliant isn't she........she looks too sane to have kids herself though :lol::lol::lol: Someone will now reply and say she has 6 :lol::lol::lol: I'm not sure I'd like to enter a house with other families though, much prefer the Little Angels set up, where they come to your home, although got to add that the families seem to support each other a great deal, which is fantastic. :D

 

Debs

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Just thought I'd say it was the programme that stated 'mild ASD', not my opinion! I'm interested in this whole mild/severe thing though - My son is often referred to as severe because he is non verbal etc., yet he copes really well with lots of other aspects of ASD and is physically very able.

 

Are these tags intended to 'measure' the effect ASD has on the person, or how well they 'fit into' the NT world - where did the terms 'mild' and 'severe' come from - does anyone know?

 

I'm not trying to be inflammatory by the way, I'm genuinely interested. Also, in better ways to describe the spectrum so I can educate myself and others too.....

 

:robbie:

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The current programme has a single Mum +Twins that have vicious fights + a child with asd - we cover all of these in our family - do you think Tanya would be up to the challenge? lol

 

Karen

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You should e-mail them you never know.

 

I was really dissapointed when we found out it wasnt tanya biron doing our programme on little angels... i think she is fantastic..

 

Debs..x

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Just thought I'd say it was the programme that stated 'mild ASD', not my opinion! I'm interested in this whole mild/severe thing though - My son is often referred to as severe because he is non verbal etc., yet he copes really well with lots of other aspects of ASD and is physically very able.

 

Are these tags intended to 'measure' the effect ASD has on the person, or how well they 'fit into' the NT world - where did the terms 'mild' and 'severe' come from - does anyone know?

 

I'm not trying to be inflammatory by the way, I'm genuinely interested. Also, in better ways to describe the spectrum so I can educate myself and others too.....

 

:robbie:

It is confusing.

Autism is split into functioning levels [low and high] those on the low end of Autism are said to have problems with the basics needed to properly function in society,such as communication,looking after themselves,and have lower intelligence.

High functioning Autistics are said to be able to be independant as adults,have regular intelligence or above,be aware of everything around them..

They do not neccessarily state a severity level though,the severity level differs in both.

I do not think the functioning level is fair because a person can be diagnosed with HFA/AS but be low functioning in various parts [which makes it near to impossible to leave home due to not being offered the right support],however,it does suit some,there are some on the very high functioning end who do not even see it as Autism based on their own experiences.

A person can be diagnosed with LFA but have their strong points,and they are often underestimated as being not very able,there is one LFA artist I know of,but keep forgetting his name,he's had his work [drawn with charcoal] put up in galleries.

 

It would be better to do away with severity and functioning levels and just call it all ASD,and judge each Autistic on their individual difficulties and strengths rather than stereotyping us all.

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I believe those people "not in the loop" see Autism as the person who is not able to function in every day life, i.e the stereo typical Autistic. Most people have never heard of the term Aspergers syndrome so when explaining what a childs problems are,if you can call them problems, it is easier to say mild Autism. This gives a person who has not heard of Aspergers syndrome an idea of the difficulties a child may have.

 

I have experienced this myself. When telling people my child is Autistic they look at me in disbelief or like I am mad. If I then go onto say it is Aspergers syndrome they look blank, if I then go on to say it's a mild form of Autism they seem to understand.

 

I think Dr Tanya Byron is well aware that the general public are not familiar with the term Aspergers syndrome so used the mild autism term so they could understand. I dare say she will clarify the situation during the week.

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As an adult diagnosed AS (albeit very recently) I found that it's been very difficult for people to understand the situation regarding AS and maybe 'mild Autism' can be seen as an icebreaker. If I say that I'm autisic then it's met with derision ('nothing wrong with you' etc.) and if you say 'Asperger's' then it's a blank faced response. If it makes those outside of the Autism world a little bit more informed about the whole ASD situation then sometimes we might just have to bite our tongues...although it does, to me, still sound like a very dismissive term

 

Sadly, in my experience during the last year, 'Autism' (whatever 'variety') in most people's eyes, means Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man or a dribbling lunatic sat in the corner rocking back and forth unable to even feed him/herself, never mind be able to function in society or take care of themself (which is why I think that if you don't conform to this stereotypical view, it gets dismissed)

 

BTW I don't watch House of Tiny Tearaways as a) No kids B) The temper tantrums etc. are pitched at precisely the right level to 'set me off on one' - AARRGGHH :D

 

My 2p's worth anyway

Edited by TheNeil

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I've sometimes used the term 'mild' autism to describe my four year old HFA. We have had times when his problems haven't been too great and I would say he was affected milder than at other times. Although a lot fo the time his abilities are overestimated compared to a NT child when you say he is autistic some people underestimate his abilities (thinking Rainman like TheNeil described) so describing his autism as 'milder' can be useful then. I never use the term mild though in relation to education as I know that could be picked up and used as an excuse for offering him no help. I don't know whether his autism is 'mild' or not in the big picture , we don't seem to have many of the problems other have but he does fluctuate so much and I've had times when I've been tearing my hair out. He's only four too and I expect things will change. His autism is very fluid and I get more concerned when people think his autism is a fixed entity rather than realising how variable he just can be

 

Lx

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well i just say "on the autistic spectrum" people seem to understand then. i dont agree with mild moderate or severe either. you either are or your not. its like saying my leg is mildley broken, either it is or it isnt. fair enough you can have a complicated fracture, like you can have a more complicated autism, but its usualy the co-morbids that complicate things, like learning difficulties.

 

i look at my 2 children with asd's. they are totaly different, if i sit and think, i think my daughter is more "effected" than my son, but my son does not have attention deficit, my daughter does. my son has learning difficulties, my daughter does not. so how do i measure it?? i cant. they are both effected, just in differing ways.

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Hi,

 

I am on both sides about this one. I agree that autism is autism, however it affects you, but i also agree that the term "mild" is often used with the general public who have very limited understanding of autism. It's sometimes easier than explaining everything!

 

Saying that, it's very annoying when people say to me, "Oh he looks ok" or "He seems quite mild" when i tell them Kai has ASD. I wish i had a pound for everytime someone has said that!

 

Dr Byron is really great though, she always seems to hit the nail right on the head.

 

Loulou x

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I think that this 'mild autism' would be a good thread in its own right.

 

I have to say that I have used the term to describe my son. I can see where the argument against it comes from (ie you can't be mildly pregnant), and I think that if I did much soul searching it would come down to my struggle to accept his autism, or at least that is should not be the one thing that defines him to other people.

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I think there is a place for some kind of distinction between the 'types' of autism, but I think that mild is the wrong word. It makes it sound like it's not really a problem.

 

I mean, I have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, but saying that tells you relatively little about me. You might think that means I have severe problems with communication, rarely speak, do not form friendships, but actually, I am married, hold down a full time job, make phone calls (although only when I really have to). In other words, I just about manage to live independently. That's a very different story to some other people with autism who are never able to live independently.

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Tux, I am sure I read that high functioning/low functioning related to IQ level, not to how well people manage. Ros (Blackburn??) said at her talk that to describe her as "high functioning" was misleading (her dx is HFA), because people then expected her to be able to manage much more than she could.

 

I was at a meeting today, and the Homestart lady said she had had a call from House of TT, saying did she know of any families who would like to take part, as they are desperate for people for next week!

 

 

Karen

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