Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me

Brilliant news. 

I agree on the scheduling.

Television tends to show certain types as weird.  From Soap Operas to Medical light drama, to situation comedy, and even to Quiz Shows, where would they be without someone who is 'strange' in some way or another.

I know a lot of people have said before the documentary that they don't like Chris Packham as there was something 'strange' about him.  Although he has made no secret of his Autism before the documentary, he has had what neurotypicals would describe as 'forthright' views on things, and his love of a bird of prey (much like Kes) when he was small is well documented.

What the documentary did though was show that despite his autism, Chris Packham is able to function in a way that suits him even if it doesn't suit the neurotypical way of thinking.  His relationship may be considered unusual, but who is anyone else to judge?  He earns what I would consider to be a good living, has obvious skills and knowledge, and in his own inimitable way is able to communicate on things that interest him which the world of broadcasting has found is also suitable for the type of programme he does.  .  Throughout the programme I noticed great similarities between him and me in his thought processes and attitudes, and I am sure this also applies to many other autistic people who watched the programme.

And I hope this is not the last time we have a programme that shows the skills autistic people have.  Whatever good intentions of drama programmes, I think they will always portray autistic people as strange.  Documentaries, perhaps showing the struggles autistic people have had, and the skills they have which are not recognised, problems in the workplace, attitudes of others, this could be far more illuminating. 

The world seems to think that social interraction is the thing we all strive for, whereas what I strive for is a recognition as to who and what I am and that even if I don't interract very well with others I have skills and aptitudes that should be highly valued.

Thanks for all the advice. It feels like entering a whole new world but I guess a diagnosis would give me sort of map

I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and there was a lot I could relate to. The part where he said university gave him a release as it was OK to be weird. I was always the weird kid growing up, I was never bullied but being considered weird and then hitting an age where it was kind of OK to be weird was a big weight off my shoulders. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 35 but weird wasn't a nice way to feel. Especially not knowing why. Hitting my mid-teens was a big change.

Also the way he didn't live with his wife. I've been in a few very long term relationships and never been able to move in because of my ways. Maybe if I'd been diagnosed things would have been easier to explain.

It was good to see functioning ASD portrayed in a realistic, positive manner. All we've pretty much had until now is a killer accountant, naive computer hackers facing extradition and lots of negative stuff.

Excellent - I loved watching this documentary as it’s the first time I’ve seen Asperger’s accurately depicted on TV, and I really related to lots of the things portrayed.

I would recommend you start a new thread to receive a wider response to your question.

Having said that, here are some links which you may find of help:

1. NAS' 'All About Diagnosis' (http://www.autism.org.uk/about/diagnosis.aspx)
2. NHS' 'Autism Diagnosis for Adults' (https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Autism/Pages/Diagnosisinadults.aspx)
3. the Royal College of General Practitioners' autism page (http://www.rcgp.org.uk/ASD and, in particular, http://www.rcgp.org.uk/clinical-and-research/resources/toolkits/asd-toolkit.aspx)

If you search the forum you will find plenty of posts on the subject of whether it is worth obtaining a formal diagnosis.

My short answer (as someone who was diagnosed when I was well into my forties) is 'yes'. Amongst the various reasons I give that answer is my diagnosis has meant that I can start to do what is natural to me without having an internal argument about whether it is "right" then trying (and failing) to behave in a neurotypical way.

My wife who used to be a special needs teacher so know a thing or three about autism and Aspergers has often joked that I am on the spectrum. Having watched this documentary i have come to realise that i really do have this 'condition'. i then forgot about it for a few months

But I have  just listened to Paddy Considine being interviewed on Lauren Laverne's BBC 6 music show talking about his condition and I have decided to put my head above the parapet here. 

Now what do I do. Is it worth me getting a formal diagnosis, I work in the NHS and have approached my occupational health department.

Any thoughts gladly received

I really enjoyed watching this documentary.

My husband said he saw a lot of parallels between him and me, though at times I was watching thinking that he was nothing like me. Shows what I know! 

My husband thought it was a good representation of someone at about my level of functioning, which in my opinion is a good thing because I am somewhere in the 'average' middle ground and that's not an area often represented in the media, where usually the focus is on the genius types or the non-verbal types with more obvious stims.

I used to watch a lot of documentaries about autism, but struggled to enjoy them or even get through them to the end. I've found that in the last year or two, we're getting much better variety and far more documentaries with real experiences, rather than professionals talking about us.