Inside our Autistic Minds: Chris Packham fellow Autistic TV programme on tomorrow BBC 2 about Autism

Definitely want to see this. A bit of nuance could be on the cards here! 

Readers' comments are a sight to behold...

www.theguardian.com/.../tv-tonight-autistic-people-explain-what-their-lives-are-really-like

Thank you Steven. Just read a few of the comments, what a bunch of idiots. they are discriminating. What makes me angry is that if they were being mean to people of different races and colours they would be taken down and blocked or told off. These comments from some are just as bad and horrible racism, it is still a type of discrimination. I hope they watch the programme and get educated. 

Yes, I agree, he will not be able to cover every type of autism. But I am sure that he will cover a good range. I trust his judgement. I will be interested to hear your opinion on the shows when/if you watch them. 

Good on ya, just read it and you played a blinder there

That's fair enough. I haven't seen those programmes and haven't seen the people you refer to being represented on TV. Let's wait and see the show.  I'm glad Chris is doing the programme too. Im not sure if he could cover "the whole spectrum" in two shows though! It'll be interesting nevertheless.

You did brilliantly. Bold and defiant.  

you make a point there. But there had been lots of programmes etc media coverage of people with non verbal and 24 hour care needs, they are represented much more than we are. And sadly it creates narrow minded people who think all autistic people are like that. So I am glad Chris is doing this show, he has an non -verbal man in the show too, so he is  going to address the whole spectrum in this series, no doubt he should hopefully cover those that need high levels of care too, so that a broad range of autistic people are covered and get their say. 

Yes and I think that might be what the commenters are getting at. That their experiences do not get shown in the way "high functioning quirky people" do because they cannot communicate it.

yes but there are parents who have non-autistic children with special needs and needing 24 hour care too. And those with complex needs are just as important in this world that those that do not. Those people also have something to offer by their presence in this world. If anything they teach us how to be caring. 

I agree. However I think we need to understand there are some parents who have children with complex needs and that understandably must be difficult. You can't blame these people for having their opinions. We can't just dismiss them (in the way you could say they dismiss high functioning people). Those experiences of autism are vastly different to mine because I don't have any learning difficulties. What I disagree with in the comments is that people who are autistic are "just a bit quirky". Those comments can *** off.

You know I love being autistic. I feel it is the nasty people in this world: they are the ones with the problem. 

i did, I responded to them. Narrow minded prats they are. Oh well, we know better about our condition not them. 

I think it's understandable how they feel.  It must be incredibly difficult to have children with complex needs. It reminds me of the discussion we had on Peter's thread few weeks ago. Maybe there are different strands of autism. However in their comments they are belittling the experience of many "high functioning" people (or those without additional development/learning needs) who have massive mental health needs and are often suicidal. It's different needs for different life experiences. I wonder if the autistic people with additional needs the commenters are referring to would be able to communicate "what's going on inside their minds" for a TV show. 

I think it's understandable how they feel.  It must be incredibly difficult to have children with complex needs. It reminds me of the discussion we had on Peter's thread few weeks ago. Maybe there are different strands of autism. However in their comments they are belittling the experience of many "high functioning" people (or those without additional development/learning needs) who have massive mental health needs and are often suicidal. It's different needs for different life experiences. I wonder if the autistic people with additional needs the commenters are referring to would be able to communicate "what's going on inside their minds" for a TV show. 

Yes, I agree, he will not be able to cover every type of autism. But I am sure that he will cover a good range. I trust his judgement. I will be interested to hear your opinion on the shows when/if you watch them. 

That's fair enough. I haven't seen those programmes and haven't seen the people you refer to being represented on TV. Let's wait and see the show.  I'm glad Chris is doing the programme too. Im not sure if he could cover "the whole spectrum" in two shows though! It'll be interesting nevertheless.

you make a point there. But there had been lots of programmes etc media coverage of people with non verbal and 24 hour care needs, they are represented much more than we are. And sadly it creates narrow minded people who think all autistic people are like that. So I am glad Chris is doing this show, he has an non -verbal man in the show too, so he is  going to address the whole spectrum in this series, no doubt he should hopefully cover those that need high levels of care too, so that a broad range of autistic people are covered and get their say. 

Yes and I think that might be what the commenters are getting at. That their experiences do not get shown in the way "high functioning quirky people" do because they cannot communicate it.

yes but there are parents who have non-autistic children with special needs and needing 24 hour care too. And those with complex needs are just as important in this world that those that do not. Those people also have something to offer by their presence in this world. If anything they teach us how to be caring. 

I agree. However I think we need to understand there are some parents who have children with complex needs and that understandably must be difficult. You can't blame these people for having their opinions. We can't just dismiss them (in the way you could say they dismiss high functioning people). Those experiences of autism are vastly different to mine because I don't have any learning difficulties. What I disagree with in the comments is that people who are autistic are "just a bit quirky". Those comments can *** off.

You know I love being autistic. I feel it is the nasty people in this world: they are the ones with the problem.