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| Wed, 04-18-2007 - 2:52pm |
BBC America Presents a True Story of an Autistic Boy and His Dog
Sadly, I don't get BBC America - so can't watch what certainly sounds like an engaging fictionalized version of a true story. Here's the description of the program, called "After Thomas" (Thomas is a dog named for... surprise! --Thomas the Tank Engine): Six-year-old Kyle Graham is scared. Not of monsters under the bed, but of just about everything. And even worse, he can't communicate his fears. His mother Nicola (Keeley Hawes (ShakespeaRetold: Macbeth, Tipping the Velvet) knows that Kyle wants to be left alone, safe and secure in his autistic world. But she also fears for his future if he continues to reject all emotional interaction. Her fierce determination to break into Kyle's world has placed an intolerable strain on her marriage. Her husband Rob (Ben Miles Coupling, The Forsyte Saga), although equally devoted to his son, is frustrated by Nicola's relentless drive to improve Kyle's condition and her resistance to putting Kyle into a highly reputable boarding school for autistic children.
Thomas, a golden retriever puppy, is a last desperate attempt. Although Nicola had heard that some autistic children improved with pets, nothing could prepare Nicola and Rob for how Thomas unlocks the door to a personality they never knew their son had. What follows is a fascinating and moving tale of two parents who, at breaking point, find hope they never dared to dream. Gritty and real, funny and heart-warming, After Thomas is an uplifting and moving true story.
The show premieres on April 22 at 8:00 p.m. If you do catch "After Thomas," please let us know what you thought. And, of course, if you know the family on whom the story is based - let us know how true to life the TV show really is.
Wednesday April 18, 2007 | comment
Sadly, I don't get BBC America - so can't watch what certainly sounds like an engaging fictionalized version of a true story. Here's the description of the program, called "After Thomas" (Thomas is a dog named for... surprise! --Thomas the Tank Engine): Six-year-old Kyle Graham is scared. Not of monsters under the bed, but of just about everything. And even worse, he can't communicate his fears. His mother Nicola (Keeley Hawes (ShakespeaRetold: Macbeth, Tipping the Velvet) knows that Kyle wants to be left alone, safe and secure in his autistic world. But she also fears for his future if he continues to reject all emotional interaction. Her fierce determination to break into Kyle's world has placed an intolerable strain on her marriage. Her husband Rob (Ben Miles Coupling, The Forsyte Saga), although equally devoted to his son, is frustrated by Nicola's relentless drive to improve Kyle's condition and her resistance to putting Kyle into a highly reputable boarding school for autistic children.
Thomas, a golden retriever puppy, is a last desperate attempt. Although Nicola had heard that some autistic children improved with pets, nothing could prepare Nicola and Rob for how Thomas unlocks the door to a personality they never knew their son had. What follows is a fascinating and moving tale of two parents who, at breaking point, find hope they never dared to dream. Gritty and real, funny and heart-warming, After Thomas is an uplifting and moving true story.
The show premieres on April 22 at 8:00 p.m. If you do catch "After Thomas," please let us know what you thought. And, of course, if you know the family on whom the story is based - let us know how true to life the TV show really is.
Wednesday April 18, 2007 | comment

We get BBC America and the promo looks pretty good. We'll be out Sunday, but I'll tape and let you know!
Katherine
DH and I watched "After Thomas" last night and we thought it was really pretty good. It was a bit "soap opera-like" at times, but it had a lot of emotional truth. DH and I could relate to so many scenes. I think they did a good job of identifying incidents that everyone who has an ASD child has been through, and they portrayed them pretty accurately.
It was as much about the parent's relationship with each other and the strains of having a child with autism as it was about their son and his dog. It said it was a "true story" so I wonder how everyone is doing now? The movie had a happy ending, so that was kind of nice for a change.
The little boy and the dog were both really cute too! I think BBC America reruns its shows fairly often, so if you have cable, it is worth checking out.
I also saw a show a couple of weeks ago I meant to post about. It might have been a repeat that I just caught, a detective show called "The Closer" about a southern female detective in LA? It's a series and there was an episode involving autism that DH and I thought was pretty good too. It was a heart-breaker though. It was about a teenage mostly non-verbal ASD boy whose father is murdered. The boy is a savant with numbers and the only witness to the crime. It reminded me in a way of "The Curious Incident" book, but much more superficial, it is a cop show after all!
It is really interesting to see how autism is portrayed in works of fiction and film.
Katherine
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Here'a a nice little bit about the real life family that I got off the BBC website. Apparently they are showing it again May 5 if anyone is interested, check out the BBC America website.
"The real family behind the story: Nuala and James Gardner - on whom Nicola and Rob Graham are based - live in a seaside town in Scotland with son Dale (Kyle), who is now 18, and their six-year-old daughter Amy. Both Dale and Amy were diagnosed with autism as toddlers, with Dale's diagnosis being a long, arduous task at a time when autism was not widely understood. After Thomas is the story of Dale's remarkable development through his bond with their pet dog Henry, named after his favorite engine in Thomas The Tank Engine but renamed Thomas in the film. He is unrecognizable from the boy he was during the period the film depicts - the confident, mature and friendly teenager who plays guitar in a band and works voluntarily with young Scouts is testament to the incredible impact Henry (Thomas) had on his life."
Had no time to watch. I tivo'd it so I'll catch up soon.
MTV had a really good show on last night about autism and kids coping with a sibling with autism.
It was refreshing because it wasn't the normal "whoa is me" kinda footage.
Nora
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