article: The A Word focuses on the Hughes family - at first glance, they seem to be living an idyllic life in the Lake District. But Paul and Alison Hughes are beginning to realise that there may be more to their five-year-old son Joe's quirky behaviour than just eccentricity. A diagnosis of autism plunges the family into a disorientating world of medical jargon and new expectations. What is it really like for families to be told by the experts that their child has autism? For Nikki, the dust is still settling. Her eldest son Sam (not his real name) was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in January at the age of six, after a four-year battle to convince people he was not simply badly behaved. "In some ways it was a massive relief, to know it wasn't just us being incompetent parents," she says. "But in the same moment it's being confirmed that your son has a hidden disability and he isn't going to grow out of his problems. It's bittersweet." She describes Sam as an "angry baby" who would have tantrums lasting two hours, sometimes culminating in him holding his breath and passing out. He was kicked out of nursery and rejected by childminders. "It got to the point his behaviour at home was so difficult we were generally worried we couldn't keep our younger son safe - he was hitting and punching, out of control because he was so stressed. At that point I paid to get a diagnosis privately." Sam was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, with sensory issues and short-term memory problems. Nikki says: "Certain noises are unpleasant to him like electric hand dryers which he finds unbearable, but in other areas he's under-sensitive - he jumps on furniture and fidgets because he's not getting enough sensory input to make him feel grounded." But there are also challenges which are not medical. "Sam went the whole of last year without being invited to a party," Nikki says. "If he just had one friend who understood and tolerated him it would make him feel he was part of something." This sense of isolation is played out in the programme with Joe always appearing to be on the outside of social interactions. Source: The National Autistic Society The character is played by newcomer Max Vento, a - non-autistic six-year-old who is described as "simply perceptive" by the producers. The A Word's screenwriter, Peter Bowker, took great pains in making sure the depiction of autism and the familial trials around it were accurate. He worked with the National Autistic Society (NAS) which tries to help producers and writers make sure that autism is portrayed as accurately as possible. In the first episode the family take Joe to a specialist who observes his interaction through a series of play-tests before giving his diagnosis. Tom Purser from NAS advised the writers: "We had quite specific points around the diagnostic process to ensure it was accurate and matched the clinical process, but on the other side it was a question of whether it will resonate with other
summary: New TV drama The A Word tells the story of a family discovering that their quirky five-year-old son is in fact autistic.