Chris Packham, Asperger's and Me

...trouble is, the programme just made me want to hug him, something that would be the worst possible thing for him ...

Just watched it and found it very moving.

I love Chris!! I really admire his brain. He does 2 hours to camera on Springwatch without any notes or cues. He seems a very lovely and likeable man. I read that an ex partner bought him the 2 dogs, Itchy and Scratchy, to help him cope when they broke up. Sadly Itchy has died and Chris has put him in the freezer at home as he is worried about parting with him, and that if he has him cremated, they will mix his ashes with another dog's ashes, so he wants to keep him safe.

Oh that is so sad sparkle

What he is going to do is mix the two dogs ashes together, and keep them until he dies. Then all three will be scattered around the base of a giant beech tree on his land.
I like the idea.
I am sure his partner will oblige.
I felt rather sorry for his step-daughter who wanted him to go to Liverpool to watch her get her degree, and he point blank refused. It's in zoology, inspired by him.
I wonder if he would have gone if he hadn't been so recognisable.

I watched it for the second time today as my son asked if I would watch it with my autistic grandson. He enjoyed looking for the similarities - he hates going to parties, and would spend most of the time in a corner with his hands over his ears.
One big difference is that Chris didn't find out until he was forty. We've known about my grandson since he was three or four.

I'd love to know if there are any companies like microsoft here, who allow for autism. A five day interview would be brilliant for many kids like this. When they go somewhere new for the first day, they do not take anything in.

I've just watched this on I-player and am so glad I've seen it. Have often thought CP may have Aspergers but my goodness, did he have difficulties getting where he has today! We complain about services for today's autistic children being available in theory but inadequate in practice, and he had to achieve it all himself. I would love to think DGS was able to manage as well. In fact it's the thing I've come to hate about getting older - that I may not be around to support him and his parents through future difficulties

I don't think it's being recognised that's the problem; he would hate being there and can't understand why his stepdaughter would need him to be. But what a wonderful relationship he has with her. Can't understand why he doesn't seem to be considering getting another dog, though; hate the thought of him being on his own in that house, lovely as it is. I guess he can't bear the thought of losing another pet .

As Tegan2 Wed 18-Oct-17 14:08:16 has said some people with Aspergers can be decidedly difficult to live with as a partner. They tend to have a sort of it's about "me" thing. Empathy bypass.

I think he was incredible open to his step daughter he didn’t say ‘well I ll try’ or ‘we ll see’ he just said ‘no I can’t I m afraid’ I m sure she has met up with that before just
like the partner and the friends wedding and both those two relationships seem strong enough to withstand his lack of attending any ‘do’s’ He Obviously does have empathy as it very much there for animals and birds just doesn’t relate to humans

She did look quite hurt, though.
Just been looking at his sister's dress designs on the catwalk. They looked like his wardrobe, all the same colours grouped together.
My grandson's parents would love it if he cared enough about his clothes to hang them up or put them in drawers.

Chris Packham said he doesn't put books with spines facing outward, as that's too confusing for him, too much sensory information, so I wonder how he puts them, and how he finds the book he wants?

Maybe he takes so much on board that he can recognise the book by its size and colour. Also undoubtedly his books are in subject/author sequence

An excellent programme. My cousins husband has high functioning autism. He is a partner in a law firm but his son is not high functioning like Chris. Now he is approaching adulthood they are very concerned about his future.
Any good ideas? One of the problems is that the condition varies so much.

Yes; the programme [good as it was] only really dealt with the high functioning end of autism. Still, anything that gets people thinking/talking about it is good.

It was truly an inspiring programme. It's obvious watching him on Springwatch he is such a knowledgable individual and quirky too.
We have a friend who is somewhere on the Aspergers spectrum. So many of the things Chris said apply to her-doesn't like noises, always has the same meals, delivers monologues, few social graces except the ones taught by her Mum and stuck to rigidly.
If only all sufferers could make such a success of their lives.

I don't understand, Pamela. I thought Chris was high functioning.

It was worrying that only 14% of adults with autism have full time jobs in this country.

I have just done my Waitrose delivery, and realised how much of it is built around my grandson's tastes.

It was a very interesting programme (unfortunately I missed some of it as I nodded off, jetlag not boredom) so missed the tadpole incident.

I did wonder why he doesn't get another dog or even two so that there is some continuity when much-loved Scratchy dies. What a wonderful relationship he has with his step-daughter.

The way children with Asperger's are treated in America shocked me; it seemed very cruel and backward-looking. I know that many children in America are on Ritalin too which makes me feel that if they are being forced to conform to an ideal view of 'normal' childhood and was very scary in its ideas.

It would be interesting to know what Chris's coping mechanisms are when filming as he seems to have a good on-screen relationship with Michaela Strachan. I wonder if he finds this difficult or is she very empathetic?

I think this documentary has explained why, to me, he comes across as supercilious on screen.

I won't be so critical now.

Do you notice that if she goes to touch him too much he stiffens and backs off?

I was fascinated, so many parallels with GS1. Also lots of differences because, as Chris says, everyone is different. I was another one worrying about what he will do without Scratchy. DD kept her hamster in the freezer for a long time so that seems quite normal to me. DH has got the ashes of his favourite cat on a shelf, waiting to go in the coffin with him.

I really didn't like the American system. They always have this urge to "cure" things. It's like their churches that claim to cure homosexuality. I suppose that if you had a severely affected, non verbal, autistic child you might feel it was worth trying but it would be real torture for my GS.

My grandson squirmed at the idea of anyone doing anything to his brain. "It's my brain. I like it, even if it doesn't always do what I want it to."

Oh jen; that's a classic. Tell him my brain's the same, too!

The interesting thing about teaching him is that it doesn't do the same thing two days in a row, quite often.
You have to be careful not to mention any US states to him, or he'll give you all the facts on it, capital city, largest city, state flag, etc., whether you want to know or not.
Football statistics as well.

I enjoyed it and found his insights very helpful. I have tremendous respect for him and his achievements.
I think it was a very unfair portrayal of ABA though. On Mumsnet there is quite a bit of comment about how much children with ASD have been helped by the system which, in the UK, is about teaching skills and communication through rewards and reinforcement. I thought it was unfair to include the footage of the child in America from the 1960s. Not sure what that was supposed to prove.
I also think it is about time that we saw a programme about low-functioning autism to provide a bit of balance to perceptions of ASD.