Telly drama relieves family’s amazing story of triumph over autism
A Greenock family who battled to cope with autism will settle down to watch an amazing story on television this Christmas — their own.
After Thomas, which stars Spooks actress Keely Hawes, Coupling‘s Ben Miles and Sheila Hancock, is the dramatisation of the Gardners’ fight to meet the challenges of having a child diagnosed with the condition.
Nuala and James Gardner’s two children, Dale, now 18, and six-year-old Amy, were both diagnosed with autism as toddlers.
Dale’s diagnosis was a difficult 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 favourite engine in Thomas the Tank Engine, but renamed Thomas in the film.
But he’s unrecognisable from the boy he was during the period the film depicts.
Dale is now studying for a National Certificate in Childcare following voluntary work with children through a Barnardos special needs playscheme.
A confident, mature and friendly teenager, he plays guitar in a band and works voluntarily with the Scouts.
It’s a testament to the incredible impact Henry had on his life.
The story of that impact first came to writer Lindsey Hill’s attention nine years ago when the family entered a competition.
It led to a snippet about their story appearing on television.
Nuala says: “We now feel it’s the perfect time to tell the story. I don’t think it would have had the impact it will have now all those years ago, mainly because of the young man Dale has turned out to be.”
Daughter Amy was diagnosed with autism early, mainly because her parents were so adept at recognising the signs and insisted on testing.
But, despite raised awareness and medical progress, Nuala and James feel autism is still a struggle to get diagnosed.
“I hope we’ve raised awareness appropriately of how hard and how stressful it is living with a child with autism and how it affects the whole family, but that we’ve also given hope.”
“Dale was a bad case and he’s come a long way. We want to say one thing to parents of autistic children — empower yourself.”
A key turning point was the day Henry joined the family, particularly when he got his “voice”.
Nuala smiles: “I’ll never forget that night as long as I live. We were so used to seeing Dale in a tantrum state — he had been so distressed and I had to hold his head to stop him from banging it.”
“Henry was lying beside Dale — he could sense when Dale was upset. I said, ‘even the dog looks worried’ and that just triggered James.”
“He said, ‘Hello Dale, this is Henry. Please don’t do this, I’m very worried’.”
“And Dale just said, ‘oh, all right, sorry Henry’. And he literally just threw me off him and went out to play with Henry. Dale had found a comfortable, indirect means to communicate with us. It was like a miracle.”
Watching After Thomas for the first time was a strange experience, but one that made the family incredibly proud.
“It was weird, but it was pleasantly weird, ” laughs Nuala. “Obviously, it was upsetting as well — no amount of white wine could avoid me reliving what I saw on screen.”
Dale adds: “It was very strange, though at times I pretended it wasn’t me so it made it easier to watch.”
“It was strange going onto the set because I remember little bits of it. I remember a lot from the film — locking my mum in the cupboard, wrapping the blanket around Henry, the time I took Henry into school.
“It helped me remember how bad I was — I saw how severe my autism was. Ben was very good at playing my dad — he brought out my dad’s humour in the film. And Keeley was really good at the shouting!”
Nuala loves Keeley’s interpretation of her.
“I find it quite spooky because her portrayal is so, so good. I know that my friends are going to die when they see how accurate it is!”
Dale himself was impressed by Andrew Byrne, who plays him on screen.
“It’s a really good performance, ” he says. “Meeting him was good — I thought he was a great wee boy.”
For Keeley Hawes, who has a five-year-old herself, the Gardners’ story was hugely inspiring — and hopes parents in similar situations will too.
“This story really is aweinspiring, ” she says. “Having a child without a disability is so difficult sometimes, it’s almost unimaginable to identify with people who cope with children with disabilities.
“The story is miraculous, but it’s not saying that everyone with autistic children should go and buy a golden retriever.
“As naff as it sounds, this job has made everybody realise how lucky they are. Which is never a bad thing, is it?”
For more information about autism in Scotland, contact the Scottish Society for Autism on 01259 720044 or email info@autism-in-scotland.org.uk. Website: www.autism-in-scotland.org.uk
The condition hits 535,000 sufferers
Autism is a lifelong disability that affects the way a person communicates.
It severely limits his or her ability to relate to others in a meaningful way, to develop friendships or to understand other people’s feelings.
It can lead to behaviour problems and 21-percent of children with autism have been excluded from school at least once.
Symptoms are generally said to include a failure to develop normal speech, an absence of normal facial expression and body language and a lack of eye contact.
Others might be a tendency to spend time alone, a lack of imaginative play, repetitive behaviour and an obsession with objects or routines.
It’s been estimated that 535,000 people have autism in the UK, but 40-percent of all children with the condition wait more than three years for a clear diagnosis.
Boys are four times more likely to develop autism.
According to the National Autistic Society, autism is still a relatively unknown disability despite having been first identified 63 years ago.
People with autism are not physically disabled and because an autistic child looks “normal”, passers-by assume they are naughty or not controlled properly.
By Ann Fotheringham for Evening Times.
(Source: highbeam.com)