Extreme Television

I have spent the whole evening watching television! But I had a reason: James bought something called Apple TV today on a whim today when he was in town. It makes the television screen into a screen for your iPad so you can play films and show photos wirelessly straight onto the big screen. We had fun experimenting with it and then spent some time showing Ally old documentaries from YouTube, such as the Balcombe Street siege and the Harrods bomb, that we remembered from television reports at the time. Ally was very interested and we had a pleasant evening. Then we watched Louis Theroux's Documentary "Extreme Love: Autism". Ewan had texted me to tell me about it and I was very glad that he did. It was about several children with ASD who go to a school in New Jersey specialising in Autism, and their relationship with their parents. The school is well structured, set up using the TEACCH methods, using a lot of visual supports and encouraging independence. I found it absolutely fascinating, and so did David, who had a talk last week at the Disabled Riding Stables from the parent of an autistic child. The school was great and the pupils were lovely, all in their different ways, and the characteristics and behaviours of each one reminded me of one or more of my pupils, present or past. The parents do an absolutely amazing job, as do many of the parents of pupils with ASD that I know; Louis Theroux said that he had an admiration for the parents bordering on awe, and that is often how I feel.