An Animated Introduction to Asperger Syndrome
Biomation 2010

'An animated Introduction to Asperger syndrome' is a DVD made by people with Aspergers syndrome explaining what it is like, and what it means to live with the condition.





Programme Details:

'An animated Introduction to Asperger syndrome' is a DVD made by people with Aspergers syndrome explaining what it is like, and what it means to live with the condition.

The DVD is divided into seven sections. The main film is animated and uses a simple placticine character (think 'Vision On' - if you're British and old enough) to look at the basic brain differences in people with AS. I felt that the style and simple information given was most appropriate for the education of a young, non-Asperger audience. At one point sensory issues were covered. Somewhat incongruously, the film then went on to present audio information that required some processing, whilst simultaneously giving a series of complex visual images, which was tantamount to sensory overload This made it very hard for me to concentrate on the cognitive content of the film. I couldn't help feeling as though the children had been heavily influenced in the layout of this section to fit in with the modern fragmented 'sound bites' style. I found it disconnected and lacking in substance.

The second 'vox pop' part of the DVD I found much more accessible. I liked the format of asking a few individuals with AS a series of sensible questions such as 'How would you explain aspergers to others?', 'What advice would you give to others?'. The young people were very articulate, likeable and not obviously different which meant that they were the ideal ambassadors for Aspergers. One young man expressed how he felt relatively normal and that it was uncomfortable to be associated with the more 'abnormal and weird' images of aspergers. This is an extremely valid point and it is the portrayal of aspergers as almost subnormal that essentially excludes the more 'normal' people with aspergers from engaging in any help that is available.

The interview section of the DVD was full of snippets which I felt really represented what it means to have aspergers and I particularly liked what one young man said, 'the world is a beautiful place ....the people who are running it and the people you meet sometimes are idiots' as this sounds like something my own son might say.

Being a tad pedantic, I noticed that the pronunciation of 'Aspergers' used the soft G when in reality it is a hard G from the Germanic languages. I think that this DVD is ideal for a young person who is newly diagnosed and has never heard of aspergers or as a tool to educate 'neuro-typical children.



Review by teenager with Aspergers

My view of the film: it's entertaining, and there are some quite good, surreal parts to it, but I don't think it really gets across what Asperger's is. If I had no idea what Asperger's was, and I was told to watch the video to get a better idea, I would be just as clueless as before.