- Playing
- The Problem with Thomas
- From
- Aaron Henkin
A young couple experiences the storybook joy of having their first child, Thomas. A year and a half later Thomas is diagnosed with moderate to severe autism.
I see this story as a maybe a potential companion piece to any program that discusses autism with doctors and/or experts. This piece is no more or less than an intimate portrait of the confusion and pain experienced by young parents when their hopes for the future are replaced by confusion and disappointment. Thomas' parents are really remarkable and resillient people, it turns out.
The story takes a rather surreal twist at the end --- a real window into the dad's psychology, especially.
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Piece Description
A young couple experiences the storybook joy of having their first child, Thomas. A year and a half later Thomas is diagnosed with moderate to severe autism. I see this story as a maybe a potential companion piece to any program that discusses autism with doctors and/or experts. This piece is no more or less than an intimate portrait of the confusion and pain experienced by young parents when their hopes for the future are replaced by confusion and disappointment. Thomas' parents are really remarkable and resillient people, it turns out. The story takes a rather surreal twist at the end --- a real window into the dad's psychology, especially.
5 Comments
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Review of The Problem with ThomasRecent statistics of child autism are harrowing:
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Review of The Problem with ThomasFor me, as it will be for thousands of other parents, this was an intimately personal piece. I have an autistic child. I thought the producer did an excellent (and tasteful) job of capturing the feelings parents have as they slowly realize that, yes, something is wrong with your kid. The fear, doubt, concern, it's all there in this piece. It will rivet any parent, or any person close to a parent, of an autistic child. |
Broadcast History
This piece is slated to air on WYPR's local weekly program, "The Signal," in October, 2004.
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Margaret Westlake
Posted on December 30, 2004 at 11:33 AM | Permalink
Review of The Problem with Thomas
Pieces like this are what people need to understand autism and other disorders. People do not understand any mental disabilities or disorders and the research and solutions are way behind because this is hidden in our society.