1st April 2018
Warning this blog contains spoilers… before reading just go and watch all three videos if you haven’t already seen them. They are only on about a minute each and will make reading this blog much more relevant. They can be found on the national Autistic Website and their YouTube channel. http://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/tmi/about.aspx
As this week was World Autism Awareness Week, the National Autistic Society has released another video in their “Too Much Information Campaign”. This is the third one in the series, with one being produced each year in the past three years. I thought it would be a great idea to review all three in this blog and my opinion on why you should totally watch these videos if you want to gain some awareness of what it is like to be Autistic. I feel this is very important as awareness will lead to acceptance. So here we go…
Too Much Information Video 1: “Can you make it to the end?” Alex’s Story
This video was released in 2016 and details Alex, a young Autistic as he moves through a shopping centre. The shopping centre is full of sensory information and this leads to Alex having a meltdown.
I thought this video was ground breaking the first time I saw it, mainly because it is almost entirely filmed from Alex’s point of view. We see through his eyes as he moves through the shopping centre. The way the film is produced means that all the sensory input is exactly how Alex sees it. For example, the lights are shown to be brighter, noises louder and more piercing. This allows the viewer to get a feel for how painful the sensory input is. Each noise, feeling and visual is intense and builds on Alex’s ability to keep control. I love this.
Often I have tried to explain to people what sensory overload feels like and I find myself saying things like “The lights are so bright they are painful and energy sapping”. It then occurs to me that this then sounds almost stupid and I am not getting what I feel across to the person. This video shows EXACTLY what is sensory overload. So now when I am explaining what it is like, I can say “if you really want to know then watch this video…” and this helps to get across what I mean better than my clumsy sentences.
Alex tries to combat his sensory anxiety by counting on his fingers but eventually the sights and sounds overload him and he has a meltdown. The point of view then changes to an outside view and we see Alex freaking out with people walking past giving his mother disapproving looks. The film ends with Alex saying “I am not naughty, I’m Autistic”.
I enjoy this change of view point at the end. It perfectly contrasts well with what we have seen through Alex’s eyes and I think it demonstrates how people can wrongly judge Autistic people. Especially if they have little understanding of what it is and what we are. I hope that once people have watched this short film, if they walk through a shopping centre and see someone in Alex’s situation they will perhaps be more understanding.
Too Much Information Video 2: “Make it Stop” Holly’s Story
The second video is about a girl Holly and follows her through a normal day at school. Whereas the “Too Much Information” in Alex’s story comes through sensory issues, Holly’s information overload is through being not being allowed enough time to process questions that are asked of her throughout the day. Autistics sometimes need more space to process what has been asked before they can answer with a response. This can seem like we are ignoring the person asking the question and being rude.
The first question Holly is asked is by the bus driver is “Off somewhere fun today?” and you can see it confuses her. The key thing is, he then immediately asks her another question before she has had time to answer the first. This question then repeats in her head all day long as she tries to process it. I can relate to this myself. Even a simple question put to an Autistic can cause mental overload. For example, I can even struggle with the simple question “How are you?” If asked, my brain might respond, actually how exactly are you? How should I responds to this?, do I just tell them what they want to hear or should I lie?, why do they want to know?
I need to answer these further questions in my head before I respond. This takes time. So it might look like I am confused or being rude but I am not. Every question that I get asked might have leads to more questions and thoughts. These questions are not forgotten but will often return throughout the day as we see with Holly.
Imagine how much communication you get and how many questions you may get asked in a day? Imagine if all that information cannot be forgotten by you, whether you answer or not. Imagine they then build up in your mind throughout the day. Just because you are not given the time to work out how to answer. How stressful would that be? The film shows that perfectly and it is no wonder that later on in the day Holly is overwhelmed by information and heading for a meltdown.
This is another excellent video that shows the problems that Autistic people can face without other people’s awareness and understanding. What I really like is how different it is from the first video, especially showing a female lead, dispelling the myth that Autism is a male condition. Male or female we all get too much information.
Too Much Information Video 3: “Diverted” Saskia’s Story
The latest film short was released last week and this time uses a female Autistic adult as the lead. Once again, well done for the National Autistic Society for choosing yet again a different lead character. Autism affects all ages and sexes.
This video dealt with the experience of an Autistic using public transport or rather planning to use public transport as she imagines what her train journey is going to be like. The journey is just a sensory nightmare with a crowded train that is first delayed and then diverted. The train has people clicking pens, being rowdy, eating noisily and is bustling, and Saskia is trapped in the carriage with it all.
The situation also comes to head when somebody accidently bumps into her to which she flinches, the contact obviously being painful. The scene then cuts back to her in the house and you realise that the whole journey is just her anxiety about travelling. It is then implied she won’t be make the journey as she thinks “fear of unexpected changes make leaving the house impossible”.
This film really hits home with me as I have been in a similar position. At one point at work, it looked like I was going to have to make a train journey on my own. I was so anxious about it, that I was going to try and make a short journey on my own to practice. I attempted this but could not get on the train. It was just too crowded and unpredictable and without anyone to talk I through I panicked that I would have a meltdown. So I didn’t get in the train but went home instead. Luckily I didn’t have to make the journey for work, but it could have caused me serious problems if I had been forced to (I had not disclosed to work at that time).
The anxiety that Saskia goes through and how this is increased by unexpected changes, such as delays, comes across really well in the video. All three films use visual and audio tricks to accurately show how it feels to an Autistic person. That is what makes these videos so important as they can be showed to Neurotyoicals, friends, family, employers, councils, shops etc. the list goes on. It shows how sensory overload, changes, anxiety, meltdowns can perhaps feel. They may only be emulations of what happens but they are so well done, they are such an important tool for us to be able to use.
There is a fourth video about too much information in the workplace called “Could you stand the rejection?” which is filmed in the same style as the others and is again a crucial bit of film to watch. It is used to show employers the difficulties that Autistics have, in trying to gain employment by showcasing the problems that arise at job interviews. I would recommend watching it here
So to conclude I would like to thank the National Autistic Society for creating these excellent videos and helping to raise awareness and understanding. If you still haven’t watched these films then please do so. Great work.