After Thomas [DVD]

i perhaps can offer a different viewpoint on after thomas. i recently ordered the DVD and watched it with my support staff.i am now 33,and used to be severely autistic and was believed to have severe learning disability as well as i only spoke in sounds/noise and echolalia,i didnt use communication for interactions sake.i was and still am very distant from people and i related so much to the boy,kyle all the way through this film and it made me feel very good to know there is a boy out there like me [its a true story],even now,if i saw a person fall off a bike like kyle saw i would [like him] have sympathy for the bike;not the person.i also had massive meltdowns like kyle whenever it came to getting new shoes or new clothes or anything else new,and i had a obsession with thomas the tank engine [i still do now].my mum developed depression when i was 5 years old as she couldnt cope-i had severe ADHD as well and life threatening epilepsy.my dad was very distant from me-like kyles dad,and my mum became an alcoholic to self medicate-she had no support from outside sources as there were not any and she was told by our family doctor that i was autistic because she was a cold mother [which is a very ancient theory of autism created by sigmund freud] and was made to feel ashamed of herself,so i was the family secret.i was resented by my sister,and the more distant family for being such a burden on them.however, i had a natural affinity with animals,i didnt process and acknowledge humans but i instantly interacted with animals and they calmed me-like kyle with thomas.i saw the world through my cats eyes,i related to them.i went on to have many beloved pets including chickens that i bred in my bedroom and i also had disabled riding therapy every week which calmed my behaviors down for at least a day afterwards,horse riding made me very happy,i was one with the horse,i related to them.unfortunately the amount of medications i was on,put on lots of weight so i became obese and couldnt ride anymore, i am still trying to lose weight.animals are amazing for autistic people,and i am so glad kyle got the chance to experience life with thomas.so,the film-i loved it but i didnt like it when the dad said kyle wasnt autistic he was a child with autism [or something like that] -ask anyone on the spectrum if they agree with person first language and they will more than likely tell you no,because for us;autism is part of us and our identity, it is what drives us,it is our brain.i loved the mum in the film as she was so understanding and caring [mostly] which was quite rare from back in the day when kyle was young as classic autism let alone other forms like aspergers wasnt understood back then.she saw a positive side to him that the dad didnt, i am glad of this,because i am fed up of being seen as a tragedy because i was severely autistic,it isnt a tragedy to be like this,my life was very beautiful through my eyes,yes i had many,many challenges and behaviors that were difficult for my family but for me it was never a bad thing and i enjoy having my brain being autistic, it makes me feel happy to have my own world as its a safety net from the outside.what made me unhappy was mental illness,i was severely depressed since 10 years old due to bullying and my mums violent behavior and the way i was abused by my dad for the way i think and act,and no one recognised it till i was 25 in spite of trying to kill myself multiple times, i was institutionalized at 18 because of my behaviors and my mums violent behavior towards me.i think its very important for parents of severely/moderately classic autistic children to teach them to type or use AAC so they can learn to express themselves this way,never assume your child cant do it,i have personally seen profoundly autistic people learn to communicate through typing as well as AAC apps,ive also seen a profoundly autistic lad write on paper 'chips' using the hand over hand method.please remember severely autistic people can be mentally ill as well,when i lived in a specialist residential home for severely and profoundly autistic adults and children,i was left suffering with such severe depression i developed severe psychosis,the home believed people with severe autism cannot have mental illness and that i was just repeating things id seen on tv or worse;making it up.like kyle,i have developed dramatically since childhood,he went onto get many GCSEs,for me i went onto compete in the special olympics and i now have my own apartment in a care facility,plus i dont require 2 staff to myself anymore i only need one.i am now diagnosed with moderate classic autism with mild learning disability,and i have many beloved pets including a support cat-yes a support cat.so i honestly recommend this film to all parents of autistic children, especially severely or profoundly autistic children, and i recommend it to aspies to,so they can see what the rest of the spectrum can be like,but as we all know you seen one person with autism=youve seen one person with autism,so kyle is just one person,it just so happens i related to him very much.

I watched this film on tv, boxing day. It broke my heart to watch it, as it was so realistic, you could only feel for the parents and the little boy, Thomas, the puppy, named after Thomas the Tank engine was so real to me as anyone who has been affected by ASD, knows that Thomas is usually the most loved 'person' by your child. The Tantrums, the hurt, the pain and most importantly the hope these parents had. Thank you to the parents and the people who put this together, I didn't feel alone anymore, with the battle against your own insanity, the love for your child and the willingness to get the best out of a 'bad' situation. Handled sensitively, also showed the effects the world has on you, when you are bringing up a child with ASD. I would recommend this film to anyone, who is affected by ASD, knows someone with ASD, or wants to educate themselves and their families about this ever growing condition. Not all unruley children are naughty, or unwilling to co-operate. Some can't by nature. Must see. A+++++++++++

As a parent of a child with Autism and someone who has had contact with many people with varying degrees of Autistic Spectrum Disorder both personally and professionally, I thought this film was brilliantly done. It really shows the tough times which some families experience and it also makes you appreciate every bit of progress made. It highlights the many areas of difficulty both for the little boy who is happy when things are within his control - which obviously life in general is not (hence he struggles to cope with everyday things), his lack of danger awareness and also the difficulties faced by the family, such as strain on marriage, exhaustion, child's education, other people's small mindedness, difficulties having a life outside of caring responsibilities etc.I found myself laughing and crying along with this film and enjoying the connection the boy builds with the dog which in turn triggers other changes. It also shows the power of having supportive and understanding people around to help and advise. If you're interested in Autism or human-dog companionship then this is a must see. If you aren't then its still worth watching!

This item arrived on time. I enjoyed watching this DVD as it braught to life the characters i had read about in the book titled after Henry which was a fantastic book about a boy with Autisum and the struggle his parents faced to get the right diagnosise for his condition. great DVD great book.

What an absolutely lovely movie.I thoroughly enjoyed it, and cried through most of it.I had read the book (titled "A friend like Henry") and found the book exceptionally detailed and prior to the movie, thought these details would not be expressed. I was wrong!For those of you who love or have special needs children, or for those of you who adore dogs (like me!!)I recommend this movie. Watch it alone, with no interruptions, have a carton of tissues close by, and watch in awe of the beautiful and conforting realtionship between a boy and his dog, and how the love of a mother knows no limits!I take my hat off to these exceptional parents and their blessed Golden Retriever!!!!

An ok film, about an autistic boy and his relationship with the new family pet dog. It's an enjoyable film, but not brilliant, I would say very watchable though.

I bought this film as my son is currently being diagnosed for autisim and i thought it would interest me.Well, it was funny, sad, heartbreaking, comical and many othe things. Such a lovely film about a boy who as severe autsim and along comes mans best friend.I wont go into describing what the film is about as many other revewers already have, but what i will say is, if you like real life films, if you know someone who is autistic, or you love dogs, then this is well worth watching.I cannt stress how good ths film is.