I have just seen the National Theatre's production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time". They brilliantly portrayed Mark Haddon's story about a young boy with Asperger's syndome who investigates the brutal killing of a neighbour's dog and, in so doing, discovers that his father has lied to him about his mother's sudden disappearance.
It is told through the eyes of the teenage boy, Christopher Boone, and gives a tremendous insight into the different thought process a person with Asperger's has.
Dr Temple Grandin, a leading expert on autism, states :
"...the brain of an individual with autism overreacts to sensory stimulation. The overreaction occurs in both the sensory cortex and emotional centres that activate fear." (Temple Grandin, M, p 3, 2015)
This is very effectively depicted with the use of lighting, projection, sound and clever staging in moments throughout the play; one such incident is the panic that is portrayed when Christopher first encounters trains and the London underground on his journey to try to find his mother.
It also shows a typical autistic trait of being unable to assess danger when he leaps onto the Tube track to rescue his pet rat, who has escaped from the small cage in which Christopher has been carrying him. Nail biting suspense is created as we hear the train approaching and the boy is oblivious to his approaching fate- he is pulled back to safety in the nick of time by a man and woman on the platform.
For some people on the autism spectrum "touch makes the person feel overwhelmed and often leads to avoiding touch when possible. They may be sent into fight or flight over very small, everyday touch sensations." ( Kid Companions, 2013 ) Christopher hates being touched and his only way of showing affection is by offering his palm for brief contact with that of his father or mother.
In the play, whenever Christopher gets distressed at home, especially during arguments with his father, he plays obsessively with his train set and blocks out anything being said to him. The National Autistic Society states that the reasons behind repetitive behaviour in people with autism may be:
- an attempt to gain sensory input, e.g. rocking may be a way to stimulate the balance (vestibular) system; hand-flapping may provide visual stimulation
- an attempt to reduce sensory input, e.g. focusing on one particular sound may reduce the impact of a loud, distressing environment; this may particularly be seen in social situations
- a way to deal with stress and anxiety and to block out uncertainty. Some adolescents or adults may revert to old repetitive behaviours such as hand-flapping or rocking if anxious or stressed
- a source of enjoyment and occupation (National Autistic Society, 2015)
The fact that people on the autism spectrum are often extremely intelligent and talented in certain areas is shown by Christopher's aptitude for maths and his memory skills.He says he can name each country in the world, their capitals, and every prime number up to 7,057.
Despite giving the audience a glimpse into some of the anger, frustration, confusion and despair that people on the autism spectrum can feel, the play also interjects humour and ends on a positive note with Christopher attaining an A* for his A level maths at the age of 15.
I found this play inspirational and very helpful for my research into autism. I had been having some thoughts about my professional artefact for BAPP and how I could use the knowledge I have acquired in a creative way and this play was a perfect example of how this can be achieved. It gave me a great deal of food for thought and I jotted down lots of ideas in my reflective journal on my journey home from the theatre.
I liked the fact that the play, whilst highlighting all the negative aspects of autism, didn't wallow in negativity. Instead it left us with the thought that people with autism just have a different view of the world and think in different ways and are not necessarily disadvantaged but can possess brilliant minds and go on to achieve great things. Christopher conveys a message of hope and optimism for the future with his concluding words: " does that mean I can do anything?"
"If we are willing to look without preconceived judgment, then the autistic has done his or her work and we can begin to build the bridges between that other world and the world we know. We can bring the best qualities of that world into ours and allow the autistic child or adult to find their way to bridge into our world too. " (Sahyew, L, 2015 )
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kid Companions, 2013 Tactile Sensitivity-What It Is and the Common Signs, online:http://kidcompanions.com/tactile-sensitivity-what-it-is-and-the-common-signs/#sthash.6Y5qAY59.dpuf
National Autistic Society, 2015, "Repetitive Behaviour and Autism", online: http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/understanding-behaviour/obsessions-repetitive-routines/repetitive-behaviour.aspx
Sahyew, L, 2015, The Gifts of Autism, online: http://thegiftsofautism.com
Temple Grandin, M, 2015, Temple Talks About Autism and Sensory Issues, Sensory World
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