“Finding love can be hard for anyone, and for some people it can feel like an impossible dream. This series follows young adults on the autism spectrum as they navigate in the confusing world of relationships and dating.”
Love on the Spectrum is an Australian reality show about disability, broadcasted in 2019 on Netflix. It has been created by Brooke Kerith Satchwell, an Australian producer based on an Netflix’s original idea. This is a short (45 minutes format) all-audience program (can be watched from seven years old), composed of five episodes. During this reality show we encounter eleven autistic persons, six boys and five girls, aged from 19 to 30 years old. The series brings young autistic people to discover love and acquire social skills.
Each episode of Love on the Spectrum is produced in the same way. People give their name, their age and a definition of what they think love is. As an example, Maddi says “I think it requires communication, honesty, and compromise”. Moreover, the viewer follows each protagonist before and during the date. At the end of it, the two suitors wonder if they want to see each other again. In order to support the protagonists during their dates, they met Jodi Rodgers, described as a qualified sexologist, counsellor and special education teacher, a kind of “relationship expert”. In fact, she is used to work with disabled people. More precisely, she has the belief that everyone deserves and needs love and affection, no matter their condition. She uses different tools like acting sessions, drawing, speed dating set-up… where she can work with persons on their social ability, their comprehension of social situations, their posture in front of a possible pretender… She relies on the young person’s skills, hobbies and expectations in order to help them find common points with their partner.
As developmental psychologists specialised in infancy, adolescence and disability, we found that it was interesting to introduce this TV show for what it brings in terms of knowledge and pedagogy about disability, and specifically asperger syndrom (which belongs to the broader autism syndrom). It highlights difficulties people in the spectrum encounter dating and creating social relations, and, at the same time, it also demonstrates possibilities and resources they can use to improve their social skills.
Firstly, at the beginning of the show, the narrator reminds that “people on the spectrum often have troubles socializing and meeting potential partners can be difficult”. This explanation helps people watching the series to conceive the fact that autistic people do not function like ordinary people in terms of relationships and social skills. In fact, as the DSM-5 defines, they present “Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts (…)”. It is very well illustrated here : at some moments, we can see the protagonists trying to have “typical” dating conversation, to find common points… We find out that the reciprocity on attitudes, facial and emotional expressions isn’t easy and not as obvious as it would be for a neurotypical person. The restrictive or repetitive aspect of their interests is also noticeable during their meetings : sometimes, some of them struggle a bit on varying the conversation’s topics because they are a little too focused on their own hobbies. It is also hard for people with autism to support the look in the eye, touch feeling, and more generally, anything related to non verbal communication. Love on the spectrum demonstrates that there are as many forms of autism as there are autistic people. In fact, the different protagonists we encounter all have different profiles distinguished by their physical appearance, their traits of personality or their hobbies. From a psychopathological point of view, the manifestation of the spectrum is also different from one person or another. For example, Olivia is a person who has difficulties to integrate social norms, she can laugh out loud and jump everywhere in a public space however she appears like a very enthusiastic person. By contrast, Andrew has a huge knowledge of social norms and adopts a traditional point of view during all of his conversations, nevertheless he seems to be a little bit inflexible and predictable sometimes.
Secondly, the question of the diagnosis is also discussed in the series. The character explains that there is a large variability in the age where the diagnosis has been made, which is a real current clinical problematic. For example, some of them are diagnosed at the youngest age possible (2 years old) and for the latest, they are diagnosed at 20. It shows how they are inequally affected by the syndrome and how some of them are more gifted by social or adaptative skills which can eventually significantly delay the diagnosis.This delayed diagnosis represents a major issue, in so far as the more the diagnosis is late, the less the psychological care is efficient. Indeed, a diagnostic defect does not allow for appropriate interventions to be put in place. Moreover, one of the protagonists in the series explains that the mains criteria of autism are made to identify male more than female.
Thirdly, we noticed that the main action of the show takes place without any artifice, in a neutral way. Actually, the way scenes are shot doesn’t include special effects or a lot of music, which gives an honest and sincere aspect to the speech of every protagonist. As a spectator, it allows us to be concentrated on every word and intonations pronounced by protagonists.This style of neutral shooting also permits protagonists to be natural and describe themselves the way they are without any acting. The show’s non-judgement position allows a benevolent look at the difference. It gives an opportunity to people who are usually not featured on reality shows to express themselves. The fact that protagonists really have autism and strongly desire to find love is really touching and gives a realistic account to this series.
Finally, love in autism represents an actual subject which can be considered as taboo in our modern societies. Topics which are most discussed by specialists, when it deals with autism, mainly concern their professional lives, their autonomy, independence… Then, it is crystal clear that their love life can be touchy because autistic people don’t have a lot of knowledge and experiences of love and sexuality. During the show people on the spectrum also explain that they feel the need to be in touch with other people, be in romantic relationships, be touched and pampered… which can constitute, for all neurotypical persons fundamental needs.
To put it in a nutshell, as developmental psychologists Love on spectrum represents a great way to introduce the question of autism and more precisely romantic relationship with autism to all the persons who are interested in these subjects. Notwithstanding, we would like to highlight one principal limit of this show that concerns the choice of population. Indeed, the main character possesses an autistic syndrom named the Asperger disorder in some classification of mental disorder (CIM 10). This Asperger syndrome is a certain form of autism defined by good global capacity and an absence of intellectual disability. Thus, their experiences and skills can not be generalized on the major part of the broader autism syndrome. In a certain way, Love on spectrum may gives a reduced vision concerning the question of love with autism. Nevertheless, it can raise from the director’s wish to show a positive and hopeful representation of the autistic’s romantic relationship. Finally, this show allows a lot of possibilities to produce more contents that deal with the field of love and disability in general.
Written by Cossard Guennoc Maud, Derradj Ilhyana and Dubois Lou-Salomé.
Vocabulary / words we have learned :
Broadcasted : diffusé sur
A benevolent look at the difference : un regard bienveillant sur la différence
In so far as : dans la mesure où
To put it in a nutshell : pour résumer
Notwithstanding : cependant / néanmoins
Crystal clear : clair comme de l’eau de roche / clair comme du cristal