My Family and Autism (BBC2): "WE'RE an odd bunch, but for us this is ordinary life," said 14-year-old Luke Jackson near the end of this enlightening documentary.

As viewers, we're so used to programmes about people with diseases and disabilities that it would have been easy to dismiss this as just another in an already-crowded market.

The difference was that the moving force behind the film was Luke, who wrote his first book at 13 and is working on his second. He's an intelligent young man with a firm grasp of how autism affects his life.

Mother Jacqui has seven children. Her three daughters are fine, her four sons all have various forms and degrees of autism. Yet this wasn't a sob story, as she herself made clear: "It's not some great tragedy that I'm this poor little single parent bringing up these disabled children, because they are amazing," she said.

She admitted that she was so busy bringing up her children that she "didn't really notice" her ex-husband. Her job, she said, was to help her children grow up to be happy people. That seems to be happening, despite a family life that looks chaotic. It can't be anything else, considering the problems that four autistic children bring.

The youngest, six-year-old Ben, is the most obviously autistic. A year ago he couldn't walk, talk or sit up. Even now, he doesn't like wearing clothes.

The children need special diets to alleviate their condition. Nine-year-old Joseph gets hyper if he eats something he's not supposed to. "He's like a wild animal," said his mother. He even seeks out the foods he's not allowed. Jacqui found him eating the bedroom carpet, later discovering that the glue was made of flour.

He gives away family possessions to other people, such as his mother's diamond necklace to his teacher. And a trip to the supermarket can resemble a running battle as Jacqui tries to control her brood.

But the Jacksons do seem like a real family, who look after and care for each other.

Luke confided his thoughts through his video diary, admitting it was hard to fit in with society. In the past, he'd been bullied and called names like geek and freak, but at home he and his brothers could just be themselves.

We saw him addressing the allergy-induced autism conference. Others of his age might have been daunted, but he said he'd rather talk in front of 500 strangers than have a normal conversation with someone.

Jacqui made an important point when talking about the public's perception of children like hers. "A child in a wheelchair or with some sort of disfigurement is more obvious and gains some sort of sympathy," she said.

To most, her children just look like they're being naughty and their mother can't control them. The TV documentary was a good way of educating people that this wasn't the case.

Published: 31/07/2003