health
I was struggling to understand my autistic son
A combination of autism and ADHD caused outbursts, confusion and stress that my son couldn’t understand – until he saw David Tennant behaving the same way
TL;DR
- The author's son, who has autism and ADHD (AuDHD), struggled with certain media due to conflict.
- He found comfort and recognition in David Tennant's portrayal of the Doctor in Doctor Who.
- The Doctor's 'fizzy' personality, energetic behavior, and repetition resonated with the son.
- Watching the Doctor helped the son understand conflict and resolution in stories and in life.
- The mother began using the TARDIS metaphor to describe her son's large inner emotional world.
- These connections improved their communication and understanding of his emotional regulation.