Synopsis

To find out you have an autistic child is devastating, but what is it like for siblings? Scarlet was three when Mikey arrived on the scene, Princess Scarlet had her baby prince, and the Monroes were a nuclear family. But then Naomi, Scarlet and Mikey's mum started to notice things that worried her about him, he wasn't responding to her anymore, he was distant. He ignored his sister, and Scarlet was fiercely protective of her brother, but no matter what she did, he ignored her.

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Living with Mike

1 x 30 mins for BBC Wales 2002

Producer / Director Kate Jones-Davies

Scarlet is now a very bright, confident nine year old, with a very different experience of living with Mike. She has to take second place, she shares her home with a team of therapists, she has seen her parents weep with tears of frustration, she has seen them row, and all the time Mike is in a different world, a world she cannot access. And now there is a new member of the family, she is going to have to help a lot. She is also looking forward to her task. But what if she loses this little sister to the same world as her brother.

Through the eyes of nine year old Scarlet, we gain a new and fascinating perspective of what it is like to live with an autistic child