The parents of two autistic sons have praised a hit BBC show for highlighting their children’s conditions.

But Martin and Anne-Marie Kilgallon have also criticised The A Word for failing to show the breadth of problems that parents of autistic children face.

The Mirfield couple have five-year-old Tolan, who does not speak, and Fredi, four, who repeats others’ speech without understanding it.

The Kilgallon family at The Whole Autism Family rally at Dewsbury Town Hall over NHS diagnosis waiting times. From left: Anne-Marie, Tolan, Fredi and Martin

In The A Word, which is currently showing on BBC1, parents Paul (Lee Ingleby) and Alison (Morven Christie) discover their five-year-old son Joe (Max Vento) has autism.

The previously close family battle each other over the best way to care for Joe in the series based on the Israeli drama Yellow Peppers.

Martin and Anne-Marie, who founded The Whole Autism Family support group, believe it is ‘brilliant’ that the show raises awareness of autism.

But the programme has, so far, failed to show the wide range of conditions that exist on the autistic spectrum.

Nor has The A Word demonstrated the daily problems faced by the parents of autistic children.

Read more: Families with autism hold rally to demand shorter NHS waiting times as part of a National Autistic Society Day of Action

Read more: Batley MP Jo Cox speaks movingly in Parliament on autism diagnosis waiting times

Anne-Marie said: “I don’t think it highlights the battles you face. There’s sleepless nights, the children self-harming and injuring themselves and there’s the non-communication.

“Tolan is non-verbal and he hits his head. I don’t think the programme shows the constant battles you face.

“There’s the comments that we get from people when we’re out and they’re pretty bad – people just think it’s bad behaviour.”

Martin said: “We were on a plane and Tolan had a meltdown and someone said: ‘Can’t you shut him up?’

“Sometimes I use sign language. He can’t really understand it, but it shows people there’s something wrong.”

The A Word. From left: Joe (Max Vento) with Rebecca (Molly Wright) CREDIT: BBC Images

When people think of autism they often think of the hit movie Rain Man, where Dustin Hoffman plays a man with a ‘high-functioning’ form of autism who is capable of incredible memory recall and mental arithmetic.

But the condition portrayed in Rain Man is just one manifestation of a broad range of conditions.

Approximately half of people with autism have learning difficulties and some may be unable to communicate, even as adults.

Anne-Marie said: “Fredi suffers more on the social side of things; he’s more likely to have a meltdown around people as there’s too much stimulation.

“It’s very isolating for the children.

“We can’t go out. There are things people take for granted like going out for a family meal. We can’t do that.”

Read more: Mirfield family with two autistic boys launch new support group for Kirklees parents

Read more: Autism spectrum diagnoses suspended after a shortage of staff

In Kirklees there is a waiting list stretching into years for parents seeking diagnoses for their children whom they suspect are autistic.

This is a far cry from The A Word, set in Cumbria, where Joe receives a diagnosis in a matter of days.

Anne-Marie and Martin joined Batley MP Jo Cox at Parliament to watch Ms Cox speak in the Commons about the agonising wait faced by parents of autistic children.

Martin joked: “After watching the programme I thought we might move to Cumbria because of how quickly he got his assessment!”

For more information about the autistic spectrum visit: www.autism.org.uk .