Olivia Sharpe from Love On The Spectrum has revealed her perspective on why it is hard for autistic people to date... and what challenges she faces while seeing someone. She has a witty personality, which has helped her to make a lasting impression on the reality show's audience.
Finding true love is hard, but it gets even harder for young adults who are suffering from psychological disorders. Michael, who is 25-years-old, thinks that it's high time for him to find someone and finally go on a first date. Then there is 27-year-old Andrew, who is eager to get married and then start a family of his own. Next up, viewers meet dinosaur fan and Love on the Spectrum star Mark, who is also worried that he will never find the right partner. One problem that makes it hard for them to meet the right partners (and then fall in love) is the lack of support for people with disabilities. There are few platforms or resources that help them to connect with their ideal matches. The speed-dating event that Michael goes to was arranged by the show’s production team.
Olivia Sharpe is sharing facts about the challenges that people on the spectrum face. While talking to CBC's Day 6 host Brent Bambury, she said, "I didn't really see many people with autism with partners. The stereotype is like, us weirdos living in our parents' basements until we're like 80, alone and single. So, I just assumed that would be my life." She said that people like her struggle to understand social cues, and in her case, she doesn't have a "filter" when it comes to what to say... or not say. She added, "There is something that happens between your head and your mouth that just doesn't connect." She further explained, "Neurotypical people (those not on the autism spectrum) have something that tells them to stop, to not say everything they're thinking. We don't have that."
Unfortunately, this can be a problematic thing while dating someone. An autistic reality star (or another type of autistic person) can make a rude comment or be inappropriate without even realizing it. Of course, people who aren't on the spectrum might also be rude or inappropriate. Overall, the 25-year-old doesn't think that she is disabled in any form. She doesn't believe she needs to be cured. She said, "I've never thought of myself as there was anything wrong with me. A lot of people with autism, we don't think of ourselves as disabled. It's called neurodiversity." She added, "We don't believe we should be cured. We believe that autism is part of ourselves, our identity. And if you take away the autism, you take away the person."
This show's aim is NOT to make viewers feel sorry for autistic people, but feel empathetic towards them and simply understand the difficulties they face every day. It’s romantic, it’s pure and it will melt hearts. Without a doubt, Love On The Spectrum is one of the best-unscripted dating reality shows of this year.
Love On the Spectrum season 1 is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Day 6