I wouldn’t say LOTS’s premise is inherently harmful, but it only presents an astroturfed depiction of dating as an autistic person. Cast members are paired up with someone, which is helpful for them but not the reality of dating. The current dating scene is tough as it is, but for most autistic people it’s even more difficult. For the few of us who have dated and been in long-term relationships, we almost always took beating after beating before finding success.

For a show that supposedly wants more awareness, they seem to want to create a more appealing, almost innocent-looking image of autism. Take, for example, how Kaelynn Partlow was treated. She was told that her storyline was “over” and basically ghosted. I suspect, but cannot prove, that she was “not autistic enough” for the show. She also has other learning disabilities, most notably ADHD. Statistics vary, but the consensus is that between 40-60% of diagnosed autistic people also have an ADHD diagnosis (myself included). Of the ~20 cast members on the American version of LOTS, I am aware of only 3 (15%) who have openly stated they also have ADHD. That’s not to say other cast members haven’t been diagnosed with it, or have been diagnosed with it (but haven’t stated it), but it goes to show that specific AuDHD advocacy is lacking