The A Word

Alison organises a sponsored walk to raise money for Joe's class. Volunteering brings the family back together, and also provides Alison with a chance to get to know Heather better. But on the day, Joe refuses to leave his room, the pressure of being the centre of attention proving too much for him. Rebecca comes to his aid and shows him that the walk is not a thing to be feared, and in turn gains the confidence to talk about her feelings concerning her pregnancy and the possibility that her child may also be autistic.

An unwelcome visitor arrives in the Lakes on the eve of Ralph and Katie's wedding in the shape of Ralph's father, whom he has not seen in more than 10 years. Louise is less than keen to have him around, as is Maurice - in part because Doug proves a far more likable person than he had imagined. Paul and Sarah's liberalism is put to the test when Mark and Joe want to strike out on their own. They decide to let the boys go for a day out on their own, but neither is able to resist checking up on them.

Rebecca pays a visit to Joe's school to teach the class about pregnancy, an experience which eases her worries about her own child's future. However, while driving back to the Lakes, she goes into labour, and faces the prospect of giving birth by the roadside with only Joe on hand to help her. Ben returns from work in Derby with bad news for Alison. Ralph moves into his new flat with Katie, and Louise finds the experience of her son leaving home hard to take - but Maurice proposes a drastic solution to her loneliness.