10 reasons to watch “Are You Autistic?” (by someone who already knows it inside out!)

…Okay, as one of Are You Autistic?‘s lead presenters I’m more than a little biased, but this does also means I’ve seen it, multiple times, and can’t wait until it finally goes out beyond autism circles and into the wider world of people who could benefit from its messages! So here are just a few reasons why, this Wednesday at 10pm, you should see it too:

1. You definitely know at least one autistic person. I’m not just saying that because most people who read this will know me, either – we now think 1 in 100 people are autistic, and with so many people going undiagnosed and horrendously long waiting list for those whose autistic traits are picked up on, that number could be much higher. There’s going to be someone in your family, friendship groups, school, workplace, somewhere who is on the spectrum – even if you don’t know it, even if they don’t know it – and a little understanding and acceptance can go a long way.

2. It’s presented by autistic people. To be clear, it’s Sam Ahern and I who introduce the show and all its segments, provide the voiceovers, interview the experts, and generally guide the neurotypical newcomers through our world – and it should go without saying that we discussed, changed and contributed to every single one of our scripts. It shouldn’t be so groundbreaking or hard to believe for autistic people to lead the conversation about autism in the media, but I think this makes Are You Autistic? stand out.

3. Two-thirds of the autistic people who feature are women. Autistic women are usually under-represented if not ignored entirely in media, but you’re going to run out of fingers trying to count them on this show. We discuss underdiagnosis, masking, and how stereotypes prevent women from accessing the support they need.

4. You’ll also see some really cool idents. Come on, it’s a giant person made of the Channel 4 blocks! What’s not to love?

5. We look at autism from the autistic perspective. Too often, the only autistic traits discussed are those that happen to affect the neurotypical people around us, and autism is framed as “odd behaviour” with no consideration for what the autistic person is actually experiencing. We go deeper, exploring sensory processing and executive function as two adults who suspect they might be autistic undergo assessments – with TV presenter and token neurotypical person Anna Richardson learning with the audience along the way.

6. It’s an example of how positive change can be made when you take action. Ambitious about Autism’s Youth Council contacted the producers last year because we had concerns – and how they listened!! We turned a project that was neurotypical-led into a show that is autistic-led. As well as Sam and I presenting, five other Youth Patrons feature in Are You Autistic?, directly speaking about their first-hand experiences. We chose to directly engage and are all very proud of the outcome, and I hope it will inspire others to do the same.

7. It’s on straight after One Born Every Minute. Apparently, millions of people really enjoy watching childbirth, and you can all keep watching for a bonus education on autism with no extra effort!

8. We’ll smash a ton of myths. Think you can always tell if someone is autistic? Wrong. Think “everyone’s a little bit autistic”? Wrong. Think autism is overdiagnosed and professionals are too quick to use the autism label? Wrong. Take it away, Sherlock:

9. It acknowledges autistic parents of autistic children for once! I don’t want to give too much away, but this frequently sidelined group is represented, in a way which also nicely shows the huge diversity of abilities and needs within the autistic spectrum.

10. You might just see yourself reflected in this programme more than you expect… I mean, probably not, but you never know! The way I see it, adults who are autistic but don’t know it are the target audience of this show – and if we can help one person to finally understand themselves, then we’ll have done our job.

“Are You Autistic?” will air on Channel 4 at 10.00pm next Wednesday, 28th March 2018.