Authentic Neurodivergent Representation: Why it Matters and why it is Better! – Written and co-written by Georgia de Gidlow
Growing up neurodivergent is already isolating, and this isn’t helped when no one on our screens is like us. But recently, there has been some progress. CBBC’s Emmy nominated and Royal Television Society award-winning TV adaption of ‘A Kind of Spark’, is based off the book written by autistic author Elle McNicoll. It puts a proud spotlight on neurodivergent experiences. It takes care to ensure authenticity, notably by hiring autistic actors to play autistic characters. Being part of this production showed me why authentic representation is so critical.
I had the privilege of acting in this production as Keedie Darrow, the older sister of Addie Darrow, who is played by the talented Lola Blue, also autistic and ADHD. We had the unique experience of performing characters that deal with the same cognitive reality. What made this rare opportunity even more powerful was the reaction of the show’s neurodivergent viewers. They expressed both what it meant to them to see themselves represented on-screen and in us as young, female, autistic public figures.
My thanks for ‘A Kind of Spark’ extends far beyond my own gratitude for the opportunity it provided me as an actor. For my community, it has had a profound impact on those within it, who now feel represented, and the neurotypical people who have watched it, who now have a better understanding of our neurodivergence. And if that impact isn’t enough to persuade upcoming producers to consider telling neurodivergent stories, perhaps the awards and international recognition will…
Now, I want to address the term ‘neurodivergent’. Often the term “neurodiverse” is thrown around, but it’s important to clarify that neurodivergence means something more specific. Everyone is neurodiverse, because everyone has a different and uniquely brilliant brain. However, those who are neurodivergent (i.e. who have a neurodivergence, including ASD, ADHD, BDP and Dyslexia), function differently than those with the ‘prominent neurotype’, i.e. the neurotypical population.
Living in a world designed for neurotypical people creates many challenges that are specific to neurodivergent individuals, from navigating social norms to the burnout created by the exhausting effort of ‘masking’ (trying to appear neurotypical). Let’s not forget that society is tailored to cis-gendered white men. Neurodivergent individuals that fall outside of these identity groups face added challenges that will manifest in distinct ways depending on their neurodivergence.
Notably, there is a serious lack of variety in the portrayal of neurodivergent people. Autistic people especially are regularly portrayed as white males with high-needs, and although these portrayals are one hundred percent valid, often other types of autistic people across the spectrum are left out. This contributes to the issue of autistic women and people of colour being vastly undiagnosed or diagnosed late.
The last few years have taught me how significant of a remedy authentic representation is to the othering experience of being neurodivergent. This lesson began with the book. The power of reading something that related to my disability hit me immediately as I read the blurb through teary eyes. It reads, “other people’s minds are small. Your mind is enormous. You don’t want to be like other people”. Before discovering this kind of representation, I could’ve never predicted the healing impact it would have on me.
Fans of the show clearly felt the same about the TV representation. The reaction was incredibly moving. Some viewers even expressed how it had empowered their child to shamelessly wear their ear defenders for the first time in months, or how it made them realise that they might be autistic, leading them to receive a diagnosis.
This type of authenticity was so novel that older individuals sought out the show for the affirmation it would give, despite the target audience, as this comment from a fan demonstrates; “I have a rather big age gap with the show’s characters, yet I still see myself reflected in the way autism is represented in the show. I see the younger self me who always felt out of place, and never knew there were others like me out there.” I was overwhelmed by the transformative impact of the show, both in making viewers feel empowered and also less alone.
Only neurodivergent actors can truly bring the depth to the roles that is necessary to provoke this kind of reaction. But this depth has another purpose- enhancing performances and adding to the quality and enjoyablilty of the production.
An actor or a script-writer may be utterly skilled and well-researched, but they will still lack the ability to capture the intricate, lived experience of being neurodivergent. The minute, unique ways that neurodivergence interacts with identities, personalities, and environments produce traits that are woven into our essence. It is impossible for neurotypical people to recognise what is beyond the surface.
It is in these tiny nuances to a character’s expression that will bring a neurodivergent character to life and create a compelling performance that people can feel moved by and connected to. Neurodivergent artists give layered performances that are exciting and interesting to watch as they will be utterly unique in the realm of film and television.
Because on-screen authentic neurodivergent stories are so unique and provoke such deep connections with neurodivergent viewers and their loved ones, such productions will bring viewers. The rise of such media is therefore not only beneficial to consumers, but also to producers.
My advice to any budding directors or producers would be to seek out neurodivergent stories. Take advantage of this gap in the market! The focus does not need to be neurodiversity, but through the act of applying a neurodivergent lens, a production is transformed into something layered, and thus interesting. Creative, and thus
entertaining. And finally, utterly unique and part of the bigger picture of creating a media landscape that reflects those who have gone for so long unrepresented, and thus revolutionary.
