It’s no secret that one of my biggest passions is the representation of disabled people in media. I not only believe disabled people should be authentically represented in the press, but also that the way we see ourselves in TV and film matters too.
I’ve written extensively on much I hate well-known actors winning awards for sitting in wheelchairs and playing roles where being disabled is the worst possible thing someone can be. Despaired when shows are written about the disabled and neurodivergent experience but paint a very 2D view, or worse as the butt of the joke. And get angry when the prevailing point of view is how awful it is for a parent that their child is disabled.
So I was so excited when I heard that Elle McNicoll’s incredible book about an autistic girl A Kind of Spark was being adapted for TV.
If you don’t know, A Kind of Spark follows Addie Darrow (Lola Blue), an autistic teenager who is on a quest to get a memorial for the witch trials in her home town and to discover what happened to Maggie Fraser (Hattie Gotobed) one of the women accused of witchcraft for being outspoken and different.
Almost following on from the book, the show also delves into the 16th century and Maggie’s story as she and her well-to-do sister Elinor (Ella Maisy Purvis) fight to survive when their town is gripped with fear of witches.
Unlike other shows focusing on autism, it doesn’t focus on the condition being bad or difficult for others and it doesn’t poke fun at the autistic person.
This is down to the fact that not only is the author autistic but the actors playing the autistic main characters are also autistic and most of the cast and some of the crew are also neurodivergent - even those playing the neurotypical characters, such as Caitlin Hamilton who plays Addie and Keedies sister Nina.
As a result, the story is interwoven with lived experiences of things such as starting school and trying to be who you are in not only modern times but also in an age where it was dangerous. In addition to this, not only is the main character autistic, but so is one of her older sisters Keedie (Georgia de Gidlow). The haughty Elinor is also hiding a big secret, she’s autistic in a time when there wasn’t the language or understanding of neurodivergence.
As a neurodivergent person, from first seeing the trailer I knew how important this show would be to others like me. Watching the show itself I felt seen in ways I never had as a child, young adult and even where I am in life now.
While I’m not autistic, I am dyspraxic and ADHD and thanks to going through education in the nineties and naughties, encountered many a judgemental teacher like Miss Murphy who thought I was attention seeking.
Seeing the teacher be branded as just caring when they were actively belittling Addie and Keedie reminded me of all the times teachers made comments about me or even drew attention to how messy my work was, encouraging other children to tease me.
It’s a massive perk of my job that I sometimes get to preview shows before they air, however with A Kind of Spark it felt like torture because I was fit to burst from not being able to discuss it with my neurodivergent pals. Whilst I knew it would strike a chord with many, the reception has been incredible to watch as an outsider who also loved it.
Since the show came out on Friday, my Twitter timeline has been a steady stream of people sharing how much it means to them. And whilst it is a children’s show, it’s been important to all of us who went through the school system as neurodivergent kids.
What has also been wonderful to watch is how much Elinor’s story of not having the words to describe autism and trying so hard to be perfect has struck a chord with people. Especially as women we’re taught that we have to be a certain way and not cause a fuss, which is why neurodivergent conditions are so underdiagnosed in women.
Likewise, how many older people, myself included, are relating to Keedie’s experiences of always being the one to always keep it together and although you’re proud of who you are still feeling you have to mask, because your past has taught you how dangerous unmasking can be.
It’s also led to so many conversations with my wonderful friends. I saw a tweet this morning that said “My love language is friends live messaging me whilst watching A Kind of Spark and it’s so true. Whilst I have had a lot of messages about Ben Willbond in leather, I’ve had far more going “This is like me! I thought this was just a me thing!”
A tweet from my wonderful friend and author Sarah O’Brien talking about seeing how Addie sits on a chair made me go “wait! This isn’t just me being a bisexual who can’t sit on chairs.” as I write this Sarah is currently sending me a voice note for each episode she watches, They range between two and five minutes and feel like my own personal podcasts.
Seeing the outpouring of love for all the incredible people involved in the show proves why we needed something like this all along. It shows just what can be achieved in terms of disability representation when we’re represented at all stages.
In a way, it’s sad that it took until now for a show about an autistic girl to be written by an autistic woman, with neurodivergent actors playing neurodivergent characters to be made. But hopefully, it won’t be a one-off - it’ll be the blueprint.
As the saying goes, there’s nothing about us without us and the response to A Kind of Spark shows that.
A Kind of Spark is available to watch on BBC iplayer and on CBBC from 13th April
