Earlier I wrote about popular shows on Netflix (“Good Doctor” and “Amazing Attorney Woo”) that featured autistic characters played by neurotypical actors, and about my own ambivalence about these shows. It somehow felt wrong or at least dishonest to use neurotypical actors to play neurodivergent characters that are very highly functional. The dishonesty feels somehow akin to, say, casting a White actor to play a character who’s a person of color.
So it was quite refreshing when I came across a new TV show, “A Kind of Spark,” in the UK that not only autistic characters, the actors who play these neurodivergent characters including the main character Addie are neurodivergent themselves. And in an inspiring and groundbreaking role reversal (compared to Dr Murphy or Attorney Woo), one of the neurotypical characters in “A Kind of Spark” is actually played by an autistic actor, Caitlin Hamilton. Caitlin is quoted as saying that in the past she’s had to hide her own autism for fear of not being cast because it’s a given that characters on TV are almost all neurotypical.
The show’s crew also makes a huge effort to make the sets as comfortable for the neurodivergent actors as possible. And importantly, it allows for these actors to have occasional melt-downs, just as their neurodivergent characters would.
I haven’t had a chance to watch the series yet, but based on the trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-zTNFdac8Y ), the show should be highly motivating for the promotion of diversity and as a celebration of differences. For example, it describes autism as “not something you have” but rather “something you are.” The show’s main message is quite similar to what I’ve been trying to achieve with AndyAutism.org: to promote awareness of autism and celebrate diversity and differences including neurodifferences within our society.
“The show’s crew also makes a huge effort to make the sets as comfortable for the neurodivergent actors as possible. And importantly, it allows for these actors to have occasional melt-downs, just as their neurodivergent characters would.
The show is produced by and airs on CBBC, the children’s channel on the BBC.
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