Autism: the media must-have

Eco-housing, rah-rah skirts, whoopee pies, Bulgarian holiday homes, we British love to be up with trends. But, let’s be honest, not many of us would expect autism to have become “popular”. But Cathy Reay discovers that it’s been in the media spotlight so much this year that campaigners say audiences are becoming more knowledgeable

After the introduction of the Autism Bill, the first ever disability-specific strategy in the UK, which, at the time of going to press, is still awaiting Royal Assent, advertising campaigns have been rolled out and television has responded by making autism a priority in its programming.

However, while autistic rights campaigners say that it is hugely refreshing that people are getting a much-needed “post-Rain Man” understanding of the condition, accuracy and sensitivity to subject has been hit and miss.

Young, Autistic and Stagestruck, a Channel 4 documentary following the progress of a stage production put together by young people with autism, was broadcast last month.

While the first episodes seemed to focus on the parents’ and drama teachers’ struggles to overcome the children’s impairments, the latter ones were far more positive, showing a collaborative reach towards the children’s final goal.

“There were some moments during the show where I really wanted to throttle the producers, to yell that that’s not how it happens!”, says Anya Ustaszewski, an autistic artist and writer.

Meanwhile BBC3 is currently midway through its first Living with Autism season, a series of programmes including Autism and Me – One Year On, Autistic Driving School, Autism Disco and Me and The Autistic Proms.

Though generally well-received, it seems to be a concern that some of these programmes are not being broadcast for the right reason. Anya explains: “Sometimes I wonder what the motivation is behind showing people these things? Like Autistic Driving School, people with autism learning to drive, what general audience wants to see that? Are they playing with the tragedy of it, making a joke of it, or what?”

Russell Stronach, Co-Chair of the Autistic Rights Movement (ARM) UK, agrees: “I hope people can see the personalities behind the [people] and not just see them as victims. I hope it helps to combat stereotypes and that, in the case of Young, Autistic and Stagestruck, the audience will be able to respond to the parents’ attitudes on the show.”

While the new bill has clearly set the precedent for the media’s coverage of autism, it’s shock advertising like the Autism Trust’s “Hello Boys” election campaign that put autism directly in the public eye in the first place.

The advertisements, which were posted on billboards around the UK at the end of March, were targeted towards political leaders. They featured charity chairperson Polly Tommey with her top off and the slogan “Hello boys, autism is worth over 6 million votes. It’s time to talk…”

Russell and Anya think Polly’s risqué advertisments, which received an immediate response from all three major party leaders, may have fed broadcasting a new topic to explore. “Though it’s not for a great reason, Polly getting her top off almost definitely raised awareness,” says Anya.

Polly, who has a daughter with autism, said her intention was to get parties to put the impairment in their manifestos. She told Disability Now: “Our advertising people said we needed something striking so that’s how it happened. The three main party leaders put statements out following the ads but disappointingly Gordon Brown was the only one to include autism in his manifesto.”

The Goth, editor of Asperger United magazine, said that, regardless of why, he is thrilled to see autism in the media: “I don’t think a lot of people realise how difficult day-to-day life is. We spend a lot of time being blamed for our behaviour which is unfair as we don’t experience things in the same way.”

• If you missed any of the programmes discussed in this piece you can catch up online via BBC iPlayer (search “Living with Autism”) and 4od (search “Young Autistic and Stagestruck”).