#AccessibleMedia

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Paddy and Christine McGuinness: Our Family and Autism

We are looking at the pros and cons of this documentary about a family coming to terms with, and seeking out, multiple autism diagnoses.

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Paddy and Christine McGuinness: Our Family and Autism
2021 BBC Director: Lucy Wilcox

The documentary followed Comedian and presenter Paddy McGuinnes and his wife, TV personality Christine.

They have 3 children, all diagnosed Autistic. Paddy made the documentary to confront his difficulties with this and during the making of it Christine realised she was Autistic and received a diagnosis.

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Criticism & Problems

People have questioned the ethics of teling the nation before the children knew about their diagnoses*.

The program features Simon Baron-Cohen whose research has incorrectly implied that autistic people lack empathy (because it conflates empathy and understanding social cues) and who launched the Spectrum10k genetic study that was postponed because of fears of its use to prevent Autistic people from being born.

Some of what Paddy said was offensive to Autistic people.

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Paddy

Paddy says that he fears that his son will never understand love, which is dehumanising and doesn’t account for how most people do not fully understand love.

He also uses the stereotype of a spectrum to describe autistic people, not understanding that high/low functioning labels are inappropriate and unhelpful as we all have different needs in different situations.

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However…

Paddy also showed us how negative ideas about autism can take hold – through misunderstanding and fear – and how they may be overcome. He learns, changes his mind and realises that many of the things he loves about his children come from their Autistic characteristics, and that society should change to accommodate neurodivergence.

Neurotypicals may have limited knowledge and ability and be influenced by cognitive biases and false information. If we are patient and gentle we can help them understand better, as Paddy did.

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Highlights & Praise

Christine’s realisation that she is Autistic showed the audience many of the things we go through during late diagnosis:
• Realising we’ve always been different, but hiding it to fit in
• Feeling stress because our needs aren’t being accommodated
• Having difficulties at school and with socialising
• Being ashamed of behaviours that don’t match our peers
• Having sensory needs we don’t understand/assume everyone else does but they keep it private
This helps undiagnosed Autistic people (especially women) recognise and find the support they need.

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Highlights & Praise (cont.)

Christine is shown to be consistently competent, charismatic and compassionate and demonstrates that autism does not exclude any of these qualities.

The show also promotes working class voices with lived experience of autism, which is important when access to resources and class status can be a factor in getting diagnoses or being taken seriously by healthcare providers.

Christine’s realisation that she is Autistic showed the audience many of the things we go through during late diagnosis:
• Realising we’ve always been different, but hiding it to fit in
• Feeling stress because our needs aren’t being accommodated
• Having difficulties at school and with socialising
• Being ashamed of behaviours that don’t match our peers
• Having sensory needs we don’t understand/assume everyone else does but they keep it private
This helps undiagnosed Autistic people (especially women) recognise and find the support they need.

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What Could Be Improved?

The show would have benefitted from Autistic adults being interviewed as experts, not Neurotypical healthcare professionals or academics. The best experts on being Autistic are Autistic people.