For nearly two years, on an almost daily basis, strangers have politely stopped me to say, “Thank you”. The focus of their quiet but almost boundless gratitude was, and still is, the two-part BBC2 series Inside Our Minds from 2023, which gave viewers a greater insight into the daily lived experience of autistic people. Whether I’m on the train or in an art gallery, I’m told by everyone from teenagers to grandparents that the series gave them a better understanding of themselves, or one of their relatives or colleagues, to the extent that it precipitated diagnoses, positive changes in their lives or a better societal understanding of the condition.
Healthcare professionals frequently assert that the programmes have become an invaluable asset in their work because they articulate, in real terms, things that otherwise have been so difficult to see, describe or feel.
So, although we still struggle to be heard and understood, I think the programmes made a difference to the autistic community. Applying the format – in which contributors work with film-makers, designers and animators to bring their internal worlds to life – to other neurodiverse conditions was the logical next step.
Indeed, there has been some vile and misplaced prejudice prominently voiced recently about ADHD – suggesting that it’s a fad and has been wrongly or over-diagnosed. That very urgently needs countering in this time of divisive culture wars, with assaults on inclusivity and diversity.
Except that in this series, as with our last, it wasn’t just me. I was part of an exceptional team, many of whom are neurodiverse themselves. They, our four new contributors and their friends and families, will, I’m sure, make the new series of Inside Our Minds a success, allowing a more empathetic understanding of those remarkable people who struggle and succeed with these simply different but equally wonderful minds.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a misnomer: it’s a surfeit of attention, not a deficit. You may have difficulty in focusing and maintaining interest in things that don’t interest you, while hyper-focusing on things that do. Switching from one task to another can be hard. People talk about ADHD as “time-blindness”: you might not understand how long something’s going to take, so you prevaricate.
That we over-diagnose it. We’ve actually been under-diagnosing. Until relatively recently, it was thought to be a childhood condition, blamed on bad parenting. But it’s not something that disappears in adulthood. We’re now catching up with undiagnosed adults, particularly women and other marginalised groups.
With mixed feelings of joy and disappointment. And sometimes grief: 'What did I lose in not knowing earlier?' But putting in strategies to help can bring relief by acknowledging things were hard, but there is now a reason.
Talking of people with ADHD as “victims” is damaging and misinformed, and dismisses the real challenges faced by individuals and their families. No doctor is going to just diagnose you randomly – it’s a rigorous assessment process.
Henry, 23
Before being diagnosed, I was close to dropping out of my A-levels. I thought I was a bit stupid. The diagnosis gave me an understanding that I’m not broken. But it was so intense that I never really had a chance to digest it at the time.
After getting my diagnosis, it was Project Henry: let’s get Henry through school and university. I’m so grateful for their support, but what they didn’t comprehend was that ADHD wasn’t just about academia for me, it was omnipotent.
How would you describe your ADHD?
How would you like viewers to respond to the programme?
What's unique about dyslexia?
What do you hope programmes like this will achieve?
Suiki, 35
When were you diagnosed and what has it meant to you?
How has making the programme affected your relationship with your family?
What positive impact does your dyslexia have in your daily life?
What do you hope viewers will take away from the programme?
That dyslexia’s not something you have to hide. If you have a loved one, or someone you work with, who’s dyslexic, I hope it gives some insight into what they’re going through – and that you can talk about it confidently.
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