About a week ago and sat down to watch this documentary and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since...
This documentary explores how Paddy McGuinness and his wife Christine have three children: eight-year-old twins Leo and Penelope, and five-year-old Felicity. All three have been diagnosed with autism. This raw and intimate documentary follows Paddy and Christine at home and as they meet other parents, experts and people on the autism spectrum.
Further on into this documentary Christine speaks to a professor of developmental psychopathology at the University of Cambridge Simon Baron-Cohen. Then realising that she could be autistic as she has struggled to navigate the world and didn't realise how much she was masking other peoples actions to fit in within society which is a common reason why diagnosis is missed, especially in girls.
I then did some further research and became aware that late diagnosis of hidden disabilities is an area where there is a real need for support. Autism is only one disability where people get diagnosed late on. Dyslexia is often not spotted in early childhood; I personally wasn't diagnosed until I was 18 and struggled so much in school, often feeling inadequate. If I had been diagnosed earlier my childhood could have been a lot easier. Individuals often believe something is wrong with them however they have just not got the support in place to navigate the complicated world.
I believe a solution could be found to create a better system to ensure young people get the support they need and to ensure no one is ever made to feel stupid just supported.
This is definitely a theme i would love to explore further and see how a new solution could be found to this ongoing problem.
Tx
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