The Assembly is a new programme coming to TV3 that places autistic adults at the centre of high profile interviews, with participants leading the conversation with well known public figures.
Produced by Kite Entertainment, the Irish series was filmed over August and September and features interviews with An Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Joanne McNally, Rosie O’Donnell and Ryan Tubridy. A total of 29 autistic adults took part, including 11 members of Autism Support Louth and Meath youth clubs.
For Ciaran Smith, taking part was something completely new and exciting, as he said he was “thrilled because I had never been given the opportunity to take part in an experience like this before.” He said one of the highlights was “being with a group of fellow autistic and neuro divergent people and getting to share our experiences together,” adding that the experience taught him “to be confident and speak out loud about my interests and what I enjoy talking about.”
Dean Mc Cague described his initial reaction simply as “OMG awesome” and said the experience helped him realise that he enjoys interviewing. He also felt the programme highlighted an important message, saying autism “doesn’t define a person nor does it limit them,” and that autistic adults do not get enough representation on television.
Paidi Kelly took a more understated view of the experience, but said he was most proud of “interviewing the taoiseach.” He stressed the importance of representation, saying it is very important for autistic adults to be seen on television and for viewers to understand that “autistic people are all different and aren’t all the same.”
Niamh Biddulph said taking part felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity, explaining that she was able to “tick some celebrities off my bucket list.” She enjoyed being able to create and ask her own questions and believes autistic adults bring a new perspective to television, saying they “bring in a new and fresh perspective on journalism, even as they represent themselves to the nation.”
Andrew O’Neill said what he enjoyed most was “me being the interviewer,” describing it as an honour to interview well known public figures. He said the experience showed him he was “more capable than let on before” and felt proud that everyone involved came together to ensure autistic voices were finally heard.
Theo Cassidy said his standout moment was meeting An Taoiseach Micheal Martin, explaining that “politics is my special interest and it was amazing to see him.” He said the experience helped him grow, adding that it taught him “to be more mature in a way and listen to people,” and that he realised he had “more in common with other autistic people than I thought.”
Billy McDonnell described taking part as both exciting and eye opening, saying the experience taught him that “all people are the same and celebrities are the same as us.” He said it is important for people to understand that autistic adults “can do what everyone else can do but just in a different way,” and said he was proud to have been involved in such an important programme.
Together, the participants say the experience was about more than television. It was about being heard, being respected, and showing what is possible when autistic adults are given the space to speak for themselves and lead the conversation.
The Assembly airs on TV3 on Monday, January 19.
