THE founder of an organisation that supports children with special educational needs and disabilities, and their parents, has welcomed the introduction of a new character with ADHD to a major BBC TV show.
BBC One school-based drama Waterloo Road, which returned for a 12th series earlier this week following an eight-year hiatus, gave viewers a glimpse into the life of teenager Kelly-Jo Rafferty, played by Alicia Forde.
Initially the Year 11 student was seen as chaotic and disruptive but, later in the series, her diagnosis of ADHD will be disclosed.
Chrissa Wadlow, of award-winning Derby based Sunshine Support, says that having a neurodivergent character in a major TV show such as Waterloo Road shows that we’re becoming more accepting as a nation.
Chrissa Wadlow, founder of Sunshine Support.
Chrissa said: “It’s vital that we have representation of ADHD in the mainstream. What’s also refreshing is that it’s a female and, the cherry on top for me, is that she’s mixed race.
“Alicia Forde plays Kelly-Jo brilliantly; she’s empathetic and her stature is spot-on. She’s a terrific actor.
“What was a little bit tiresome, though, was that it did feel, at times, that producers had read a manual on ADHD and Kelly-Jo was ticking all those boxes. The diagnosis of Kelly-Jo’s ADHD was picked up after a drama lesson and it did feel a little like it had been shoe-horned in there. But it’s still refreshing to see.”
Chrissa highlighted the fact that, sadly, most females don’t receive a diagnosis of ADHD until they’re in their teens or, as was the case for Chrissa, even later in life.
She said: “It’s incredibly sad that girls are often diagnosed when they’re teenagers. Kelly-Jo’s mum also looked, to me, as if she could have ADHD – and that’s quite common.
“What I also found difficult to watch was that the teachers in Waterloo Road felt that Kelly-Jo was a ‘prime candidate for the behavioural unit’ and the way that they introduced the unit was seen as a punishment as a way of trying to ‘fix her’.
“ADHD is there to be supported and, although Waterloo Road is a TV show, it highlighted the need for better understanding of ADHD.”
Sunshine Support also advised the team working on The Cleaner Christmas special, written by and starring comedian Greg Davies.
In the festive episode of the sitcom that sees Davies star as professional crime-scene cleaner Paul ‘Wicky’ Wickstead, he meets Robert Kendrick; an autistic character who always visits his local ice-cream for Peach Melba on a Sunday.
Chrissa said: “The more neurodivergent characters we see on popular TV shows, and the more famous people – like Sue Perkins and Johnny Vegas – disclosing their diagnosis to the public, the more ‘normal’ ADHD will be seen.”
ENDS
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