Images of autism: screen depictions of the spectrum

Our panel consists of Sara Gibbs, Andrew Roberts FRSA, ZeZe Sohawon FRSA and Shari Churchman Morris FRSA.

Each of our guest speakers will bring their perspective on-screen depictions of ASD, and we will be discussing the responsibilities of a film or programme maker in ensuring an accurate, non-patronising depiction of people on the spectrum.

Can cinema and television be educational tools via popular comedy and drama as much as they have the power to disseminate inaccurate and damaging false impressions?

Join us at the wonderful Thames Lido to listen, learn and share your thoughts on this important topic. You can learn more about our guest speakers below:

Sara Gibbs:

Sara Gibbs is a comedy writer and co-editor of The Daily Tism. She has written a memoir, Drama Queen: One Autistic Woman and a Life of Unhelpful Labels and the novel, Eight Bright Lights.

She has also written for The Now Show, The News Quiz, Dead Ringers, The Mash Report and Have I Got News for You, amongst many others.

Andrew Roberts FRSA (Chair)

Andrew Roberts PhD FRSA FRHistS is a cinema historian who writes for The Oldie and is the author of Idols of the Odeons: Post-War British Film Stardom. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of 38. His next book is Role Models: Growing Up With Autism, Peter Sellers, Gurney Slade, and Dougal and The Blue Cat.

ZeZe Sohawon FRSA:

ZeZe FRSA BCAh is a youth chief executive officer of Emotion Dysregulation in Autism, a community based organisation for autistic young people with personality disorder or issues associated with emotion dysregulation. EDA provides peer support to autistic young people in inpatient mental health settings. It has raised £166k in grant funding and £163k in contracts with NHS England.

She is an experienced mental health speaker and has spoken at the Institute for Mental Health, the Royal College of Psychiatry and NHS Confederation Mental Health Network. She is also a part time lecturer at 2 universities for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Nursing and Social work. She has spoken at a TEDx event in 2021 about suicide prevention.

Shari Churchman Morris FRSA:

Shari Churchman Morris FRSA is a Registered Mental Health Nurse, writer and actor, living in West Sussex. She currently works as Clinical Nurse Specialist with children and young people on the Neurodevelopmental Pathway. She has had the privilege of raising three autistic sons.

Agenda:

14:00- 14:30: Arrival

14:30- 14:35: Welcome from the RSA and Chair, Andrew Roberts FRSA

14:35-15:30: Panel discussion

15:30-15:45: Interval

15:45- 16:25: Q&A with audience

16:25 - 17:00: Wrap up and networking

17:00: Close

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