Australia's first autistic TV interviewer?

I´ve featured on and been interviewed for TV a number of times; on the news, in 3 documentaries and a few current affairs programs. But I never thought I'd be the interviewer.

Then a few months back I was invited to appear on Channel 31 here in Melbourne, on a program called Visions, produced by Judy Magassy. Cassie Wells, a representative of Orgran, and I discussed alternative grains and their importance to health. But during that interview, something interesting happened. I got ´discovered´ as a TV interviewer. Next thing I was offered to be an interviewer FOR the program and soon enough I had a series of interviewees lined up.

The first of these, Paul Valent, was a child survivor of the Holocaust, a psychiatrist specialising in Trauma Therapy and the relationship between neurological integration issues and trauma and the author of several books. The interview went really smoothly. In spite of having no natural ability to read facial expression, body language or intonation and being relatively meaning deaf, I was able to wing it, putting Paul at ease and breezing through the interview questions with no self consciousness whatsoever (I was too busy keeping up with language to have time for such luxuries). I required some instruction which was made autism friendly by the two producers present and the rest was rote, latching onto key words and being amiable.

I don´t know if I´m Australia´s first diagnosed autistic interviewer (I´m diagnosed with autism as I acquired functional speech by late childhood) but I expect I´m the first who is diagnosed with both autism and language processing disorder. I´m not sure if it´s a compliment to be told ´you wouldn´t know it´ but I guess that´s their way of saying ´you did a fab job´.

I hope my stint as an autistic TV interviewer paves the way for the TV and film industries to take seriously the potential of people on the autism spectrum in both on and off screen roles. To get to that point, they need people to see past their labels, their disabilities, to see their potential, their interests, their strengths and provide work experience opportunities which can start them on their way.

For those of you outside of Melbourne, the episodes of Visions will be available on You Tube after they go to air.

Warmly,

Donna Williams *)

author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter

http://www.donnawilliams.net