PICK OF TODAY’S TV

CHRISTINE McGUINNESS: UNMASKING MY AUTISM, 9PM, BBC1

IN 2021, we followed Christine McGuinness (pictured) as she and husband Paddy, from whom she is now separated, raised three children with autism. In that film, Christine learned that she has autism herself and, like many women, had developed a talent for masking her symptoms. In this follow-up, Christine is on a deeply personal mission to investigate female autism. Her journey is quite painful for her at times, which brings home how important it is that diagnoses are made as early as possible.

For 24-year-old Leanne, who had collected a raft of wrong diagnoses as a teenager, confirmation that she was autistic quite literally saved her life. There has also been a sharp rise in adult women being diagnosed, like Christine, and it’s apparent that there is a continuing lack of research, awareness, and understanding that can lead to girls and women suffering in isolation and silence. Christine hopes that will change, and this is a must-watch for anyone whose lives are touched by the condition — and for those yet to be diagnosed.