Chris Packham: Autistic people are not broken, just different
Chris Packham has said that autistic people are not 'broken', but just 'different'.
The BBC presenter and naturalist, 64, insisted that the condition did not need a 'cure' after Robert F Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump's health secretary, vowed to find the cause of autism by September.
On ITV's Good Morning Britain, the Springwatch presenter said that he had 'mixed feelings' about the politician's announcement that he would look for a cause to what he described as an 'autism epidemic'.
'Firstly, there's no epidemic,' Packham countered. 'What we have done is we've created a wider awareness of this condition and therefore more people are able, hopefully, to access help. And that has to be seen as a very, very positive thing.
'Because people are learning about these conditions on social media, which we all use every day, that's not a bad thing. That's opening our eyes to the fact that these conditions are real and they need addressing and support.'
Packham, who was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, in his 40s, said he 'once hid my autistic traits' while he struggled with the then-undiagnosed condition in his youth.
He told Good Morning Britain that many autistic people would be frightened by the search for a 'cure'.
'We don't want a cure. We are not broken. We are merely different, and those differences are sometimes presenting us with enormous disabling problems or difficulties, those challenges that I spoke of.'
Autism is described by the National Autistic Society as a 'lifelong neurodivergence and disability' which influences how people experience and interact in the world.
This may include finding socialising confusing or tiring, being overwhelmed in loud places, experiencing intense interests and preferring order and routine.
Packham has become a prominent neurodiversity campaigner following his autism diagnosis, and now his awareness advocacy often extends to discussions about ADHD and dyslexia.
His comments come after The Telegraph revealed that the NHS will test all children who believe they are transgender for autism.
Every child referred to a gender clinic will be 'screened for neurodevelopmental conditions' such as autism and ADHD under new guidance after a review found that the mental health conditions were disproportionately common among children and young people with gender dysphoria.
Packham has previously spoken about his autism diagnosis in a two-part BBC Two docuseries in 2023 called Inside Our Autistic Minds, which aimed to shine a light on how neurodivergent people think.
He recently said he was thanked by strangers 'on an almost daily basis' for the series, with people saying it 'gave them a better understanding of themselves or one of their relatives or colleagues'.
Speaking on GMB about the condition, he continued: 'As a scientist, I would love to know what has made me an autistic person. My curiosity is in that direction.'
He added: 'Without people who think differently, some of the world's problems simply would not have been and will not be solved. We are here to play a very valuable part in society. So we don't want to be cured.
'I'm curious to know why, and I always will be, but I don't want someone giving me a tablet or stopping the future development of autistic people.
'We are a proud, intact community of people who have an enormous amount to offer society.'
Packham returns for a second instalment of Inside Our Minds with two new episodes exploring ADHD and dyslexia. His two new documentaries, Inside Our ADHD Minds and Inside Our Dyslexic Minds, will be aired by the BBC later this month.
Speaking about the series, Packham added: 'There is a tendency these days for people to say, 'Well, I think I'm a little bit autistic, a little bit ADHD, a little bit OCD', but these are real conditions that impact people's lives all of the time.
'They're not a little bit any of these things. They're full-on, these things, all of the time, and that can have quite a significant impact on their lives, particularly…if they are young females, girls and young women, where they're not getting a diagnosis in the time that they should so that they can live happier and more fulfilled lives.'
Packham's stepdaughter, Megan, has dyslexia, meaning the presenter has 'experience of the positive and challenging impacts of that'.
He explained: 'Our mission here is to ask people to better understand these conditions so that we can make small changes in society to make all of our lives easier and more productive.'
Inside Our ADHD Minds will be broadcast on BBC Two on Monday May 12, with episode two, Inside Our Dyslexic Minds, due to air on Monday May 19.
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