The Neurodivergent Experience

Episode: Hot Topic: Kellie Bright’s Autism Documentary Exposes Broken SEND System
Hosts: Jordan James & Simon Scott
Date: October 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Neurodivergent Experience dives into the BBC Panorama documentary, “Autism, Schools and Families on the Edge,” presented by Kellie Bright (EastEnders actor and parent to an autistic son). Jordan and Simon dissect how the documentary exposes the deep dysfunction in the UK’s SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and EHCP (Education, Health & Care Plan) systems. With personal stories and commentary, they critique the state of support for neurodivergent children and families—highlighting both the urgent need for systemic reform and the emotional toll on all involved.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Broken SEND & EHCP System

• Personal Stakes: Jordan shares his viral Facebook post about EHCP experiences (00:57), noting, “Even though it no longer affects me directly, it will affect me in the future with my grandchildren and helping my kids with this.”
• The Parental Struggle: Both hosts emphasize the relentless battle parents face even after getting an EHCP in place. Jordan likens it to a video game with endless boss fights:

  “Every time you achieve something and then suddenly like boss music starts playing again… It's just never ending, bro.” — Jordan (02:24)

2. Documentary Breakdown & Messaging

• Panorama’s Approach: Simon summarizes the documentary, which follows families applying for EHCPs, and points out the wider funding crisis at local councils (03:03).

  “She [Kellie] helps the children explain, in their own words, why they find school so hard and finds out what they and their parents think would help them cope better and thrive.” — Simon (03:03)

• Entry-Level Awareness:

  “It was fluffy. It was a little bit fluffy because I know people who have had way worse experiences with the councils...” — Jordan (05:43)
  Both agree the film feels like a gentle “conversation starter” rather than a deep exposé, possibly to avoid scaring off first-time viewers and those unaware of the crisis.

3. What the Documentary Gets Right (and Skims Over)

• Representation of Demand Avoidance:

  “Mentioning the demand avoidant profile within the program was fantastic.” — Jordan (07:20)
  The hosts praise the inclusion of nuanced profiles and family stories, especially a segment featuring a demand-avoidant child’s day-to-day struggles.

• Self-Harm & Mental Health: The hosts wish the film included more about the extreme outcomes, like self-harm—“School causes that… In a lot of cases school caused me to self harm.”—Jordan (06:14). Simon points out the catch-22: triggering topics deter broader audiences if not handled with care.

4. Systemic Obstacles: Waiting Times, Bureaucracy, and Burnout

• Long Waits & Gatekeeping:

  “The bit that absolutely melted my brain dude is the waiting time… one person was saying it took eight months. Eight months in the life of a child is an unbelievable amount of time.” — Simon (11:15)
  Despite the “right to choose” and some families seeking private diagnoses, Jordan notes,
  “A paraphrase: It seems to be a deliberate policy of fatigue because so many parents will give up and they know it.” (12:20)

• Paperwork Overload: Simon describes the paperwork for EHCPs as a mountain:

  “It's like, wow, just tell me that you don't want me to have this.” (15:16)
  Most families who fight a tribunal win (99%, per 2024 stats), meaning unnecessary obstacles delay needed support.

5. The Human Cost: Impact on Families and Identity

• Lasting Trauma: Simon reflects on leaving school as a child:

  “So much of how I view myself and how I viewed myself for so much of my life came from a time where I thought I can't even fit in the school system. How the hell am I going to fit into the real world?” (17:14)

• Parental Perspectives:

  “You're more likely to be a neurodivergent parent… So you're dealing with your own neurodivergence and then your kid’s, and you want the school to be supportive or the council… or most of all the government that you voted for…” — Jordan (09:26)

6. Funding Crisis: Councils & Government Accountability

• System is Officially 'Broken':

  “West Sussex County Council said... the system is broken.” — Jordan (19:39)
  Demand has vastly outstripped funding:
  “In West Sussex: 3,423 kids needed EHCP in 2015; today, it’s over 10,000. Nationwide, an 80% increase in six years.” (20:16)

• Insufficient Response:

  “The amount of money schools are expected to spend on each SEND pupil hasn't gone up since 2013. Costs have soared by 40% in the last 12 years.” — Jordan quoting the documentary and National Autistic Society (22:51)

7. Political Cynicism & The Need for Reform

• Government Spin & Blame Shifting: The hosts criticize government representatives for “AI-like” non-answers and “spin”:

  “She's a chat GBT bot because she came out with the same sort of garbage that politicians usually come out with…” — Jordan (26:04)

• Worries About the Future:

  “There are government reforms in the works and like it made me think but does that mean it's going to get worse?” — Jordan (27:45)

• Community Reaction: Jordan shares a flood of real-life stories from social media, echoing the documentary's themes:

  “There are 436 comments on this post. All families just on this one post that are going through this that are just like, help me.” (31:33)
  One notable comment:
  “What annoys me is that mainstream schools are getting extra funding for send kids and doing nothing with it. I asked for years for a TA for my kids. Never got one. Only excuses.” (33:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the perpetual struggle:

  "Every stage of being a parent to a neurodivergent child, when you have a system that seems to actively work against you, it's insane." — Jordan (01:46)

• On personal connection to the documentary:

  "It was emotional, man." — Jordan (04:14)
  "I was still... I'm still feeling it, I'll be honest." — Simon (04:17)

• On inclusion vs. discipline:

  "You can't just be like, this is how you deal with a child because every kid is completely different. ... It's really hard and it shows this in the documentary, how hard it is with these kids and what they have to go through." — Jordan (09:34)

• On systemic fatigue:

  "It seems to be a deliberate policy of fatigue because so many parents will give up and they know it. But it should never be about money. It should be about the children." — Jordan (12:20)

• On increased awareness:

  "There are a lot more kids who qualify for SEND because it's just better now. There's not more SEND kids, there's just more kids that are getting help potentially." — Jordan (23:21)

• On feeling left behind by the system:

  "How the hell am I going to fit into the real world? ... Quite frankly enough school told me I wasn't good enough to be there." — Simon (17:14)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Theme | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 01:46 | The hoops parents jump through for EHCPs | | 03:03 | Documentary summary and focus on education crisis | | 06:11 | Discussion about self-harm and school-related causes | | 09:24 | Parenting, boundaries, and handling neurodivergence | | 11:15 | Waiting times and process delays | | 12:20 | Deliberate fatigue, gatekeeping, and system flaws | | 15:16 | EHCP tribunal success rates and bureaucracy | | 17:14 | Personal impact and childhood school trauma | | 19:39 | West Sussex Council: "The system is broken." | | 20:16 | Rising numbers needing EHCPs, funding reality | | 22:51 | Funding crisis, NAS involvement | | 26:04 | Politicians and government spin | | 27:45 | Fears for the future and meaningful reform | | 31:33 | Real-life stories from parents | | 33:00 | Mainstream schools and unspent SEND funding critique |

Final Thoughts & Call to Action

• Change is Urgently Needed: Jordan and Simon are clear: The current system is at a breaking point, and while docu-series like Panorama's serve as “conversation starters,” the true scale and complexity require much deeper—and ongoing—national attention.
• Solidarity and Support:

  “Even though we can’t reach through a headphone or a radio and, and help, know that we care. Know that we're listening and know that you're not alone.” — Simon (33:09)

• Connect & Share: They encourage parents and allies to share experiences, seek community, and keep up the pressure for better policies and practice.

For more conversations and community support:

• Instagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepod
• Facebook: The Neurodivergent Experience
• YouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperience

Summary prepared for listeners (and supporters) seeking both validation and the latest developments in the fight for neurodivergent rights and inclusion.