A Kind of Spark

I watched this show in under 2 days which for me is amazing but I just couldn't stop watching it. The story is very interesting and unlike any other shows on autism which I've seen. First of all it showed autism in girls which is under-researched and generally talked less about than autism in boys. The main character and her sister both have autism and I love how they showed that different autistic people present differently, even within the same family. I also loved how it didn't fall into the trope of presenting autistic people are emotionless or rude. Both girls had personalities and were likable. It also didn't shy away from what it means to be autistic nor treat the girls like burdens or charity cases. The story mirrors a historical mystery and I found the revelations from that story just as heartwarming. It highlighted the challenges autistic people face but also gave a hopeful happy ending that for every bad person there's someone who wants to help. Educational and emotional, a wonderful show.

There are many things I like about this show. I'm an adult who has always struggled to fit in and I love how it pushes that being yourself is always better than trying to be like everyone else.

However as a teacher it angers me what Miss Murphy did. She did not use best practice at all and should have been fired for calling a child a freak and definitely should not have been alone with a child. I'm sure there are black and white teachers who can't deal with students with different needs. But it isn't all of them and we get professional development on how to best differentiate for all the different needs in the class. The history project she gave Keedie's class should have had some different options for how they were to present it. Like oral, written artwork etc... unless it is an English subject it is not assessing writing. There are many other ways that this show inaccurately portrays teachers and schools in this day and age but I know that it wouldn't get the point across as much so I do understand that.

I know this is a children's TV series, but I really enjoyed it as an adult viewer.

I thought the representations of Addie and Keedie were perfect and - as a late diagnosed autistic woman - I strongly related to both characters. I also appreciated the inclusion of neurodivergent actors in the show (including Caitlin Hamilton playing a "neurotypical" character).

I loved the presentation of a "normal" family - unlike the usual "look how much we have to sacrifice" trope. Nina and Audrey's characters were also great.

I also thought it was a great concept to show parallels with the witch trials and the way autistic people are treated in modern times.

This is a story of sisterhood, of standing together and fighting for the truth - and, ultimately a story of kindness and acceptance. We can all learn something from this show.

Part of the premise of "A Kind of Spark" is the idea that some people that we think of as autistic, are actually that way because they have magical powers. I find this to be a dangerous precedent, the idea that people who are different, are different because in actuality they have superpowers or an alien. It is the like the mom telling the kid, "You're special, all the other kids are just jealous." It has the right intentions, but it is a little misleading and insulting.

The show is very heavy handed with their commentary. Doing the parallel of kids with special needs being rounded up like it was a witch hunt. And the kids in this show, some of them are just the worst. The show writes bullies to be nothing more than strawmen to be knocked down. They will go out of their way to be a jerk and have absolutely no redeeming qualities. If you are wanting the audience to learn how not to bully kids with special needs, then you need to set up a more relatable antagonist. People should be able to watch and see themselves in the characters. They see the errors in their ways and realize, I should do better, otherwise I will end up like that person there. But when they are this cartoonishly over the top evil, it becomes impossible for the audience to learn that because no human being would act that way.

The child actors are all doing fine, the script is just beyond saving. I don't like it. The show comes across as preachy, standing on a soapbox and scolding their audience. And they aren't even good at being preachy.

A Kind of Spark is a good television series. I do like that we have a show with the main characters all neurodivergent, as this is very rare.

The episodes are well-written and the actors perform excellently and portray their roles well.

Good storytelling and good plots.

It is great that they cover autism as well as meltdowns, as it resonates with the audience.

9/10, could be a 10/10 as there could be minor improvements. I feel like they could have added more teachers and seen their perspectives and maybe a few more supporting actors and more topics to delve into, however these are minor things.

Would recommend.