In the first episode of our new series Lauren and Rina speak to performer and writer Bryony Kimmings. Bryony's son Frank is autistic and two years ago, she was also diagnosed with ADHD. They talk about Bryony’s parenting approach, discovering your own neurodiversity and how to balance a neurodiverse family with sometimes conflicting needs and wants. With her characteristic candour and wicked humour, Bryony describes how much she has learnt about herself and in doing so, how she has become a better parent to Frank as she drives to create their own neurodivergent utopia in their crumbling old country home. 

Content Warnings 

Drug taking and alcohol misuse 

Diagnosis

Guest Biography 

Bryony Kimmings is a playwright, performer, documentary maker and screen writer from the UK. She is inspired by female stories, social taboos and dismantling power structures. Kimmings’ work is brutally honest, very funny and often a bit geeky and dangerous.    

Bryony’s stage work includes her plays (as writer and performer): Sex Idiot, 7 Day Drunk, Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model, Fake it til’ you make it and I’m a Phoenix, Bitch.    

Her TV and film work includes the documentaries The Sex Clinic (C4) and Opera Mums (BBC) and the feature film Last Christmas, which Bryony co wrote with Emma Thompson.   

Bryony is working class and loud mouthed; a deep thinker, world fixer, activist and trouble maker all wrapped into one. She likes adapting and reimagining books, creating 3D female characters. She enjoys writing about class, gender and disability. Having toured all over the world with her shows (created about real events in her life) from the National Theatre to the Sydney Opera House, Bryony is now focusing on writing for film and TV.  

Bryony is also an ADHD mother to an ASC son of 7 years. She lives in the country, trying to homestead and get off grid with varying degrees of success. Nature and food brings Bryony joy, as well as cracking cinema and splashing in water with her son. 

www.Bryonykimmings.com

Resource links

Social model of disability | Disability charity Scope UK

A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD: Embrace Neurodiversity, Live Boldly, and Break Through Barriers - Sari Solden

https://www.sarisolden.com/publications

Bryony recommends....

How to raise a happy autistic child, by Jessie Hewitson

The secret to… raising a happy autistic child | Parents and parenting | The Guardian

ADDitude magazine

ADDitude - ADD & ADHD Symptom Tests, Signs, Treatment, Support (additudemag.com)

"I follow Instagram accounts of autistic teenagers, as an insight on how to support younger children; Write an access document for friends/family, a 'how-to' for supporting your kid;

Be wary of the online reading you do on ASC and check charities actually have ASC people on their staff and board, that it comes from thoughts in the community; I try my best not to watch or support films or tv where disabled people are played by non disabled actors, called 'cripping up'. Its offensive and reductive."

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