Autistic Driving School- BBC3- Sunday 2nd May @9pm- 9 out of 10

In the past, this reviewer has been critical of BBC3 documentaries, describing them as "a slow boat ride down a river made of schadenfreude water with the same constant soundtrack of contemporary mainstream-indie music and b-list celebrity voiceovers replacing the sound of wind whispering through trees." The Beeb's adherence to this format is showcased in shows such as Blood, Sweat and Luxuries where the viewer is invited to a 'laugh-at-posh-teenagers-struggle-in-the-real-world' party. So, it was with some trepidation that the play button was clicked on iPlayer for Autistic Driving School.

But every so often it is good to be proven wrong and this is one of those times. Autistic Driving School is a genuinely sensitive, thoughtful documentary from beginning to end. It focuses on a number of young people with varying degrees of autism and how this impacts upon their learn capability to learn to drive and their driving abilities.

All have different kinds of autism. Some, like 17 year old Chris, who has semantic pragmatic disorder, has issues with perceptions of speed, the consequences of which are obvious with regard to driving. Sam, 19, has difficulty with words, particularly double meanings (such as wait and weight) and this leaves him struggling to cope with the theory element of the test.

Another, 17 year old Scott, who has dyslexia, ADHD and OCD struggles with issues of nerves and self esteem. His instructor Andy explains that he has all the natural ability in the world but his self confidence issues mean that he is mentally set up to fail.

All three of these young people pass their respective tests and it is at times like this that the sensitivity of the documentary is most noticeable. When the teenagers inform their parents of the results of their tests, the camera keeps a respectable distance at this emotional time.

The real star of the show, however, is Julia, one of only two autistic driving instructors in the UK. Julia suffers from Aspergers Syndrome and so finds communication and social skills difficult. Her explanations of how people with autism process things in their minds gives a superb insight into the difficulties that learning to drive brings. For example, you can't say "next left" or "straight over the roundabout" because they will be taken literally. Julia takes on a pupil who also has Aspergers and hasn't driven for 3 years due to a lack of confidence. The way in which Julia builds up her new pupils confidence on the road is one of the most heart-warming 5 minutes of television you will see this year.

Although Autistic Driving School has elements of BBC3 documentary-itis, such as the needless use of contemporary music, the pros easily over rule the cons. The interviewing style of people with autism is sensitive and engaging but not afraid to ask the difficult questions. Credit for this must go to interviewer, narrator, producer and director Osca Humprheys for a superb hour of television. Give it a watch.


Dan