The first documentary project about people with non-verbal autism is being filmed in Russia

The first documentary series about teenagers with non-verbal autism called "I didn't get into Hogwarts" is being filmed in Russia.

People with nonverbal autism cannot use speech in the usual way or use it in a very limited way. They communicate with others through writing, creativity, and alternative communication methods.

The mission of the series is to destroy stereotypes about such people. The project aims to help families with such children, support and give them hope, as well as share valuable knowledge and practical tools for establishing contact and communication with people with non-verbal autism.

"At the age of four, my brother Zakhar was diagnosed with atypical autism with profound mental retardation. He didn't talk or get in touch in any way. When he was 13 years old, we came to the Green Apple studio, where Zakhar first contacted us using the alternative communication method. Moreover, he wrote a fairy tale and said that he loves Harry Potter. And when we asked if he would like to study at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, he wrote: "I didn't get into Hogwarts." There was no limit to my surprise and shock," said Semyon Shomin, a theater and film actor who was the author of the idea and the creative producer of the series.

One of the heroes of the project was psychologist Olga Nikolaeva, head of the studio for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder "Green Apple". She notes that people with non-verbal autism feel and understand everything, but they can't tell anyone about it. They are often mistaken for the mentally retarded because of these behavioral features.

"Normal communication with such people is impossible. But the alternative is quite real — when they communicate with others in writing, with the help of a facilitator. This film is about what non—speaking people want to say to the world, about how they see us and what they can teach us," Nikolaeva said.

The series is being created by the Karelia Film Film company with the support of the Institute for the Development of the Internet (ANO IRI). It will consist of six episodes lasting 30 minutes each. The premiere of the project will take place in 2026 at the CHILL web cinema.

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Earlier, on April 3, 2025, Natalia Tsurina, head of the Department of rehabilitation of childhood Diseases, a neurologist, listed the main signs of autism and told about the reasons for its appearance. She stressed that the diagnosis of autism is a complex process.

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