Six words on a sign hanging around the neck of a young boy tugged at the heart of actress Julie Hesmondhalgh.
“Hello, I’m Jack, I have autism,” the message read.
It was there to explain apparent “misbehaviour” to passers-by.
Julie will never forget it. And it gave her added incentive for her new role – as a special needs teacher in BBC1’s The A Word.
The show, back for a third series, follows the life of autistic Joe Hughes – played by Max Vento, 10 – and his family.
And Julie, who made her debut last Tuesday, is happy to help shine a light on autism.
The actress – who played Corrie’s Hayley Cropper for 16 years – says: “I’ve seen a child with a sign around their neck alerting people to the fact they are autistic, just so that people aren’t like, ‘Oh, that mother can’t control her child’ or ‘What terrible manners that child has’.
“It was in a park in London and it said, ‘Hello, I’m Jack, I have autism’.
“It wasn’t negative but was obviously designed to give people a little bit of space to respect what was going on and how difficult it was.
“I remember wondering how many times his mother had been eye-rolled or tutted at for her to make that decision, so her son could just be free in the park, being himself without all that judgment.
“It’s just heartbreaking when you think about what they must have been through as a family to get to that point.”
Julie, 50, has never shied away from tackling social issues through work – and has spoken passionately about social unfairness to Labour delegates.
She became a household name as Coronation Street ’s Hayley in 1998, the soap’s first trans character.
Her departure 16 years later was equally thought-provoking as 10.6million watched her take her life as terminal cancer took its toll.
Then in 2017 Julie played rape survivor Trisha Winterman in ITV’s hit drama Broadchurch – drawing attention to a traumatic issue.
And Julie is glad to help initiate such public conversation.
She says: “I feel really lucky that I have had these roles because it’s the stuff I’m interested in as a viewer.
“I want to see shows that are talking about the big issues. I want to be entertained as well, but I want questions to be asked of me and I want to have my eyes opened to the world.
“I think Broadchurch was an extraordinary example of that. I feel so proud about that role because of the response from survivors about how it was shown in a way they hadn’t seen before.
"It was part of a really big conversation about the way sexual violence and rape is portrayed on television.
“The fact that they cast me, an ordinary looking middle-aged woman, was really significant.
“That in itself had a lot to say about what sexual assault is, that it’s an act of violence, not an act of desire. So I feel lucky I’ve had these opportunities.
"I think this role on A Word, again, will start conversations, because you don’t see a lot of teachers in this environment on TV, what they go through every day and how tough it is educating the child but also supporting the wider family unit.”
Julie spent time with teachers in a special needs school to ensure she portrayed her character accurately and with “sensitivity and empathy”.
She goes on: “Anyone who spends a day in a school like this will leave thinking, ‘I wish that all education could be like this’.
“It’s so tailor-made to each child’s needs and ways of learning. It’s about them having freedom to be who they are without constantly being labelled ‘the naughty one’ or ‘the bad one’.”
The A Word has struck a chord with parents of autistic children, and Julie is delighted her character becomes a source of support for stressed mum Alison, played by Morven Christie, 38.
“I think that throwing someone like Heather into the mix, with an innate understanding of human beings, is a really lovely thing,” says Julie. “I love that she shines a light on how difficult it has been for Alison – and on Alison’s coping mechanisms.
“That maybe her desire to over control things and to organise everything comes from a need to just try to do the absolute best that she can under the circumstances.
“I do hope this series shines a light on what families with autistic children go through as a unit. Not just the child, but the siblings, the parents and the teachers too.”
Julie has two teenage girls with husband Ian Kershaw, a writer on Corrie.
They had a whirlwind romance – moving in together after a week and Julie falling pregnant barely a month later, during her time as TV’s Hayley.
Joining a new show is always a tough ask – not least when you were hand-picked by writer Peter Bowker.
Despite being one of the nation’s best-loved and respected actresses, Julie admits “imposter syndrome” causes her to doubt her ability.
She explains: “I’m always very nervous on the first day, to the point where I think, ‘I don’t want to do this’. The read-throughs are worst.
“You sit there with these amazing actors and expect someone to come to you at the end and be like, ‘Yeah, sorry. It’s not going to work out’. It’s imposter syndrome like you’d never imagine because you don’t know how to be in those situations.”
It was quitting Corrie in 2014 that gave Julie the confidence to move out of her comfort zone.
She adds: “Leaving was a big thing because that was such a safe place and it is a great job to grow old in.
“So it was like, ‘Oh s***, am I really ready? Is it a good thing for me to be going out into the world where there traditionally aren’t very many interesting roles for women in their 40s?’
“If there are, they’re for a handful of really brilliant actors, who everybody wants to see.
“But thankfully it’s worked out all right. It’s been all right for me so far!”
- The A Word is on BBC1, Tuesday, 9pm
