The Assembly's former students return to work on season two with Leigh Sales

Aspiring journalism students with autism are back to grill some of Australia's most prominent figures, and this time they've got seasoned peers behind the camera cheering them on.

The Assembly follows a cohort of autistic students, mentored by Leigh Sales, as they learn the craft of journalism and interview celebrities, under the strict condition that no question is off limits.

Season one saw a cast of 15 interview Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Sam Neill, Delta Goodrem, Adam Goodes, Hamish Blake and Amanda Keller. 

For the upcoming second season which premieres on September 21, former students have returned to work behind the camera, while a larger cohort of 21 prepares to interview a new group of celebrities.

Veteran journalist Sales said she was eager to work alongside her former mentees again.

"When I knew we were doing season two, the first thing I asked was 'Will it be the same students?' because I just couldn't imagine doing it with a different group of people, because I enjoyed all of them so much," Sales said. 

"So when I walked on set, it was all new people. But then there were some familiar faces there, like Anastasia was working as one of the camera attachments and Mitch was on the production crew and various of the others, Dale and Bethany and so on." 

She said it was an experience that allowed the season one students, who have been working with the inclusive filmmaking organisation Bus Stop Films, to continue developing their confidence. 

"To see Anastasia in the centre of all of the camera operators doing the clapperboard and just owning it is so great," Sales said. 

As well as clapperboard duties, Anastasia handles equipment care and camera adjustments.

"I would bring in the camera parts and the dollies for the celebrity the next day, I'd charge the camera batteries and then change the clapperboard details," she said.

While delighted to be back, Anastasia said it was almost a missed opportunity.

She said she had formed strong bonds with the new students, particularly Willow, with whom she plays Minecraft.

Bethany, another season one veteran, said she also connected with the new group in her role as a mentor.

"In the first week, it was a lot of sitting with the students and their parents or support people, and just talking with them and seeing how they were bonding with each other and trying to help initiate some conversations … if there was a bit of anxiety."

From the experience, Bethany said she has learned how to ask for support and advocate for herself and others.

"I think my entire experience being at The Assembly has helped so much to see what support is available, and then being able to be a mentor and give that support to other people and to show them that we're there for them, it has been amazing for me, especially in my regular life because I'm pretty newly diagnosed," she said.

For Sales, having experienced students on the crew was both calming and rewarding.

"It's just really helpful to me, even in doing my job, to have familiar faces around and people that I know. So a combo of feeling happy for them to see them having that opportunity and then also it makes my job easier because I've got people that I know and trust," she said.

A look behind the scenes was also provided to season two students through a program called Backstage Pass, which aims to broaden their understanding of media opportunities.

Students attended studio operation sessions, Q&As with industry experts, tours of the ABC News, TV and triple j studios and personal brand-building workshops.

Disarming questions leave guests emotional 

The new season features guests Richard Roxburgh, Guy Sebastian, Ray Martin, Julia Morris, Steve Waugh and Maggie Beer.

In each episode, the aspiring journalists researched their interviewee and planned their questions with Sales's assistance.

When it came time to interview their guests, they asked a broad range of questions that Sales said often evoked deep and emotional responses.

"A really unexpected question can make a person emotional, and you just don't necessarily see it coming," Sales said.

She said it happened this season when one student, James, asked Guy Sebastian which of his songs he would choose as a soundtrack to his life.

"It wasn't a question that I thought at all would elicit any emotional response," Sales said.

"That can be surprising sometimes when the nature of the question and the way they're asked can really catch people by surprise emotionally."

Unlocking potential through understanding 

The second season includes students of various ages and backgrounds, like Soph, 23, who has autism and Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).

"I am autistic and mostly a non-speaking multimodal communicator. I use my device to communicate, and I'm very outgoing," she said.

"FND looks different for everyone, but for me, it includes a loss of voice, mobility challenges and episodic paralysis.

"My experience of becoming mostly non-speaking has gained me a passion to advocate for all the non-speakers and help other people like me see that they can also achieve their dreams."

Another student, Katie, opened up on the show about what it was like to be autistic and deaf.

Sales said managing the needs and personalities of each individual was a key part of her role as mentor.

"It's always the case of managing people where they're at individually and what their individual needs are; everyone's always got their key areas of interest," Sales said.

"What they always remind me is really investing time to be creative in what you're asking and to have the guts to ask sometimes creative or confronting questions."

Stream all episodes of The Assembly on Sunday September 21 free on ABC iview or watch on ABC TV at 7.30pm.