If you’re a late diagnosed autistic adult, or someone who has recognised or is in the process of realising you are autistic, you might feel as though someone has quietly rearranged the furniture of your identity. The diagnosis can bring relief, clarity and validation – and also confusion. If so much of your life hasContinueContinue reading “Autistic identity after late diagnosis: Who are you really?”
Tag Archives: later-life diagnosis
Autistic shutdowns, meltdowns, and social conditioning: what’s going on there?
When we speak of autistic shutdowns and meltdowns, we’re referring to two very different responses to overwhelming stress—and yet they’re often misunderstood or conflated. In this post, we’ll clarify the difference as described in Dr Devon Price’s Unmasking Autism, explore how social conditioning shapes who “gets away” with emotional expression and who doesn’t, how thatContinueContinue reading “Autistic shutdowns, meltdowns, and social conditioning: what’s going on there?”
How to have happier holidays when you’re autistic
The holiday season can be especially challenging for autistic people, making it hard to have the happy holiday experience others seem to expect. From Thanksgiving and through Christmas to New Year’s, there’s a nonstop stream of holiday events, sensory overload, and social expectations, creating an environment that can feel overwhelming and exhausting. With a fewContinueContinue reading “How to have happier holidays when you’re autistic”
How to have happier holidays when you have ADHD
The holiday season can be particularly challenging for those of us with ADHD, leading to less than happier holidays. The pressures and expectations of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year come at us from all directions, with seemingly no break once Halloween has passed. That’s two months of holiday hype, filled with pressure to do everythingContinueContinue reading “How to have happier holidays when you have ADHD”
Self-compassion secrets for neurodivergent people
Developing self-compassion can be particularly important for neurodivergent people, who may face unique challenges, such as misunderstanding from others, internalised stigma, or struggles with traditional standards of productivity or social behaviour. This can be really helpful if we’ve recently realised we’re neurodivergent, as later-life realisations can bring a tsunami of feelings and emotions. Self-compassion helpsContinueContinue reading “Self-compassion secrets for neurodivergent people”
Looking back with new lenses: late diagnosis of neurodivergence
Late diagnosis of neurodivergence can lead us to questioning key events of our past, as we reframe things through new lenses. Different conditions have different characteristics, and being multiply neurodivergent can add layers of complexity. In this post I focus on innate forms of neurodivergence, including but certainly not limited to ADHD, autism, AuDHD, dyslexiaContinueContinue reading “Looking back with new lenses: late diagnosis of neurodivergence”
Making sense of later-life diagnosis of ADHD and autism
Making sense of later-life diagnosis of ADHD and autism, or both together (AuDHD) is an area many people struggle with. This can include all diagnoses of neurodivergence, regardless of timing or who made them, and whenever individuals start linking their feelings of difference to neurodivergence. However, you don’t have to struggle with this alone. Later-lifeContinueContinue reading “Making sense of later-life diagnosis of ADHD and autism”