CW - This episode talks about Catherine's recent diagnosis of breast cancer. Coppafeel Community Partner Join as a member or champion Buy us a coffee A BIG shout out to our Community Champions who are supporting the important work we do. Helen HillmanKay MathiesenKatherine Kowalski

In this episode we are joined by Laura Claxton - a comedy writer who has written gags for some of the biggest names and programmes in British Comedy. We explore Laura's late autism discovery as a 30 something woman, and her lifetime of struggles that she has never shared publicly, until now. Laura discovered very early on her life that if she could be 'the funny one' and make people laugh that she would be ok. Little did she know that her trauma response would see her decades later rapidly...

In this episode we are joined by Samar Waqar who describes discovering that she is autistic and ADHD in her 30’s a s life changing discovery. Samar's childhood was inherently spent knowing and believing within her heart that she was different, and her diagnosis served as validation for her - she could finally put her guard down. Or could she? She founded Kind Theory to cultivate acceptance, inclusion and celebration of neurodiversity, and her hope is to do it globally beyond the...

In this episode we are joined by Dr Anthea Cree who is a Clinical Oncologist in the NHS. Anthea is the first openly neurodivergent doctor in her organization, and has felt so alone. Anthea's openness at work about her neurodivergence saw her sharing her experiences in a video with her entire Royal College, although she confesses that it has caused much confusion about what to with her. Anthea recognizes that prior to her own late autism and ADHD, as a Doctor, she had no understanding at...

In this episode we are joined by Madge Woollard - a self-employed piano and keyboard teacher who has run their own successful business since 1994. A graduate of Cambridge University, where they were a Peterhouse college’s first female organ scholar. Madge currently works both privately and in schools, and now specializes in teaching neurodivergent students - diagnosed autistic in 2016 at age 44 after a lifetime of wondering why they felt so different, and since then has been passionate...

In this episode we are joined by Dr Rosie Baruah who is an NHS Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anesthesia in Scotland. Rosie has spoken publicly recently in a BBC Interview about her midlife discovery at 46, and her identity as a Late Discovered Autistic Female Doctor. Rosie is determined to further educate and advocate for autistic doctors, widen perceptions about 'what' an autistic doctor looks like, shining a light on the prejudice and challenges they face, and the benefits...

In this episode we are joined by Kirsty Cullen-Campanelli from LA in California who, at 38 years old, is very much at the beginning of her autistic self-discovery journey. We talk misophonia, invalidation, multiple diagnoses preceding her autistic late discovery, sobriety, trauma and the life changing and affirming moment for Kirsty of finding a health professional who understood her. We also talk about self-disclosure in Corporate America, the need for baseline accommodations in the...

Raven Gray is a primitive skills practitioner and experimental archaeologist, with more than 25 years’ experience in wilderness living and survival training.  Raven was 55 when she discovered that she is autistic, and comes on the show to talk vulnerably and publicly for the first time about her life as an undiscovered autistic woman and her journey to her autistic awakening.  The ugly duckling that wasn’t a swan, but actually a Raven, shares the impact of not knowing or understanding who...

Dr Kate West is an autistic and first-generation academic, author and autism activist. Kate read her DPhil (PhD) and MSc at the University of Oxford (funded by one of the UK’s most competitive academic scholarships) and her Law degree at the University of Edinburgh. She has been awarded various academic prizes and an international academic Fellowship. She is now Senior Lecturer in Visual Criminology at Oxford Brookes University. She comes on the show to shine a light on her late discovery...

We've compiled a 15 minute trailer with a couple of clips from S1 and S2 to give you a flavour of our show. Clip 1 - S2 EP1 Clip 2  - S1 EP11 Clip 3 - S1 Ep3 Clip 4 - S1 Ep12 Clip 5  - S1 EP14 3 ways you can support the podcast and the work we do... Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Buy us a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠coffee.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rate & review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ the show A BIG shoutout to our Community Champions who are supporting the work we do: Helen Hillman Kay Mathiesen The Late...

Jennifer Crawford is a chef, pro-wrestler, and feeler of big feelings. They grew up in Nova Scotia’s beautiful Annapolis Valley, and after more than a decade in Toronto and winning MasterChef Canada in 2019, they're home again. When they’re not weaving challah in the kitchen, you might find them as Moon Miss in the wrestling ring at the Lion’s Club Arena, cooking for their experimental pro-wrestling supper club, or giving themselves brain freeze at the local ice cream stand.  At 40, they...

In this bonus episode of Season one we have compiled all the compassionate messages our guests would want to tell their younger selves, and we have new music by Allora from their new EP 'Don't Feel it All' with 'Mother'. We're back with Season 2 on 5th May. 3 ways you can support the podcast and the work we do... Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Buy us a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠coffee.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rate & review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ the show A BIG shoutout to our Community Champions who are supporting the work we do: Helen...

In our final episode of Season one we have Catherine and Caty, the mum & daughter duo together on the podcast for the first time where they: Unpack season one Talk about the impact it had on them  Their stand out moments What it was really like editing and interviewing BTS of the podcast  Hopes for season 2 Key takeaways  Where we are and what next  3 ways you can support the podcast and the work we do... Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠member⁠⁠⁠⁠. Buy us a ⁠⁠⁠⁠coffee.⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Rate...

Our guest on Episode 15 is Hazel Lim - a leading advocate in the campaign against the stigma associated with autism, with a focus on the cultural stigma within the Chinese community in the UK. Living as a late discovered autistic minority in the UK, Hazel understands the struggles. She moved with her husband and three children to Swansea to study for an MSc in Autism and related Conditions at Swansea University, she then decided to make Wales a permanent home.  Hazel founded the Chinese...

Our guest on Episode 14 is Ed Jenneson - a leading UK Employment Lawyer and Partner at GunnerCooke. The focus in this episode is a theme that has come up repeatedly in season one, and in our group support circles and in our community, and that is the need for neurodivergent affirming and inclusive workplaces. Workplaces that feel safe places in which to self-disclose and request adjustments. Because without psychologically safe workplaces, we mask, and masking leads to burnout, and burnout...

Our guest on Episode 13 is Kate Laine-Toner - an autistic trainer, speaker and author, she is also mother to an amazing neurodivergent child.  In 2012, Kate founded the parent support charity Bristol Autism Support when she struggled to find support for her own daughter, and over the following 10 years helped to guide over 3,000 parents and carers on their autism journey, as well as navigating her own autistic self-discovery during that time. We talk on the podcast about her journey over the...

Our guest on Episode 12 is Eliza Fricker The first ever JKP instant Sunday Times bestseller with her new book ‘Can’t Not Won’t’ - which is a story about a child who couldn't go to school. Eliza's blog, Missing the Mark began 3 years ago as an illustrated blog to help process all those difficult times of navigating the education system and everyday life with a child who can’t go to school - the shame, the upset, the confusion. Her work is clearly focused on her family experience, and her...

Our guest on Episode 11 is Krystle McGilvery Krystle McGilvery is the award-winning Founder of Mind Over Money, a finance training and education consultancy, a Behavioural Finance specialist, Podcaster, Mentor and Coach.  She combines finance and psychology to improve financial decision-making, confidence, and wellbeing. Krystle has worked with the likes of Equifax, Moonpig, and AllBright, appeared on ITV, featured in several papers such as the Telegraph, on Refinery29, and on BBC...

Our guest on Episode 10 is Charlotte Bergslien, AKA 'The Spectrum Girl'. Trigger Warning: This episode discusses self-harm, suicide, abuse, and trauma After hitting a massive autistic (and ADHD) burnout at the age of 36, Charlotte started sharing about her experiences leading up to her burnout and of her current life since being diagnosed at 38. Charlotte always felt different from those around her, and remembers always being very confused about how she could fit in among her peers. She...

Our guest on Episode 9 is Laura Kerbey, Co-Founder of NEST Laura received a diagnosis of ADHD in her forties, and comes on the podcast to talk about her autism self-discovery - this being the first time she has spoken publicly about what she’s slowly discovering about herself. She describes herself as a “work in progress” of identifying herself and the realization that her neurodivergence includes autism as well. Laura has been working with autistic children and young people for over 21...

Our guest in Episode 8 is Morgan Harper Nichols, an acclaimed artist, poet and Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly best-selling author. With nearly 2 million followers on Instagram, Morgan uses her art, her platform, and her experiences to connect with her community. Morgan joins our host Catherine Asta to talk about her late autism discovery, the barriers to accessing an assessment, and her perseverance to finally getting a diagnosis at 31. We talk about what Morgan describes as the...

Tee Cee joins our host Catherine Asta for a compassionate conversation to shine a light on her Late Discovered Autism.  A presenter, writer, and filmmaker - Tee Cee is known for her colourful style, youthful nature and passion for Caribbean heritage.  Diagnosed autistic aged 27, Tee Cee publicly revealed her diagnosis for the first time in her most recent documentary ‘Too Autistic for Black’.  Commissioned by Warner Bros. Discovery as part of their Black British Unspoken series for...

Becky Davies joins our host Catherine Asta to shine a light on her late autism discovery at 38. As a Detective Inspector, Becky has the privilege of looking after the people who deliver a public protection service to some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Also a single mum with two beautiful children, it  was her experience of #postnataldepression that ignited her passion for improving the mental health landscape for others. It was these co-occuring experiences of anxiety and...

Victoria Matthews-Patel talks to our host Catherine Asta about her experience of years of mental and physical ill health, which all culminated in a breakdown in 2018, and how, with professional help she uncovered layers of hidden trauma, followed by her late discovered autism and ADHD aged 51. Why her 25 years of work in the education and charity sectors as an early years teacher and a literacy and dyslexia specialist, working with people who were struggling and had low self-worth, along...

Andrea Anderson talks to our host Catherine Asta about her late discovered autism aged 45, just as the world was turning on a pandemic axis - what followed were two years of her carefully constructed world unravelling. How her many bouts of burnout during her 10 + years working in fast growing, dynamic fashion and digital businesses saw her leave her career at ASOS severely burnt out, and devoid of any belief in herself at all. And how a lifelong curiosity about identity and understanding...