Late Diagnosis Club: How Jenna Left Public Schools After Discovering She Was Autistic
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Jenna Goldstein, a late-diagnosed Autistic school psychologist who left the public education system after recognising its incompatibility with neurodiversity-affirming practice.Jenna first recognised her own autism after her three-year-old daughter was identified. As she turned to Autistic voices for understanding, what began as advocacy for her child became a deeper self-recognition. Within months, she self-identified, and years later sought a formal diagnosis from an Autistic evaluator to connect more dots and model an Autistic identity for her children.This is a conversation about human rights, blueprint-building, leaving systems that harm, and crafting lives that actually work for autistic nervous systems.🪑 AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Jenna Goldstein — late-diagnosed Autistic school psychologist; founder of ND3You: The Listener!🗒️ Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Daughter’s diagnosis and late self-recognitionDiscussion: School psychology training and harmful autism narrativesUnspoken agendas: Budgets, bias, and gatekeeping in public schools“Developmental delay” and the myth of the model childLeaving public schools and building ND3Neurodiversity-affirming family supportDesigning sustainable neurodivergent homes🧾 Minutes from the Meeting1️⃣ Opening RemarksAngela introduces Jenna as a late-diagnosed Autistic school psychologist who recognised her own neurodivergence through parenting, and who ultimately left the public school system after concluding it was structurally incompatible with neurodiversity-affirming values.2️⃣ Member Introduction: Jenna’s StoryJenna first encountered autism when her three-year-old daughter was identified. Dissatisfied with deficit-based descriptions, she sought understanding directly from Autistic adults. As she read first hand accounts, she recognised herself.She self-identified within six months and later pursued a formal diagnosis with autism, not out of doubt, but to deepen understanding and model Autistic identity for her children.3️⃣ Discussion HighlightsAutistic recognition: Learning from Autistic voices instead of textbooksMedical model critique: Rejecting “defective human” narrativesUnspoken pressures: Budget constraints influencing eligibility decisionsGatekeeping language: “Developmental delay” as catch-all categorySystem limits: Realising change from within has ceilingsPrivate practice shift: Leaving public schools for ND3Human rights lens: Equal dignity for neurodivergent childrenFamily sustainability: Peaks, valleys, flexibility, and regulation planningBlueprint building: Co-creating neurodivergent life models4️⃣ Key LearningsListening to autistic voices changes everythingTraining does not guarantee understandingSystems can be well-intentioned and still harmfulBudget pressures quietly shape access to supportNeutral framing reduces shame and blameAutistic pride is pride in humanity, not productivityNot all systems can be changed from withinSustainable lives require intentional designYou are allowed to leave what harms you📌 Notice BoardND3 InstagramND3 Website📣 Club Announcements🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Late Diagnosis Club: How Amy Built a New School After Discovering She Was Autistic
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Amy Kriewaldt, a late-diagnosed Autistic, ADHD, and PDA mother of three neurodivergent children.Amy grew up a hyperlexic piano prodigy, praised for talent and performance while quietly navigating sensory overwhelm, situational mutism, perfectionism, and crushing internal expectations. It wasn’t until her children began receiving diagnoses that she started to recognise herself in their traits, and ultimately heard the words that changed everything: “Oh, I think you’re Autistic.”Together, Angela and Amy explore hyperlexia, auditory processing differences, late self-recognition, self-compassion, memoir writing as a reframing, ADHD medication, self-medication through alcohol and caffeine, and the shift from compliance-based education to connection-centred learning.This is a conversation about reframing failure, advocating fiercely, rewriting your past, and building systems that support autistic people across the lifespan.🪑 AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Amy Kriewaldt — late-diagnosed Autistic, ADHD, and PDA advocate; founder of Creewald AcademyYou: The Listener!🗒️ Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Prodigy pressure, hyperlexia, and sensory overwhelmDiscussion: Parenting autistic children and recognising yourselfAuditory processing, situational mutism, and late diagnosisADHD, self-medication, and relief through treatmentRewriting childhood through memoir and self-compassionRestraint policies, advocacy, and saying “no”🧾 Minutes from the Meeting1️⃣ Opening RemarksAngela introduces Amy as a late-diagnosed Autistic and ADHD parent navigating life with three neurodivergent children — all PDA — and building alternatives where traditional systems fall short.2️⃣ Member Introduction: Amy’s StoryAmy describes growing up as the youngest of eight children and a piano prodigy — hyperlexic, musically analytical, and praised for performance. Behind the talent were sensory overload, situational mutism, intense perfectionism, and chronic overwhelm that went unrecognised.As her children received diagnoses, Amy began to see familiar patterns: auditory processing differences, sensory avoidance, social anxiety, and shutdown.During a phone call describing how she processes information — needing complete silence to think — her psychologist paused and said, “Oh. I think you’re autistic.”3️⃣ Discussion HighlightsProdigy pressure: Performance, perfectionism, and masking through musicParenting mirror: Recognising autistic traits through her childrenAuditory processing: Needing silence to think and workADHD realisation: Chronic lateness, executive dysfunction, and relief through medicationSelf-medication cycle: Alcohol, caffeine, and nervous system swingsIEP advocacy: “It doesn’t need fixing. It needs supporting.”Restraint refusal: Saying no to compliance-based control4️⃣ Key LearningsDiagnosis can transform shame into self-compassionFailure often reflects unmet needs, not broken characterSupport changes everythingAdvocacy sometimes begins with “No”Compliance is not the same as learningChildren thrive when autonomy is honouredRewriting your past can reprogram your futureYou are not a moral failure for having limits📌 Notice BoardAmy Kriewaldt InstagramKriewaldt Academy InstagramPDA USA📣 Club Announcements🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Late Diagnosis Club: How Claire Stopped Believing ABA Was the Answer
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Claire Samuels, a proud Autistic speech-language pathologist whose journey to self-recognition unfolded inside the very system she would later question.Claire began her career as a Registered Behaviour Technician (RBT) in the ABA industry, believing what she was told: that ABA was the gold standard for Autistic children. She loved the kids she worked with and believed she was making a positive impact. But as she read autistic voices, learned about interoception, and began recognising her own sensory and regulatory differences, cracks in the framework began to show.Together, Angela and Claire explore ABA, nuance, Autistic self-recognition, masking, sensory processing, burnout, and what it means to move from compliance-based therapy to connection-based communication.This episode is about shifting lenses, from behaviour to nervous systems, from control to connection, and from moral judgment to regulation.🪑 AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Claire Samuels — Autistic speech-language pathologistYou: The Listener!🗒️ Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Theatre kid, masking, and early sensory differencesDiscussion: Entering ABA and believing the gold standardInteroception, meltdown empathy, and late self-recognitionLeaving ABA and shifting from behaviour to environmentBecoming an SLP: AAC, connection, and child-led therapyKey learningsClub announcements🧾 Minutes from the Meeting1️⃣ Opening RemarksAngela introduces Claire as a clinician whose story offers a rare inside perspective on ABA. Someone who entered the field with good intentions and left with a deeper understanding of Autistic nervous systems and lived experience.2️⃣ Member Introduction: Claire’s StoryClaire describes herself as a “chameleon” in school, a theatre kid who learned to play the role of “normal” while privately embracing her oddities. She studied psychology to understand how people “people,” navigated burnout in college, and found improv as a regulatory outlet.After serving in the Peace Corps in The Gambia, she returned to the USA, unsure of her path, but drawn to working with neurodivergent children. A friend introduced her to ABA, promising meaningful work, strong income potential, and the opportunity to work in the “gold standard” of Autism treatment.3️⃣ Discussion HighlightsABA immersion: 40-hour weeks for toddlers and gold-standard messagingRBT reality: Minimal training, low pay, no autism coursework requiredDemand maintenance: Repeating instructions during meltdowns until complianceInteroception moment: Supervisor unfamiliar with the conceptMasking realisation: Social media and autistic adult narrativesPendulum swing: From “gold standard” to “ABA is abuse” to nuanceSLP path: Language, connection, AAC, and feature matchingChild-led therapy: Slower but healthier device relationshipsSelf-accommodation: Headphones, fidgets, and nervous system resetsAutistic joy: Sesame Street, stimming, and public authenticity4️⃣ Key LearningsBehaviour is not the whole storyGood people can work inside broken systemsLanguage and connection are cyclicalAutistic regulation is not a moral failureSelf-accommodation changes relationshipsLabels serve us — not the other way around📌 Notice BoardLoud Hands: Autistic People, SpeakingAutistic Self-Advocacy NetworkAutism Society of WashingtonThurston County Inclusion Therapeutic Beginnings 📣 Club Announcements🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Late Diagnosis Club: How Julie Discovered Her Autism Through Burnout and Books
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Julie Farrell, a late-diagnosed Autistic and ADHD writer, activist, and co-founder of The Inklusion Guide, a resource dedicated to making literature events accessible to disabled people.Julie shares her slow, layered journey toward understanding her neurodivergence — from burnout, migraines, and chronic illness labels, to finding herself mirrored in Autistic writers like Katherine May, to sobbing through the documentary Seeing the Unseen and finally knowing in her bones.Together, Angela and Julie explore masking, shutdowns mislabelled as anxiety, CPTSD, creative identity, freelance work as nervous system regulation, and the relief of receiving a diagnosis in a supportive, affirming environment. They also talk about ADHD medication, menstrual cycle titration, EMDR therapy, and what it feels like to “precipitate out of the hot goo” and become solid for the first time.This episode is also about Autistic joy — about stars, navigation, grief, and how Julie’s late father taught her to look up at the night sky and find her way.🪑 AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Julie Farrell — Writer, activist, and late-diagnosed Autistic & ADHD womanYou: The Listener!🗒️ Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Burnout, writing communities, and slow recognitionDiscussion: Masking, shutdowns, and anxiety misdiagnosisChronic illness labels, brain fog, and nervous system overwhelmSelf-identification, late ADHD discovery and medicationCreativity, rejection sensitivity, and publishing Someone Like MeKey learningsClub announcements🧾 Minutes from the Meeting1️⃣ Opening RemarksAngela introduces Julie as a writer whose work reclaims Autistic narrative and centres accessibility, creativity, and late discovery. The conversation begins with the power of anthologies — reading other Autistic women’s work and realising, “Oh. That wasn’t just me.”2️⃣ Member Introduction: Julie’s StoryJulie traces her recognition back to 2018, when she ran a co-writing group in Edinburgh and befriended an openly Autistic man who spoke about burnout cycles. At the time, she didn’t see herself in autism — she was high masking and had internalized generalized anxiety and fibromyalgia diagnoses.Reading Wintering by Catherine May and later reviewing the documentary Seeing the Unseen became turning points. She describes sobbing at the end of the film and knowing, finally, that she was Autistic.3️⃣ Discussion HighlightsMasking & shutdowns: Nonverbal shutdowns misinterpreted as panic attacksMisdiagnosis: Anxiety and fibromyalgia concealing Autistic burnoutBurnout at 30: Months unable to leave the sofa; repeated medical dismissalSelf-ID vs formal diagnosis: The emotional weight of bothBeing believed: “Are you telling me I’m not stupid?”ADHD discovery: Hyperactivity, career misalignment, and paid assessmentMedication: Titration and menstrual cycle adjustmentsPublishing: Invited to contribute to Someone Like MeGrief & stars: Writing about her father, navigation, and expansive belonging4️⃣ Key LearningsBurnout cycles can be mistaken for anxietyMasking can delay self-recognition for yearsDiagnosis can dissolve lifelong shameMedication can reshape creative capacityFreelance work can be nervous system careAutistic joy often lives in special interests📌 Notice BoardInkulsion GuideSomeone Like Me AnthologyJulie’s Website Wintering by Katherine May📣 Club Announcements🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Late Diagnosis Club: How Helen Learned She Was Autistic After a Lifetime of Misdiagnosis
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Helen Shaddock, a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and PhD researcher whose work explores autism, eating distress, OCD, and healing through creativity.Helen was diagnosed with anorexia at 13 and spent the next 25 years moving through eating-disorder pathways that never fully explained her experience. It wasn’t until her late 30s — after years of treatment, physical injury, and burnout — that an occupational therapist recognised what others had missed: Helen was Autistic.Helen and Angela explore the long overlap between eating distress, OCD, and autism, how Autistic regulation was repeatedly misread as pathology, and how late diagnosis reframed decades of self-blame. Helen shares her experiences around interoception, stimming, routine, sensory regulation, and the difference between Autistic eating and eating disorder treatment.This episode is also about creative becoming — how art, writing, and storytelling can be tools for survival, meaning-making, and identity reconstruction. 🪑 AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Helen Shaddock — Autistic multidisciplinary artist, writer, and PhD researcherYou: The Listener!🗒️ Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Autism missed across treatment pathwaysCBT, clinical harm, and misinterpretation of Autistic regulationAutistic eating vs eating disorder frameworksBurnout, grief, and late autism recognitionCreative becoming through art and storytellingKey learningsClub announcements🧾 Minutes from the Meeting1️⃣ Opening RemarksAngela welcomes Helen as a long-standing member of the LDC community and frames the conversation around storytelling, creativity, and late recognition. This meeting emphasises intimacy and pacing — meeting one another “one at a time,” in a way that feels distinctly Autistic.2️⃣ Member Introduction: Helen’s StoryHelen was diagnosed with anorexia at 13 and spent her adolescence and adulthood navigating eating-disorder treatment, CBT, and medical surveillance.Many Autistic traits, including routine, stimming, sensory sensitivity, and the need for predictability, were interpreted as pathology rather than regulation.She experienced chronic fatigue in early adolescence, missed significant periods of school, and was bullied. Later injuries, stress fractures, and physical complications were consistently attributed to anorexia, obscuring the role of autism and interoceptive differences.3️⃣ Discussion Highlights25 years missed: Autism identified at 38 after decades of eating-disorder treatmentMisinterpretation: Autistic stimming and regulation framed as calorie-burning or compulsionInteroception: Pain, hunger, and bladder signals go unnoticed until extremeRoutine & safety: The difference between Autistic eating and eating distressGrief: Mourning the support that could have existed earlierLanguage shift: Choosing “eating distress” over “eating disorder”Creative becoming: Identity as fluid, evolving, and reconstructed through artArtEd: Digital storytelling, visual diaries, and community zines4️⃣ Key LearningsEating distress can mask autism — and vice versaLate diagnosis can dissolve decades of self-blameAutistic regulation is often misunderstood as a disorderCreativity is not a luxury — it is a survival toolCommunity reduces isolation and restores dignity📌 Notice BoardArtED WebsiteHelen’s Website📣 Club Announcements🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.