April is Autism Awareness Month—a time not only to raise awareness, but to honour and affirm the lived experiences of autistic individuals. As a provisional psychologist working with late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults—those discovering their neurodivergence later in life—I see firsthand how complex, validating, and often overwhelming this journey can be.
Many of my clients are navigating long-standing emotional struggles rooted in complex trauma, childhood masking, or a lifetime of feeling "different" without having the words to name it. Often, they have been misdiagnosed—or missed altogether—because their challenges were internalised, camouflaged, or mistaken for anxiety or depression. For many adults an autism or ADHD diagnosis feels like finally finding the missing piece of a lifelong puzzle.
Being autistic or AuDHD (autistic + ADHD) in a world not designed for neurodivergence brings daily stress, sensory overload, burnout, and deep fatigue from constantly adapting. These experiences are not signs of personal failure—they are signals from nervous systems doing their best to survive in environments that haven't always understood them.
When looking for therapy to address these concerns I encourage you to look for a neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed therapist. This means creating space to unmask safely, explore your inner parts with compassion (possibly through Internal Family Systems), and soothe a nervous system that’s been on high alert for decades. However, whatever approach you and your therapist take, please make sure it is grounded in acceptance - not fixing.
If you are wondering whether you might be neurodivergent, or are feeling the weight of lifelong masking and missed understanding, you're not alone. Healing begins with being seen, just as you are.
You deserve support that honours your experience—neurodivergence and all.
Have you recently begun exploring your neurodivergence or diagnosis?
