S1:E1- My Path to Diagnosis

In this episode, Matt shares the rollercoaster of emotions leading up to the moment of receiving an official autism diagnosis, from initial realizations triggered by TikTok content to the eventual decision to seek a professional assessment.Matt recounts the profound identity crisis he faced upon suspecting he was autistic. He describes the emotional turmoil and anger he felt towards the lack of recognition of his condition during his childhood. As Matt delved deeper, he realized many of his life challenges—such as difficulties at work and intense reactions to sensory stimuli—aligned with autism. Through extensive research, including taking numerous online autism tests, and discussing these findings with his therapist, Matt moved towards self-diagnosis. Despite finding peace with his self-diagnosis, Matt’s husband urged him to seek an official diagnosis, concerned about the validity of his self-diagnosis. This push prompted Matt to schedule an assessment with a specialist who focused on adult autism diagnoses.