July 18, 2025 • 37 mins
We explore one of autism's most misunderstood phenomena: skill regression and autistic burnout in late-diagnosed adults. Clinical psychologist Lic. Irma Lira shares her expertise and personal journey of discovering her autism in adulthood.
Key Topics:
- Warning signs that lead to late autism diagnosis
- Autistic burnout vs. general exhaustion
- Skill regression: When abilities temporarily disappear
- Identity reconstruction after diagnosis
- Why self-diagnosis is a valid starting point
Why This Matters: Research shows late-diagnosed individuals—especially women and people of color—face massive gaps in understanding and support. Many experience "autistic burnout": physical, emotional, and cognitive exhaustion that can temporarily erase skills once taken for granted.
About Our Guest: Lic. Irma Lira brings a dual perspective as both a clinical psychologist and a late-diagnosed autistic woman. Her insights bridge professional knowledge with lived experience.
Connect with Irma:
- APROSAME: aprosame.com
- Instagram: @malobkuxtal
Key Takeaways: Your experience is valid. Late diagnosis can be healing. Regression isn't permanent. Community and self-care are fundamental for recovery.
Resources: Full transcripts in English/Spanish, research citations, and additional support resources at neurorebelpodcast.com
Contact: neurorebelpodcast@gmail.com
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Thank you for listening to Neuro Rebel — the bilingual podcast where we flip the script on what it means to think differently. I’m your host, Anita: autistic, gifted, and a retired law professor on a mission to bring rigor, empathy, and a dash of rebellion to conversations about neurodiversity.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Anita English (00:00):
Picture this, you're 45, maybe 50.
You've built a career, mayberaised children, navigated
decades of relationships andprofessional challenges.
You've always known you weredifferent.
But you've also been told you'resuccessful, high functioning and
doing just fine, then somethingbreaks not dramatically.
(00:27):
More like a slow unravelingskills you've relied on for
decades.
Start to feel unreliable, yourability to navigate social
situations, to organize yourthoughts, to tolerate everyday
sensory experiences.
All of it begins to slip awaylike water through your fingers.
(00:52):
You're told it's stress,burnout, maybe a midlife crisis,
but you know it's somethingdeeper.
Welcome back to Neuro Rebel.
(01:14):
The podcast where we refuse toaccept simple explanations to
complex neurologicalexperiences.
I'm Anita, your host, latediagnosed autistic adult who
discovered that sometimes ourgreatest professional
accomplishments can mask ourmost profound personal
struggles.
(01:35):
For those joining our communityfor the first time.
This is where we bring academicrigor to lived experience, where
we challenge the sanitizednarratives about neurodivergence
and where we explore therealities that don't make it
into feel good social mediacontent.
We're bilingual, we'rebicultural, and we are
(01:58):
unapologetically committed tothe truth even when it's
uncomfortable.
Today we're confronting one ofautism's most misunderstood
phenomena.
Skill regression and latediagnosed adults.
This isn't about children losinglanguage.
(02:19):
This is about competent adultswho suddenly find themselves
unable to perform tasks thatonce felt automatic.
It's about the devastatingexperience of watching your
cognitive ability seeminglydeteriorate often without
understanding why.
(02:40):
The research tells us that latediagnosed individuals,
particularly women and people ofcolor, represent a massive gap
in our understanding of autismacross the lifespan.
We know that many of theseindividuals experience what
researchers are now callingautistic.
Burnout, a state of physical,emotional, and cognitive
(03:03):
exhaustion that can lead to whatappears to be skill regression,
but is actually protectiveshutdown.
Yet, despite affectingpotentially millions of people,
the experience remains largelyinvisible in mainstream autism
discourse.
Why?
Because it doesn't fit thenarrative of autism as a
(03:26):
childhood condition, because itchallenges our assumptions about
adult competency, and becausethe people experiencing it have
been too exhausted to advocatefor themselves.
Today I am honored to speak withpsychologist.
I, a clinical psychologist whounderstands this phenomenon.
(03:51):
Both from a professional and adeeply personal perspective.
As someone who received her ownautism diagnosis later in her
life, Ima brings a unique duallens to our conversation, the
clinical expertise, tounderstand the research and the
lived experience, to know whatit feels like when your world
(04:14):
quietly falls apart.
We will explore the emotionalarcheology of renaming a
lifetime of experiences throughthe artistic lens.
The professional challenges ofbeing a mental health
professional who discovers sheneeded the very support she
provides others.
(04:35):
And the practical realities ofrebuilding life after diagnoses,
including learning to recognizeand prevent the cycles of
burnout that can trigger skillregression.
This is a conversation aboutresilience.
But not toxic, positivity kind.
(04:56):
This is about the messy,complicated work of untangling
decades of masking andself-advocacy that begins not
with inspiration, but withunderstanding..
So settle in, grab whateverhelps you feel grounded and
let's explore the hiddenlandscape of late diagnosed
(05:16):
autism with someone who'snavigated both professionally
and personally welcome, Ima, weare so excited to have you here
(05:37):
in the Neuro Rebel podcast.
I can't tell you how excited weare to have the opportunity to
chat with you today about somereally interesting topics.
So welcome all our listeners.
Ima Lida, a clinicalpsychologist here and play Del
Carmen.
Thank you Anita, for theopportunity of being here.
(05:57):
This is a very special subjectfor me, not only as a therapist,
but as a neurodivergent person.
Thank you so much.
So today, as I mentioned, thetopic is going to be what the
implications are resulting fromthis late diagnosis.
So tell us a little bit aboutwhat is late diagnosis?
(06:18):
What, what does that mean?
Late diagnosis, is when you asan adult find out for yourself
most of the time that you haveneuro divergent condition, like
when life gets hard or maybe youare struggling with a job or
finding a job, or you recentlylost a person that was important
(06:42):
to you it can feel like a deepstate of depression, but
sometimes it's just burnout andautistic burnout or
neurodivergent burnout feelsdifferent than a neurotypical
burnout because it's your life'senergy is so depleted that it is
so hard to push back.
It's not like, oh, I'm taking aweek off so I can recover.
(07:06):
Like taking a vacation is notgonna improve what you're
filming.
so how does one arrive at themoment where you say, you know,
I need to find outprofessionally.
I need to get a diagnosis.
How does that happen in yourexperience in clinical practice?
Well, for a lot of people theygo into therapy for these things
(07:26):
that we've been talking about,like life crisis and usually
when you go to a therapist andthey are knowledgeable in the
subject, they can.
Let you know that you need anevaluation.
They can make an evaluation oran assessment, or you can go to
a psychiatrist or a neurologist.
But in my experience, not onlyknowing that you have the
(07:49):
condition, but also helpsknowing how the condition is
manifested in you.
If you are having, doubts nowsocial media is a good.
Source of information, at leastfor self-diagnosed, to say like,
maybe this sounds a little bitlike me, but if you have
suspicions that you might be ina condition, going to a
(08:10):
professional always helps.
One of the interesting things Ifound out is that almost 80% of
late diagnosed adults and beyondadolescents are women.
I mean, what's going on there?
Tell us a little bit about thisbias and this gender bias that
now they've identified as thefemale phenotype for
(08:32):
Neurodivergence.
What's going on there?
Well, I'm gonna tell you first,as a therapist, I work
clinically with, autisticpatients, but mostly men.
The manifestation in men andwomen is super different, not
only when they're children, butalso when they're adults.
Also another aspect thatcontributes a lot to all the
(08:56):
misinformation that there isabout autistic women.
Like 30 years ago, peoplewouldn't even think that there
would be an autistic women.
But, uh, nowadays that we havemore information, we can know
that autistic women mask a lotor neurodivergent women mask a
lot.
And that has also to do with howwe are socialized when we're
(09:18):
children.
We are taught that we need to bequiet, respectful, delicate not
to be moving around a lot orplaying a lot, or just jumping
everywhere.
You need to stay tight and lookat people in the eyes and smile.
All of those aspects that youmay perceive as an autistic
(09:41):
child or as an A DHD child orgifted are kind of.
Start to repress.
So women are great actress,neuro women.
I think we're the biggestactresses because we're
suppressing and repressing mostof our needs in terms of
steaming or in terms of what is,uncomfortable or even
(10:06):
disgusting.
As the saying goes, I have beenmany people in this lifetime.
By the time we reach thediagnosis, we don't really know
who we are anymore because of alifetime of masking.
What is your opinion withrespect to this gender bias and
this female phenotype?
The research suggests that thishas happened because the studies
(10:29):
of autism and other new neurodivergences have been performed
primarily by observing male.
Subjects and male children.
So women have largely beenexcluded from the process, which
have led to professionals whoare not up to date on autism
themes.
It's very unfortunate that wehave to go through this because
(10:52):
female bodies are so differentthan male bodies in everything
like chemically.
Hormonally, like even theresponse to pain is so different
in a male than a female.
So by studying, conditions orillness or pathologists in men,
they're living out 50% of thepopulation's needs.
(11:13):
So what do you think is, one ofthe biggest systemic problems,
if you will, with this issue oflate diagnoses and women in
particular with respect tomental health professionals?
Is it a lack of education,training knowledge?
Where is the gap in your, in, inyour opinion?
(11:34):
I think also the ideas that wehave about gender, are
influencing how doctors treat usbecause historically we are
thought and women like that wasso wrong.
So when women approach,physician that is not
knowledgeable in this subject,think they're exaggerating.
(11:55):
There's a lot of, alsoautoimmune disease in autistic
women like fibromyalgia andlupus and arthritis, like things
that have a high level of painand they are often dismissed.
Or if they go to a psychiatrist,they get multiple diagnosis
before even thinking about,could you be autistic?
(12:17):
Could you be neuro divergent?
They tell you that you have,bipolar disorder or borderline
personality disorder or severedepression, but they never seem
to think that we might be in thespectrum or that we might be
gifted or that we might be, witha DHD.
(12:38):
Yes.
I can vouch for that.
I have a suitcase full ofmisdiagnoses.
I was diagnosed at 52, so upuntil that time I definitely was
many things to many people andit's really, really unfortunate.
What is your suggestion to beginrepairing the systemic bias?
(13:02):
I think it has to be an effortin many levels, including the
personal responsibility as ahealth provider.
Like you need to be actualized,like you need to study, you need
to see the new paradigms inneurodivergency and what's going
on in life.
Like when I went to school, Istudied my base psychoanalysis,
(13:26):
so, it was.
Seen as a misconnection betweenmother and child.
So basically your mother was atfault instead of being, a
genetic, trait that runs aroundin families like.
I don't know.
Like curly hair or blue eyes.
Right?
Right.
Exactly.
(13:46):
I mean, we don't talk about blueeyed people as having a pigment
de deficiency, right?
We just don't, so why do we talkabout different thinking styles
as having a deficient form ofthinking as very curious?
Language has a lot to do withit.
I think that's where I agreewith you.
The neurodiversity paradigm iscritical.
(14:09):
Understanding through a new lenswhat all these, let's call'em
modern, for lack of a betterterm, because we've always been
there.
This is a brand new thing.
We can look at these issues.
Chronic stress and autisticburnout and triggers skill
regression.
Skill regression is a problem,right?
With late diagnosed adults.
(14:29):
I, I, I understand.
Tell us a little bit about that.
What is skillion and why does itmanifest in late diagnosed
neurodivergence?
Well, since we're talking aboutmasking, most of our social
skills are.
Masking skills, like we learnedto socialize following cues or
(14:50):
imitating, but it's not likeit's assimilated or
comprehended.
It's like replayed, like we areplaying a part.
So all of those skills, and alsofor some of us, our brains don't
work in the same way of,executive functions.
So.
It's difficult to organize, toplan to, even if you were able
(15:16):
to organize and were able toplan to follow on the steps of
your plans.
It's difficult because it has todo with your or, organic
functions, but also with yourlevel of stress.
So environment plays a key rolebecause they can make you go
super.
(15:37):
Regret super bad or they canhelp you get out of burnout.
Um, we now know that you're nota little bit autistic or a lot
of autistic or A DHD or giftedor you just have different,
needs of support.
And those needs of support canvary throughout life.
(15:58):
Like it's not like if you aregiven a diagnose and you have a
level two of native support.
It doesn't mean that it's gonnastay there.
Maybe you went to have yourdiagnose when you were going
through a crisis and you were inburnout.
To be able to get out of thereis not gonna be a seven week
vacation, but also a jointeffort with therapy sessions and
(16:19):
sometimes medication, but alsowith help from the environment
because.
We're gonna have good days andbad days, but if our environment
or like expect regression isgonna stay there because it
creates a constant state ofdistress and feeling
insufficient or feelinginadequate and, and is this a,
is a direct consequence.
(16:41):
I mean, it, it's interestingwhat the complex psychological
interplay here that as aconsequence of in late diagnoses
that well.
As a consequence of obtaining alate diagnoses, a lot of people
go into burnout or experienceskill regression, or it triggers
(17:05):
skill regression.
Why do you think that is?
Well, I don't think it like,because you got the diagnose,
you got this, but probably bythe time you got the diagnose,
you were so into a burnoutstate.
That you are gonna have to taketime to get out of it.
(17:25):
I'm still able to do all thosethings, but if I'm thinking I,
maybe I can't or that I don'tunderstand social situation that
well, then the next time thatI'm faced with one, I'm gonna
feel super incompetent.
Where it's not like, so having,moral support, but also having a
place in therapy where you canjust.
(17:47):
Find, talk about it and orderthings around helps a lot to be
able to feel more secure withyourself or more with more
self-esteem so you can get outof that skill regression.
So here's where therapy becomescritical, right?
Uh, for people navigating thelate diagnoses, um, path.
(18:10):
Seeking assistance and help fromtherapy.
I personally found it incrediblyhelpful.
What would you recommend or howwould you recommend people
approach this issue?
I recommend that you approach atherapist that also is
knowledgeable in the paradigmand types of therapy.
(18:31):
They are not there to change youor who you are.
Like cognitive therapy thatsometimes is there to change
certain behaviors.
It's probably not the best waybecause you need to make peace
with yourself.
Having a diagnosis, an adultsometimes leads to grieving
process where you have to, letthe person you thought you were
(18:52):
go to to be able to, be createdand be accepted.
So it's kind of like the debt ofthe ego or the debt of the
stealth that no longer servesyou, like take away the mask,
but first, before doing it withothers, you have to do it with
yourself.
So you have to kind of grievethat person that you were.
(19:14):
Ideally, a process would bewhere you can be understood,
where you feel safe to talkabout these things, where you're
not pressured with a timeline orwith a lot of tasks, because
this requires like a deep diveinto the self and also that are
based in to stem self emotionalregulation.
(19:34):
Because many of our problemscome what from, eh?
Having to process all thisinformation and then all the
emotional information that comeswith it.
So all of that, or need to haveskills to be processed in order
with these emotional regulationprocesses where you can just
(19:57):
feel your feelings and then givethem name and then link them to
actions.
There's definitely a griefprocess involved in this
post-diagnosis at the latestage.
Talk a little bit about thatprocess.
What is the dual like?
I mean, why do we experience asa, in a way, as a death of the
(20:19):
former self?
Well, since you were crying, youweren't aware that you had this
false self.
To begin with, now that you seethe false selves and also see
the cost that it takes for youto sustain that self, you
wonder, do I have to keep doingthis?
(20:42):
Am I really this way?
Do I want to keep this kind ofrelationships so it involves all
of the areas in our life, how wedeal with our jobs, how we deal
with our loved ones, how we dealwith ourselves, and then the
levels of.
The demand that we have towardsus.
So you kind of have to let go ofeverything that you knew about
(21:04):
yourself.
So it's kind of, not evenreconstruction, but just like
the Phoenix bird, you have tolet it all burn and then from
the ashes rice again, right?
It's an incredibly stressful andpainful process for many people.
I know it was for me.
How did you live the process, offinding out you had these three
(21:28):
conditions all at once?
Two of which are completelyopposed to each other and their
needs and demands.
Share with us and our listenerswhat you as a clinical
psychologist, as a professional.
As a human being, what thatprocess was like for you?
It was definitely a difficultone.
I started this process, but Iwas working a lot.
(21:51):
I like to work a lot, but atsome point I had kidney
problems, so I was going throughphysical pain a lot and at the
same time in all this.
That I started knowing a lot of,autistic women, adult autistic
women, most of them diagnosed,late in life.
(22:12):
And they were all sharing theirexperiences, not only through
the diagnose, but also inchildhood.
And I kind of always knew that Ihad a DHD.
But never how it manifested inme.
So I started with, the autisticdiagnose.
I knew that accompanying theprocess with compassion and
(22:33):
patience was what needed.
But then confronting thatprocess with myself was a
completely different taskbecause right now I had to start
treating myself like that, but Ifelt like, I didn't have any
skills.
I had a lot of self-doubt.
I couldn't, or I feared goingout in public, feeling exposed,
(22:53):
talking to people.
I've always been able to do allthese things.
But after my physical health gotbetter, I went to have, tests
for A DHD.
I had these three things thatare kind of pulling me in
different directions because.
The need for order there and theneed for structure that comes
with the autism.
It's completely destroyed by thechaos from adhd, and I have
(23:17):
complex adhd, so it means likeI'm inattentive, I hyperactive.
Knowing that I was gifted help alittle bit because I felt since
I regressed a lot, I'm havingsince, a couple of years from
now, more difficulties readingand concentrating.
So I was feeling, I don't know,like it, it impacted my
(23:39):
self-esteem.
So right now I'm in the processof self-accepting and
self-assurance and.
Feeling good about myself.
At the beginning, I didn't wantanyone to know that I was
autistic because I thoughtpeople was going to look at me
differently.
And right now I'm like, Hey, I'mhere and I'm proud.
(24:01):
Good for you.
We need more of that.
What has helped you recover fromthe burnout and from the
post-diagnosis?
I mean, like once you figureout, it's like, oh my God.
Now what, what has helped youreintegrate yourself?
Well, it's been a long journey,but definitely sleeping.
(24:22):
That's a game changer.
I don't think I've ever sleptlike I'm sleeping now, so
sleeping changed, everything,especially like in your nervous
system.
But also like going inside andlooking at myself and going back
to my childhood experienceswith, with a different look,
with more compassion.
Talking about it with myfriends, talking about it with
(24:45):
colleagues, receiving empathyfrom them, asking for help.
That was a game changer too.
It cost me a lot.
I've been very independent sincea very young age, so being able
to feel vulnerable was.
Definitely a big one, but I havethe best friends that I could
have.
(25:05):
I have my son, I have mypartner, so I have a lot of
people that are rooting for meand that helps a lot speak
freely with your loved ones, ofwho you are and what you need
changes too.
Also, I had to kind of look atthe way I was working and
started putting someone there,there start changing a few
things.
(25:26):
Yes, start changing somepatterns.
One of the things that you dovery well in your, nonprofit, he
focuses on empoweringneurodivergent adults in
society, education in theworkforce.
Tell us a little bit about whatis happening at the corporate
level, especially with latediagnosed adults.
(25:48):
In the workforce.
What is happening there and whydid you choose to specialize in
that area or one of your manyspecialties, but in particular
the training and education inthat context?
Well, these projects startedafter many experiences with
(26:09):
patients, but there was onepatient that really marked me,
25-year-old, woman who her.
Life's dream is to beindependent and self-sufficient,
and she hasn't been able to doso.
So in the quest of doing that,she went to an a job interview
at one of these stores that selllike Chinese products.
(26:32):
And the girl that wasinterviewing for, um.
Was kind of stressing her outwith all these questions and
looking profoundly at her.
They didn't allow her to beaccompanied by her mother in the
interview.
So that stressed her too.
And when she started to, tostruggle replying to her
(26:56):
questions, instead of havingcompassion or empathy, she
started treating her like shewas deaf or worse.
So that definitely.
Gave her a crisis and she justrun away from the interview.
So that kind of break my, brokemy heart because I think
although I, I have, always beenable to be independent and
(27:19):
self-sufficient and being ableto work, so it did really put me
into the direction of I need todo something to, to change this.
And the power that I have is.
Whatever I can just share withthem whatever knowledge I can
share so they can see that thisgirl would've been like the best
(27:41):
manager of the store.
Just don't put her in the frontwith people.
But she would've been like thebest in inventory and in
ordering the store because she'sso, or Orate and is, she's so
neat that she would've been agreat employee and she all.
Only wanted an opportunity tofeel sufficient and to feel
(28:02):
valued and to contribute to herfamily finances.
So I think it's very important.
And also like all of theresources, private and, and
municipal or, or state,resources.
When you're 17, so it's likeyou're magically here from
autism or whatever condition youhave, and it's not like that.
(28:25):
Like after 17, the real strugglecontinues because before that,
if you had your family, you werecontained and supported.
But then after you're 18, lifeget starts getting hard.
And then even if you have allthis family support, sometimes
at at some point your family'snot gonna be with you.
So you need to have.
(28:47):
The possibility to work and tobe able to be independent.
And also those two are linked tomental health.
If you don't feel like you cancontribute actively to your
family, to your society, you'regonna be super depressed.
That's a, a startling statistic.
I was really shocked to find outthat, well, particularly in
(29:08):
Mexico here, I don't know aboutother places.
Although the infantilization ofautism is global.
But the support ends at age 17.
So it's not like we magicallydisappear, right?
We don't become neurotypicalovernight.
And I think that's a reallyinteresting question of public
(29:29):
policy and education.
You know what happens.
And so that is so great that youare stepping in to provide a
service that is sorely neededand just tragically lacking.
In this area and throughoutMexico corporations, employers,
if you're listening, pleasestart educating how to
(29:49):
incorporate neurodivergentpeople into the workforce,
because Ima tell us why that'simportant.
What have you found, in terms ofthe research and the numbers,
why is it important toincorporate neurodivergent
people aside from the fact thatwe are humans and we have a
human right to work.
Beyond that basic, declaration,why is it important in the c
(30:12):
corporate context?
Well, for many reasons.
First one in every 32 people isneurodivergent.
So we are here, we're definitelyhere, and there's more of us
than you think.
But also 80% of neurodivergentpeople is either unemployed or
employed, like underemployed,like.
(30:34):
They have more abilities thanthey're getting paid to do.
And that creates also a void inthe companies because they need
a workforce and they need peoplewho are committed, who are
responsible.
They're not hiring the workforcethat is gonna be able to deliver
(30:57):
all that.
Like neurodivergent, people arelooking for a place where they
can stay, where they can grow.
For many autistic people, theydon't like change.
So if you offer a good jobenvironment, they probably can
work there forever.
They are looking for a placewhere they can feel useful, use
their abilities and theircharacteristics are awesome.
(31:17):
Good analytic, thinking, a lotof resources when it comes to
problem solving, quick thinking,organization planning when it
comes to autistics, but alsolike.
Being able to detect patterns.
So if you want to improve yourprocesses, then definitely hire
(31:38):
neurodivergent people becausenot only you're gonna see an
impact in reducing the rotationof personnel that it's a big
problem here in the Rivera mediawith hotels, but you can
actually see the benefits in thelong runs.
That's fascinating, and thankyou for the work you do in that
area.
So as a neurodivergent, latediagnosed woman, what can you
(32:04):
share that is personal and thatis, let's call it embalming of
the heart.
I think, if you have thepossibility to get a diagnose,
do it.
You owe it to yourself and yourinner child.
They need the, the validation,they need to feel reassured.
The connection you get fromyourself and your feelings and
(32:28):
your needs, can help you lead amore healthy and balanced life.
And before going through theprocess of.
Diagnosed and acceptance.
It's like a cater pillar, andit's difficult, like obviously
for the caterpillar to become abutterfly is super difficult and
it's kind of the same to breakthat cocoon of who you thought
(32:50):
you were, but afterwards.
So to say, this is me and thisis what I can get.
That's beautiful.
Now what about self-diagnosis?
I mean, how do we approachself-diagnosis if we have no
access?
To a formal diagnosis, well,definitely helps and with the
criteria of DSM five, and it'sgonna tell you that you might be
(33:14):
in the condition, but at somepoint, if you do have the
possibility to know how thecondition is manifesting in you.
How all you have isself-diagnosed, do it too, and
then maybe approach aprofessional that can help you
with the process of integratingall that information.
Well, I can't tell you how muchI've enjoyed this conversation
(33:37):
we've had.
I think a lot of people aregoing to benefit by the
information and wisdom you'veshared.
I want to thank you on behalf ofNeuro Rebel and all of our
listeners for taking the time tospend with us here today and
share with us all of you thatyou've shared.
Thank you for inviting me.
For me, it's a pleasure to behere.
(33:58):
You've always been a role modelfor me, so being here and being
able to share this project withyou is awesome.
Thank you.
I am so thankful to Ima forbringing such nuance and
(34:22):
vulnerability to thisconversation.
Her insights about theintersection of professional
identity and personal discoveryreally illuminate how complex
this journey can be.
For those of you listening andhave recognized yourselves in
Irma's story, I want you to knowthat your experiences are valid.
(34:45):
Your struggles are real, and theprocess of late discovery,
whether through formal diagnosesor through self-exploration, is
an act of profound courage.
The research is clear.
That late diagnosed autism,particularly in women and
marginalized communities,represents one of the most
(35:06):
significant gaps in our currentunderstanding of the autism
spectrum.
When Nima talks about skillregression during burnout, she's
describing a phenomenon thatlacks adequate research,
funding, clinical recognition,and social support.
If you're questioning whetheryou might be autistic, remember
what Edma shared about theimportance of professional
(35:29):
guidance while also trustingyour own expertise about your
life.
Self-exploration throughreputable resources can be a
valuable first step, but itworks best when combined with
clinical support thatunderstands autism in adults,
particularly for those of us whohave spent decades masking our
(35:50):
neurological differences.
Thank you for joining us in thisconversation that challenges
easy answers and embracesdifficult truths, and if today's
episode resonated with you,please share it with someone who
needs to hear it.
Not because misery lovescompany, but because
understanding, shared experiencecan be the first step toward
(36:14):
healing.
You can find full transcripts,research citations, and
additionalresources@neurorebelpodcast.com.
Find us on social media at NeuroRebel Podcast and if you have
questions, please write to us atNeuro Rebel podcast@gmail.com.
(36:34):
Remember, your brain isn'tbroken.
The systems around you might be,but with understanding community
and appropriate support, you canbuild a life that works with
your neurological reality ratherthan against it.
I'm Anita, and this has beenNeuro Rebel.
(36:54):
Thank you so much for listening.
Until next time, keepquestioning, keep learning, and
keep being authenticallybeautifully yourself.
Picture this, you're 45, maybe 50.
You've built a career, mayberaised children, navigated
decades of relationships andprofessional challenges.
You've always known you weredifferent.
But you've also been told you'resuccessful, high functioning and
doing just fine, then somethingbreaks not dramatically.
(00:27):
More like a slow unravelingskills you've relied on for
decades.
Start to feel unreliable, yourability to navigate social
situations, to organize yourthoughts, to tolerate everyday
sensory experiences.
All of it begins to slip awaylike water through your fingers.
(00:52):
You're told it's stress,burnout, maybe a midlife crisis,
but you know it's somethingdeeper.
Welcome back to Neuro Rebel.
(01:14):
The podcast where we refuse toaccept simple explanations to
complex neurologicalexperiences.
I'm Anita, your host, latediagnosed autistic adult who
discovered that sometimes ourgreatest professional
accomplishments can mask ourmost profound personal
struggles.
(01:35):
For those joining our communityfor the first time.
This is where we bring academicrigor to lived experience, where
we challenge the sanitizednarratives about neurodivergence
and where we explore therealities that don't make it
into feel good social mediacontent.
We're bilingual, we'rebicultural, and we are
(01:58):
unapologetically committed tothe truth even when it's
uncomfortable.
Today we're confronting one ofautism's most misunderstood
phenomena.
Skill regression and latediagnosed adults.
This isn't about children losinglanguage.
(02:19):
This is about competent adultswho suddenly find themselves
unable to perform tasks thatonce felt automatic.
It's about the devastatingexperience of watching your
cognitive ability seeminglydeteriorate often without
understanding why.
(02:40):
The research tells us that latediagnosed individuals,
particularly women and people ofcolor, represent a massive gap
in our understanding of autismacross the lifespan.
We know that many of theseindividuals experience what
researchers are now callingautistic.
Burnout, a state of physical,emotional, and cognitive
(03:03):
exhaustion that can lead to whatappears to be skill regression,
but is actually protectiveshutdown.
Yet, despite affectingpotentially millions of people,
the experience remains largelyinvisible in mainstream autism
discourse.
Why?
Because it doesn't fit thenarrative of autism as a
(03:26):
childhood condition, because itchallenges our assumptions about
adult competency, and becausethe people experiencing it have
been too exhausted to advocatefor themselves.
Today I am honored to speak withpsychologist.
I, a clinical psychologist whounderstands this phenomenon.
(03:51):
Both from a professional and adeeply personal perspective.
As someone who received her ownautism diagnosis later in her
life, Ima brings a unique duallens to our conversation, the
clinical expertise, tounderstand the research and the
lived experience, to know whatit feels like when your world
(04:14):
quietly falls apart.
We will explore the emotionalarcheology of renaming a
lifetime of experiences throughthe artistic lens.
The professional challenges ofbeing a mental health
professional who discovers sheneeded the very support she
provides others.
(04:35):
And the practical realities ofrebuilding life after diagnoses,
including learning to recognizeand prevent the cycles of
burnout that can trigger skillregression.
This is a conversation aboutresilience.
But not toxic, positivity kind.
(04:56):
This is about the messy,complicated work of untangling
decades of masking andself-advocacy that begins not
with inspiration, but withunderstanding..
So settle in, grab whateverhelps you feel grounded and
let's explore the hiddenlandscape of late diagnosed
(05:16):
autism with someone who'snavigated both professionally
and personally welcome, Ima, weare so excited to have you here
(05:37):
in the Neuro Rebel podcast.
I can't tell you how excited weare to have the opportunity to
chat with you today about somereally interesting topics.
So welcome all our listeners.
Ima Lida, a clinicalpsychologist here and play Del
Carmen.
Thank you Anita, for theopportunity of being here.
(05:57):
This is a very special subjectfor me, not only as a therapist,
but as a neurodivergent person.
Thank you so much.
So today, as I mentioned, thetopic is going to be what the
implications are resulting fromthis late diagnosis.
So tell us a little bit aboutwhat is late diagnosis?
(06:18):
What, what does that mean?
Late diagnosis, is when you asan adult find out for yourself
most of the time that you haveneuro divergent condition, like
when life gets hard or maybe youare struggling with a job or
finding a job, or you recentlylost a person that was important
(06:42):
to you it can feel like a deepstate of depression, but
sometimes it's just burnout andautistic burnout or
neurodivergent burnout feelsdifferent than a neurotypical
burnout because it's your life'senergy is so depleted that it is
so hard to push back.
It's not like, oh, I'm taking aweek off so I can recover.
(07:06):
Like taking a vacation is notgonna improve what you're
filming.
so how does one arrive at themoment where you say, you know,
I need to find outprofessionally.
I need to get a diagnosis.
How does that happen in yourexperience in clinical practice?
Well, for a lot of people theygo into therapy for these things
(07:26):
that we've been talking about,like life crisis and usually
when you go to a therapist andthey are knowledgeable in the
subject, they can.
Let you know that you need anevaluation.
They can make an evaluation oran assessment, or you can go to
a psychiatrist or a neurologist.
But in my experience, not onlyknowing that you have the
(07:49):
condition, but also helpsknowing how the condition is
manifested in you.
If you are having, doubts nowsocial media is a good.
Source of information, at leastfor self-diagnosed, to say like,
maybe this sounds a little bitlike me, but if you have
suspicions that you might be ina condition, going to a
(08:10):
professional always helps.
One of the interesting things Ifound out is that almost 80% of
late diagnosed adults and beyondadolescents are women.
I mean, what's going on there?
Tell us a little bit about thisbias and this gender bias that
now they've identified as thefemale phenotype for
(08:32):
Neurodivergence.
What's going on there?
Well, I'm gonna tell you first,as a therapist, I work
clinically with, autisticpatients, but mostly men.
The manifestation in men andwomen is super different, not
only when they're children, butalso when they're adults.
Also another aspect thatcontributes a lot to all the
(08:56):
misinformation that there isabout autistic women.
Like 30 years ago, peoplewouldn't even think that there
would be an autistic women.
But, uh, nowadays that we havemore information, we can know
that autistic women mask a lotor neurodivergent women mask a
lot.
And that has also to do with howwe are socialized when we're
(09:18):
children.
We are taught that we need to bequiet, respectful, delicate not
to be moving around a lot orplaying a lot, or just jumping
everywhere.
You need to stay tight and lookat people in the eyes and smile.
All of those aspects that youmay perceive as an autistic
(09:41):
child or as an A DHD child orgifted are kind of.
Start to repress.
So women are great actress,neuro women.
I think we're the biggestactresses because we're
suppressing and repressing mostof our needs in terms of
steaming or in terms of what is,uncomfortable or even
(10:06):
disgusting.
As the saying goes, I have beenmany people in this lifetime.
By the time we reach thediagnosis, we don't really know
who we are anymore because of alifetime of masking.
What is your opinion withrespect to this gender bias and
this female phenotype?
The research suggests that thishas happened because the studies
(10:29):
of autism and other new neurodivergences have been performed
primarily by observing male.
Subjects and male children.
So women have largely beenexcluded from the process, which
have led to professionals whoare not up to date on autism
themes.
It's very unfortunate that wehave to go through this because
(10:52):
female bodies are so differentthan male bodies in everything
like chemically.
Hormonally, like even theresponse to pain is so different
in a male than a female.
So by studying, conditions orillness or pathologists in men,
they're living out 50% of thepopulation's needs.
(11:13):
So what do you think is, one ofthe biggest systemic problems,
if you will, with this issue oflate diagnoses and women in
particular with respect tomental health professionals?
Is it a lack of education,training knowledge?
Where is the gap in your, in, inyour opinion?
(11:34):
I think also the ideas that wehave about gender, are
influencing how doctors treat usbecause historically we are
thought and women like that wasso wrong.
So when women approach,physician that is not
knowledgeable in this subject,think they're exaggerating.
(11:55):
There's a lot of, alsoautoimmune disease in autistic
women like fibromyalgia andlupus and arthritis, like things
that have a high level of painand they are often dismissed.
Or if they go to a psychiatrist,they get multiple diagnosis
before even thinking about,could you be autistic?
(12:17):
Could you be neuro divergent?
They tell you that you have,bipolar disorder or borderline
personality disorder or severedepression, but they never seem
to think that we might be in thespectrum or that we might be
gifted or that we might be, witha DHD.
(12:38):
Yes.
I can vouch for that.
I have a suitcase full ofmisdiagnoses.
I was diagnosed at 52, so upuntil that time I definitely was
many things to many people andit's really, really unfortunate.
What is your suggestion to beginrepairing the systemic bias?
(13:02):
I think it has to be an effortin many levels, including the
personal responsibility as ahealth provider.
Like you need to be actualized,like you need to study, you need
to see the new paradigms inneurodivergency and what's going
on in life.
Like when I went to school, Istudied my base psychoanalysis,
(13:26):
so, it was.
Seen as a misconnection betweenmother and child.
So basically your mother was atfault instead of being, a
genetic, trait that runs aroundin families like.
I don't know.
Like curly hair or blue eyes.
Right?
Right.
Exactly.
(13:46):
I mean, we don't talk about blueeyed people as having a pigment
de deficiency, right?
We just don't, so why do we talkabout different thinking styles
as having a deficient form ofthinking as very curious?
Language has a lot to do withit.
I think that's where I agreewith you.
The neurodiversity paradigm iscritical.
(14:09):
Understanding through a new lenswhat all these, let's call'em
modern, for lack of a betterterm, because we've always been
there.
This is a brand new thing.
We can look at these issues.
Chronic stress and autisticburnout and triggers skill
regression.
Skill regression is a problem,right?
With late diagnosed adults.
(14:29):
I, I, I understand.
Tell us a little bit about that.
What is skillion and why does itmanifest in late diagnosed
neurodivergence?
Well, since we're talking aboutmasking, most of our social
skills are.
Masking skills, like we learnedto socialize following cues or
(14:50):
imitating, but it's not likeit's assimilated or
comprehended.
It's like replayed, like we areplaying a part.
So all of those skills, and alsofor some of us, our brains don't
work in the same way of,executive functions.
So.
It's difficult to organize, toplan to, even if you were able
(15:16):
to organize and were able toplan to follow on the steps of
your plans.
It's difficult because it has todo with your or, organic
functions, but also with yourlevel of stress.
So environment plays a key rolebecause they can make you go
super.
(15:37):
Regret super bad or they canhelp you get out of burnout.
Um, we now know that you're nota little bit autistic or a lot
of autistic or A DHD or giftedor you just have different,
needs of support.
And those needs of support canvary throughout life.
(15:58):
Like it's not like if you aregiven a diagnose and you have a
level two of native support.
It doesn't mean that it's gonnastay there.
Maybe you went to have yourdiagnose when you were going
through a crisis and you were inburnout.
To be able to get out of thereis not gonna be a seven week
vacation, but also a jointeffort with therapy sessions and
(16:19):
sometimes medication, but alsowith help from the environment
because.
We're gonna have good days andbad days, but if our environment
or like expect regression isgonna stay there because it
creates a constant state ofdistress and feeling
insufficient or feelinginadequate and, and is this a,
is a direct consequence.
(16:41):
I mean, it, it's interestingwhat the complex psychological
interplay here that as aconsequence of in late diagnoses
that well.
As a consequence of obtaining alate diagnoses, a lot of people
go into burnout or experienceskill regression, or it triggers
(17:05):
skill regression.
Why do you think that is?
Well, I don't think it like,because you got the diagnose,
you got this, but probably bythe time you got the diagnose,
you were so into a burnoutstate.
That you are gonna have to taketime to get out of it.
(17:25):
I'm still able to do all thosethings, but if I'm thinking I,
maybe I can't or that I don'tunderstand social situation that
well, then the next time thatI'm faced with one, I'm gonna
feel super incompetent.
Where it's not like, so having,moral support, but also having a
place in therapy where you canjust.
(17:47):
Find, talk about it and orderthings around helps a lot to be
able to feel more secure withyourself or more with more
self-esteem so you can get outof that skill regression.
So here's where therapy becomescritical, right?
Uh, for people navigating thelate diagnoses, um, path.
(18:10):
Seeking assistance and help fromtherapy.
I personally found it incrediblyhelpful.
What would you recommend or howwould you recommend people
approach this issue?
I recommend that you approach atherapist that also is
knowledgeable in the paradigmand types of therapy.
(18:31):
They are not there to change youor who you are.
Like cognitive therapy thatsometimes is there to change
certain behaviors.
It's probably not the best waybecause you need to make peace
with yourself.
Having a diagnosis, an adultsometimes leads to grieving
process where you have to, letthe person you thought you were
(18:52):
go to to be able to, be createdand be accepted.
So it's kind of like the debt ofthe ego or the debt of the
stealth that no longer servesyou, like take away the mask,
but first, before doing it withothers, you have to do it with
yourself.
So you have to kind of grievethat person that you were.
(19:14):
Ideally, a process would bewhere you can be understood,
where you feel safe to talkabout these things, where you're
not pressured with a timeline orwith a lot of tasks, because
this requires like a deep diveinto the self and also that are
based in to stem self emotionalregulation.
(19:34):
Because many of our problemscome what from, eh?
Having to process all thisinformation and then all the
emotional information that comeswith it.
So all of that, or need to haveskills to be processed in order
with these emotional regulationprocesses where you can just
(19:57):
feel your feelings and then givethem name and then link them to
actions.
There's definitely a griefprocess involved in this
post-diagnosis at the latestage.
Talk a little bit about thatprocess.
What is the dual like?
I mean, why do we experience asa, in a way, as a death of the
(20:19):
former self?
Well, since you were crying, youweren't aware that you had this
false self.
To begin with, now that you seethe false selves and also see
the cost that it takes for youto sustain that self, you
wonder, do I have to keep doingthis?
(20:42):
Am I really this way?
Do I want to keep this kind ofrelationships so it involves all
of the areas in our life, how wedeal with our jobs, how we deal
with our loved ones, how we dealwith ourselves, and then the
levels of.
The demand that we have towardsus.
So you kind of have to let go ofeverything that you knew about
(21:04):
yourself.
So it's kind of, not evenreconstruction, but just like
the Phoenix bird, you have tolet it all burn and then from
the ashes rice again, right?
It's an incredibly stressful andpainful process for many people.
I know it was for me.
How did you live the process, offinding out you had these three
(21:28):
conditions all at once?
Two of which are completelyopposed to each other and their
needs and demands.
Share with us and our listenerswhat you as a clinical
psychologist, as a professional.
As a human being, what thatprocess was like for you?
It was definitely a difficultone.
I started this process, but Iwas working a lot.
(21:51):
I like to work a lot, but atsome point I had kidney
problems, so I was going throughphysical pain a lot and at the
same time in all this.
That I started knowing a lot of,autistic women, adult autistic
women, most of them diagnosed,late in life.
(22:12):
And they were all sharing theirexperiences, not only through
the diagnose, but also inchildhood.
And I kind of always knew that Ihad a DHD.
But never how it manifested inme.
So I started with, the autisticdiagnose.
I knew that accompanying theprocess with compassion and
(22:33):
patience was what needed.
But then confronting thatprocess with myself was a
completely different taskbecause right now I had to start
treating myself like that, but Ifelt like, I didn't have any
skills.
I had a lot of self-doubt.
I couldn't, or I feared goingout in public, feeling exposed,
(22:53):
talking to people.
I've always been able to do allthese things.
But after my physical health gotbetter, I went to have, tests
for A DHD.
I had these three things thatare kind of pulling me in
different directions because.
The need for order there and theneed for structure that comes
with the autism.
It's completely destroyed by thechaos from adhd, and I have
(23:17):
complex adhd, so it means likeI'm inattentive, I hyperactive.
Knowing that I was gifted help alittle bit because I felt since
I regressed a lot, I'm havingsince, a couple of years from
now, more difficulties readingand concentrating.
So I was feeling, I don't know,like it, it impacted my
(23:39):
self-esteem.
So right now I'm in the processof self-accepting and
self-assurance and.
Feeling good about myself.
At the beginning, I didn't wantanyone to know that I was
autistic because I thoughtpeople was going to look at me
differently.
And right now I'm like, Hey, I'mhere and I'm proud.
(24:01):
Good for you.
We need more of that.
What has helped you recover fromthe burnout and from the
post-diagnosis?
I mean, like once you figureout, it's like, oh my God.
Now what, what has helped youreintegrate yourself?
Well, it's been a long journey,but definitely sleeping.
(24:22):
That's a game changer.
I don't think I've ever sleptlike I'm sleeping now, so
sleeping changed, everything,especially like in your nervous
system.
But also like going inside andlooking at myself and going back
to my childhood experienceswith, with a different look,
with more compassion.
Talking about it with myfriends, talking about it with
(24:45):
colleagues, receiving empathyfrom them, asking for help.
That was a game changer too.
It cost me a lot.
I've been very independent sincea very young age, so being able
to feel vulnerable was.
Definitely a big one, but I havethe best friends that I could
have.
(25:05):
I have my son, I have mypartner, so I have a lot of
people that are rooting for meand that helps a lot speak
freely with your loved ones, ofwho you are and what you need
changes too.
Also, I had to kind of look atthe way I was working and
started putting someone there,there start changing a few
things.
(25:26):
Yes, start changing somepatterns.
One of the things that you dovery well in your, nonprofit, he
focuses on empoweringneurodivergent adults in
society, education in theworkforce.
Tell us a little bit about whatis happening at the corporate
level, especially with latediagnosed adults.
(25:48):
In the workforce.
What is happening there and whydid you choose to specialize in
that area or one of your manyspecialties, but in particular
the training and education inthat context?
Well, these projects startedafter many experiences with
(26:09):
patients, but there was onepatient that really marked me,
25-year-old, woman who her.
Life's dream is to beindependent and self-sufficient,
and she hasn't been able to doso.
So in the quest of doing that,she went to an a job interview
at one of these stores that selllike Chinese products.
(26:32):
And the girl that wasinterviewing for, um.
Was kind of stressing her outwith all these questions and
looking profoundly at her.
They didn't allow her to beaccompanied by her mother in the
interview.
So that stressed her too.
And when she started to, tostruggle replying to her
(26:56):
questions, instead of havingcompassion or empathy, she
started treating her like shewas deaf or worse.
So that definitely.
Gave her a crisis and she justrun away from the interview.
So that kind of break my, brokemy heart because I think
although I, I have, always beenable to be independent and
(27:19):
self-sufficient and being ableto work, so it did really put me
into the direction of I need todo something to, to change this.
And the power that I have is.
Whatever I can just share withthem whatever knowledge I can
share so they can see that thisgirl would've been like the best
(27:41):
manager of the store.
Just don't put her in the frontwith people.
But she would've been like thebest in inventory and in
ordering the store because she'sso, or Orate and is, she's so
neat that she would've been agreat employee and she all.
Only wanted an opportunity tofeel sufficient and to feel
(28:02):
valued and to contribute to herfamily finances.
So I think it's very important.
And also like all of theresources, private and, and
municipal or, or state,resources.
When you're 17, so it's likeyou're magically here from
autism or whatever condition youhave, and it's not like that.
(28:25):
Like after 17, the real strugglecontinues because before that,
if you had your family, you werecontained and supported.
But then after you're 18, lifeget starts getting hard.
And then even if you have allthis family support, sometimes
at at some point your family'snot gonna be with you.
So you need to have.
(28:47):
The possibility to work and tobe able to be independent.
And also those two are linked tomental health.
If you don't feel like you cancontribute actively to your
family, to your society, you'regonna be super depressed.
That's a, a startling statistic.
I was really shocked to find outthat, well, particularly in
(29:08):
Mexico here, I don't know aboutother places.
Although the infantilization ofautism is global.
But the support ends at age 17.
So it's not like we magicallydisappear, right?
We don't become neurotypicalovernight.
And I think that's a reallyinteresting question of public
(29:29):
policy and education.
You know what happens.
And so that is so great that youare stepping in to provide a
service that is sorely neededand just tragically lacking.
In this area and throughoutMexico corporations, employers,
if you're listening, pleasestart educating how to
(29:49):
incorporate neurodivergentpeople into the workforce,
because Ima tell us why that'simportant.
What have you found, in terms ofthe research and the numbers,
why is it important toincorporate neurodivergent
people aside from the fact thatwe are humans and we have a
human right to work.
Beyond that basic, declaration,why is it important in the c
(30:12):
corporate context?
Well, for many reasons.
First one in every 32 people isneurodivergent.
So we are here, we're definitelyhere, and there's more of us
than you think.
But also 80% of neurodivergentpeople is either unemployed or
employed, like underemployed,like.
(30:34):
They have more abilities thanthey're getting paid to do.
And that creates also a void inthe companies because they need
a workforce and they need peoplewho are committed, who are
responsible.
They're not hiring the workforcethat is gonna be able to deliver
(30:57):
all that.
Like neurodivergent, people arelooking for a place where they
can stay, where they can grow.
For many autistic people, theydon't like change.
So if you offer a good jobenvironment, they probably can
work there forever.
They are looking for a placewhere they can feel useful, use
their abilities and theircharacteristics are awesome.
(31:17):
Good analytic, thinking, a lotof resources when it comes to
problem solving, quick thinking,organization planning when it
comes to autistics, but alsolike.
Being able to detect patterns.
So if you want to improve yourprocesses, then definitely hire
(31:38):
neurodivergent people becausenot only you're gonna see an
impact in reducing the rotationof personnel that it's a big
problem here in the Rivera mediawith hotels, but you can
actually see the benefits in thelong runs.
That's fascinating, and thankyou for the work you do in that
area.
So as a neurodivergent, latediagnosed woman, what can you
(32:04):
share that is personal and thatis, let's call it embalming of
the heart.
I think, if you have thepossibility to get a diagnose,
do it.
You owe it to yourself and yourinner child.
They need the, the validation,they need to feel reassured.
The connection you get fromyourself and your feelings and
(32:28):
your needs, can help you lead amore healthy and balanced life.
And before going through theprocess of.
Diagnosed and acceptance.
It's like a cater pillar, andit's difficult, like obviously
for the caterpillar to become abutterfly is super difficult and
it's kind of the same to breakthat cocoon of who you thought
(32:50):
you were, but afterwards.
So to say, this is me and thisis what I can get.
That's beautiful.
Now what about self-diagnosis?
I mean, how do we approachself-diagnosis if we have no
access?
To a formal diagnosis, well,definitely helps and with the
criteria of DSM five, and it'sgonna tell you that you might be
(33:14):
in the condition, but at somepoint, if you do have the
possibility to know how thecondition is manifesting in you.
How all you have isself-diagnosed, do it too, and
then maybe approach aprofessional that can help you
with the process of integratingall that information.
Well, I can't tell you how muchI've enjoyed this conversation
(33:37):
we've had.
I think a lot of people aregoing to benefit by the
information and wisdom you'veshared.
I want to thank you on behalf ofNeuro Rebel and all of our
listeners for taking the time tospend with us here today and
share with us all of you thatyou've shared.
Thank you for inviting me.
For me, it's a pleasure to behere.
(33:58):
You've always been a role modelfor me, so being here and being
able to share this project withyou is awesome.
Thank you.
I am so thankful to Ima forbringing such nuance and
(34:22):
vulnerability to thisconversation.
Her insights about theintersection of professional
identity and personal discoveryreally illuminate how complex
this journey can be.
For those of you listening andhave recognized yourselves in
Irma's story, I want you to knowthat your experiences are valid.
(34:45):
Your struggles are real, and theprocess of late discovery,
whether through formal diagnosesor through self-exploration, is
an act of profound courage.
The research is clear.
That late diagnosed autism,particularly in women and
marginalized communities,represents one of the most
(35:06):
significant gaps in our currentunderstanding of the autism
spectrum.
When Nima talks about skillregression during burnout, she's
describing a phenomenon thatlacks adequate research,
funding, clinical recognition,and social support.
If you're questioning whetheryou might be autistic, remember
what Edma shared about theimportance of professional
(35:29):
guidance while also trustingyour own expertise about your
life.
Self-exploration throughreputable resources can be a
valuable first step, but itworks best when combined with
clinical support thatunderstands autism in adults,
particularly for those of us whohave spent decades masking our
(35:50):
neurological differences.
Thank you for joining us in thisconversation that challenges
easy answers and embracesdifficult truths, and if today's
episode resonated with you,please share it with someone who
needs to hear it.
Not because misery lovescompany, but because
understanding, shared experiencecan be the first step toward
(36:14):
healing.
You can find full transcripts,research citations, and
additionalresources@neurorebelpodcast.com.
Find us on social media at NeuroRebel Podcast and if you have
questions, please write to us atNeuro Rebel podcast@gmail.com.
(36:34):
Remember, your brain isn'tbroken.
The systems around you might be,but with understanding community
and appropriate support, you canbuild a life that works with
your neurological reality ratherthan against it.
I'm Anita, and this has beenNeuro Rebel.
(36:54):
Thank you so much for listening.
Until next time, keepquestioning, keep learning, and
keep being authenticallybeautifully yourself.
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