Have you or a loved one received a neurodivergent diagnosis in adulthood? You're not alone!

Our letter writer shares about an autism diagnosis she received in her late 20's. She writes about her journey with getting to know herself, accepting herself and becoming okay with being misunderstood by others.

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Tara and Jess relate to getting a later-in-life neurodivergent diagnosis, and they each share a bit about their own journey.

Tara mentions Dr Gabor Maté's theory on neurodivergence as an interesting piece to add to the conversation.

https://drgabormate.com/adhd/

https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-235/

Jess speculates that a lot of people from generations past have likely been misdiagnosed, or not diagnosed at all, and made it through life not knowing they were neurodivergent.

Tara shares how she always felt a little different growing up and in her 30's ended up with an ADHD diagnosis. She too, is becoming more and more okay with being misunderstood by others.

Understanding neurodivergence allows us to have more compassion for others and their behaviour and how they move through the world!

Jess points out how the majority of research on autism and other neurodivergence is primarily done on white male boys. In general, most health research is done on men and boys. Very limited research is done on women and girls. Depending on your demographic, you can be impacted by different mental and physical health conditions, disabilities and other diagnoses and only have access to certain (or very limited) support and resources.

Advocating for your own mental and physical health is important!

The letter writer references a speech made by a public figure related to autism. Jess expands on what was said in the speech and who said it. She shares some of her own theories surrounding the speech.

No matter if you are neurodivergent, or neurotypical, we are all human! Life is made up of struggles and a lot of joy and happiness. Tara and Jess want to be more mindful of noticing and appreciating joy, and leaning into their unique strengths. They encourage listeners to consider this too!

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Autism Resources:

https://www.autismcanada.org

https://aidecanada.ca

https://autismalliance.ca

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