In this powerful and deeply human conversation, we’re joined by Kay Louise Aldred, Development Lead at Neurodiverse Connection, who shares her journey of late diagnosis, self-understanding, and holistic healing.
Diagnosed as autistic at 47 and meeting the criteria for ADHD, Kay reflects on how her children’s diagnoses led her to seek her own — validating years of challenges and finally helping her depathologise her identity. Through grief, discovery, and growth, Kay found belonging and empowerment in community and embodiment.
We explore:
The experience of late diagnosis and the rollercoaster of emotions that follow;
The connection between trauma, chronic burnout, and unmet neurodivergent needs;
The body–mind relationship, menopause, and how typical medical advice often fails neurodivergent women;
Kay’s Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach, grounded in compassion, sensory awareness, and nervous system regulation;
Why “less is more” when it comes to healing and why slowing down creates safety and self-acceptance.
Kay shares practical wisdom — from grounding in nature and rest to cultivating an internal voice of kindness. We also unpack the harms of behavioural modification methods like PBS and ABA, and why it’s time to replace them with curiosity and self-compassion.
This episode is a reminder that being different isn’t something to fix — it’s something to embrace.
Links:
PBS & ABA research —campaign edition
Simon & Garfunkel - Sound of Silence