Many people identify with being neurodiverse with the level of self-awareness being much higher today than ever before.
ASD – known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, in my case I refer to myself as being an Aspie taken from the term no longer used in a professional capacity, Asperges or what is currently known as level 1 Autism.
ADHD – known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and what I like to call… Attention Dialled into Higher Dimension.
Dyslexia – a condition of neurodevelopmental origin that mainly affects the ease with which a person reads, writes, and spells, typically recognized as a specific learning disorder to name but a few neurodiversity’s which is the term that umbrella’s the neurodivergent spectrum of those who’s neurodevelopmental functioning diverges from dominant societal norms in multiple ways to name but a few.
Unlike many others who notice traits of neurodiversity’s within their children first and then realise that as a parent, they to show traits as they learn more about their child as adults notice that their children mirror them leading to a curiosity and sometimes both children and the adult parent seeking an and gaining an assessment and diagnosis via the process of filling in forms with their doctor will who send the form toe the local NHS organisation who deals with the specific area or, as many choose to do now due to the waiting list time currently being so high, paying for an assessment and diagnosis privately.
It grinds my gears how much some professionals are ripping people off with a high cost due to high demand privately. Honestly, search around before you commit and look for someone who follows the same n.i.c.e guidelines as the NHS if you do choose the private path.
My story didn’t begin in this way. Although I’ve known since my daughter was a baby stacking coloured crayons to stand up on the floor, stimming with her mouth and overwhelmed by both good and difficult emotions, feeling them intensely.
I’ve experienced anxiety and depression from a young age and never really knew why at the time. An old friend of mine used to joke and ask if I was autistic years ago as I would arrange things the same time each time and have a set amount of time to go home or be frustrated by it, but we laughed it off.
After going through narcissistic abuse around 2016/2017, I was on a path of self-discovery and researched a lot about the subject to learn how to recover.
In 2018 I began to write a journal which I was guided to turn into a book, Spirology – Reflection Of Self beginning with a higher perspective of what people know as, an “Empath” and how to deal with narcissists.
As I continued to write, I was also having coaching sessions and was asked if I was autistic. I already had an incline but wasn’t sure. I would often describe being an empath as someone who is learning to be human because of having a highly evolved higher self or what many know as an “Old Soul”. I knew that the brain frequency ran higher and was partly why our brains work differently and why we never fitted in and that we are here to learn how to belong and why we have to ground and balance ourselves out more.
The connection came when writing my first book, Spirology – Reflection Of Self, exploring being an empath and that I could actually be autistic as part of the self-discovery journey as I became more curious.
It was just a different and higher perspective of describing some of the ASD traits with added gifts not mentioned in the medical terms with the added bonus of science and spirituality.
It was around April 2021 I put a referral in for an ASD assessment via my doctors and it was February 2022 I had an assessment which was mostly done over zoom calls until it came to the assessment where I had to be in person with an assessor for the end stage.
My ND – neurodiverse coach at the time who was supporting me said that there maybe some grief that will surface after being diagnosed, which I didn’t understand at the time. When I received the letter that confirmed my diagnosis of ASD along with information around Asperges, now known as level 1 autism. I felt relieved at first to learn that there actually to learn that I wasn’t broken and that my brain worked in a unique way and not what is currently known as, “neurotypical” or the norm in society.
The idea of having an assessment and the diagnosis was to learn more about myself and discover how to work WITH my brain. It actually went the other way for about 6 months and I wanted to give the label back and denied I was autistic. My head went through a lot of events from the past and loads of lightbulb moments occurred and exploded as my head began to piece parts of the past together like a puzzle as to why I did somethings or acted in the past. It also kicked off my C-PTSD.
As I write this, I cant help but wonder how different my assessment and diagnosis experience would have been if I had had Jen, my current coach who is more attuned because her brain works similar tine and she is passionate about what she does as it’s her special interest, ASD and ADHD, or AuDHD as it’s known when the two are combined. I was lucky to learn that I could get funding through Access to Work to pay for my coaching sessions due to being employed and for that, I am truly grateful.
After my diagnosis, I reached out and apologised to someone I once knew for things said and done in the past, silly things that had surfaced.
It’s now January 2025 as I write this article and I can honestly say I have learned so much more during 2024 as I worked with my coach Jen which also included another trip to my doctors and another referral being submitted and my doctor agreed that I show signs of ADHD as well as ASD, so I probably fit in the AuDHD tick box.
It is only now, January 2025 I’ve accepted this part of myself AND finally found out the main cause of why I burn out, repeatedly!
Who knew that the things I love doing the most like being an author writing books and new projects that include my special interests could be the very things to cause my burn out. The reason being that I fixate on them and go into my own little world for hours, days and my self-care would go out the window. This along with thoughts, the reason being that our brain utilizes 20% of our energy.
Stress is a no no as it exaggerates neurodiverse traits in a negative way and up’s the OCD along with it.
As I look back now, I am actually really grateful for the short space of time I had to wait for an assessment and diagnosis during the covid period. It also make me wonder, due to the pandemic, how do assessors spot complex trauma that was experienced during the times of covid that would also show similar traits to autism level 1 and ADHD such as, executive functioning because trauma can impact the front part of the brain know as the pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain that rationalises and awareness.
I could go on forever with this piece of writing but I’m at the stage now where I have gained new knowledge, understanding and training that can not only help myself, I want to change direction and work with clients to support them in regards to neurodiversity’s and the science behind spiritual beliefs as we open up into a more quantum age.
I want to be that person as a coach who can support others through similar experiences. I’ve also trained to volunteer for National Autistic Society, which is exciting!
Between having a coach and support from ASD Wales, I am really grateful and fortunate I didn’t have to go through these experiences alone.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey.
If you’re looking for a coach who can help and support you before and after an assessment or and diagnosis or something else related to being neurodivergent, tap on the link that will take you to my websites contact page for further questions or to book in a chat/email/text to discover how I can best be of service to you.
©️ 2025