ADHD Time Traveller: What I'd Tell My Younger Self About ADHD & Autism What would you tell your younger self if you could go back and explain what you now know about ADHD, autism and being neurodivergent? In Episode 12 of ADHD Come Lately, Dave looks back at his childhood, adolescence and earlier adult life through the lens of what he now understands about his ADHD and suspected autism. With the benefit of hindsight, he reflects on the things that never quite made sense at the time: feeling different, struggling to understand himself, worrying about the wrong things, and interpreting his experiences without having the language of neurodivergence. What would he do differently? What would he stop worrying about? What would he tell his younger self about ADHD? And would understanding his neurotype earlier have changed anything? This is an episode about ADHD in adulthood, late self-understanding, childhood experiences, memories, hindsight and discovering a neurodivergent identity later in life. Part reflection, part hindsight and hopefully a little bit entertaining, Dave travels back through his own past to offer the advice he wishes he'd had back then. Because sometimes the advice we most needed when we were younger is the advice we're only finally able to give ourselves now. 🎧 A Note on Self-Identification & Neurodivergence This isn’t a trend. It’s a revolution. We recognise, validate, and support people who self-identify or self-recognise as autistic and/or neurodivergent. The traditional clinical diagnostic system can be inaccessible and exclusionary, locking many adults out through prohibitive costs, lengthy waitlists, limited pathways to assessment, and systemic biases that have historically affected women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and gender-diverse people. Self-identification is not a casual label or something we arrive at lightly. For many people, it comes after months—or years—of research, deep self-reflection, pattern recognition, and developing a profound understanding of their own internal experience. Lived experience matters. We believe people deserve space to explore their neurodivergence without shame, dismissal, or gatekeeping. We welcome those who are formally diagnosed, self-identified, self-recognised, or still questioning. This is about making room for more voices, more stories, and more ways of understanding the human brain. We’re not rewriting the narrative because neurodivergence suddenly exists. We’re rewriting it because people are finally being heard. 🌿 Acknowledgement of Country We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we record and share this podcast—the Wallumattagal Clan of the Dharug Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and recognise their deep and enduring connection to the land, waters, culture, and community of this region. Lived experience, storytelling, knowledge, and community have thrived on this land since time immemorial. Sovereignty was never ceded. Always was, always will be Aboriginal Land. Support for Neurodivergent People in Australia ADHD Australia https://adhdaustralia.org.au/ ADHD Foundation https://adhdfoundation.org.au/ Healthdirect — ADHD Information https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/attention-deficit-disorder-add-or-adhd Autism Connect — Amaze Free, confidential national autism information and support. Phone: 1300 308 699 https://www.amaze.org.au/autismconnect/ Amaze Information, advocacy, resources and support for Autistic people, families and professionals. https://www.amaze.org.au/ Healthdirect — Autism Information https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/autism
