In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott dive into a huge question many late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD adults wrestle with: Would a childhood diagnosis have actually changed anything — or possibly made life harder?

Jordan and Simon share personal stories of bullying, masking, meltdowns, stigma, and internalised ableism — and reflect on how childhood diagnosis might have affected their families, identities, independence, careers, and relationships. They also read listener responses on how late diagnosis shaped (or didn’t shape) their lives.

Together, they explore:

• Why early diagnosis can bring validation, language, and support
• How lack of awareness in previous decades created stigma and misinformation
• Whether childhood diagnosis could have prevented trauma — or simply added a label for bullies
• The fear of being limited, infantilised, or underestimated as a neurodivergent child
• How family understanding (or lack of it) shapes identity and self-esteem
• The generational shift in autism knowledge — and why today’s kids have more tools
• Late diagnosis as both a relief and a grieving process
• Why the past can’t be changed — but the future absolutely can

This is an honest, nuanced conversation for anyone who has ever wondered how life might have looked if they’d been understood sooner. Whether you were diagnosed as a child, in your 30s, or at 60, this episode reminds you that your neurodivergent journey starts when you finally have the language for it — and it’s never too late to rewrite your story.

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