Rose Matthews is an Autism Researcher, peer reviewer, consultant, presenter, trainer, and writer from Durham in the UK.  Now 64, they first realised they might be autistic at 58 - and finally ‘found the answer to a lifetime of confusion’. Their long journey to diagnosis included an extremely varied career, leaving their marriage, living apart from their children, and being arrested and detained in a police cell following a ‘catastrophic’ meltdown. In recent years they have gone from a job as a crossing guard to their current role as an autism researcher. They are interested in exploring t ..read more

Nigel Rising is the Founder and CEO of Autistic Women Emerging, a charity that aims to change the lives of undiagnosed and newly diagnosed autistic women. The charity was born out of her own personal struggle with depression and suicidal ideation, and it is her hope to help prevent autistic women taking their lives because they believe they are bad people, or a burden to others.  Nigel says: “My post-diagnosis journey has become a mission to understand and address why it took so long to discover why I had suffered a lifetime of painful isolation and loneliness. I cannot bear the thought t ..read more

Anissa Ljanta is a writer, a neurodivergent specialist coach, educator and equity and inclusion advocate living in the remote hills of a wild surf beach in West Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. She grew up in Samoa and South Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand, where she was deemed a gifted child but was unable to deliver results. Her inability to live the expected 9-5 life led her to step out of life as most people know it, spending 18 years going from one adventure to another in various corners of the globe. Now 52, Anissa is a single mother to a neurodivergent teen. She was diagnosed autistic i ..read more

Marisa Hamamoto is a leading voice in disability inclusion, professional dancer and founder of Infinite Flow, an award-winning dance company and nonprofit that employs disabled and nondisabled dancers with a mission to create a more inclusive world, one dance at a time.   Marisa is a stroke survivor, and a proud fourth-generation Japanese American. She was diagnosed autistic in 2022, which she describes as bringing a mixture of ‘Relief and confusion’ - being a seasoned leader and ally in the physical disability space, then discovering she was autistic and working out what that means ..read more

Dr Mel Houser is a family physician in Montpelier, Vermont in the United States, with a clinical focus on providing medical care for neurodivergent patients across the lifespan. Now 40, she was diagnosed autistic two years ago, following a burnout - and at the same time was diagnosed as ADHD, dyspraxic, dyslexic, and dyscalculic. She is also the parent of an autistic 6 year old. Dr Houser is the Founder and Executive Director of All Brains Belong, a nonprofit organisation in Montpelier that provides neurodiversity-affirming medical care, social connection opportunities for all ages, and educat ..read more

Dana Michel is a live performance artist and choreographer in Montreal, Canada, where she creates experiences based on a mixture of improvisation, choreography, hip-hop, cinematography, techno, poetry and social commentary. Now 47, she self identified as autistic in 2020. She also has a diagnosis of ADHD. Before graduating in Contemporary Dance in her late twenties, Dana was a marketing executive, competitive runner and football player.  During her career as a performance artist she has received several awards, including an award for outstanding artistic accomplishments, the Silver Lion f ..read more

Vic Weiner is a youth justice attorney and lifelong social justice activist in the USA.  They were brought up by a college professor mother in an unconventional home without a TV, and as a child they always felt like an outsider. However, as they grew up and continued to struggle socially, they realised it wasn’t just their unusual upbringing - there was something else going on. They were diagnosed autistic at 34. Vic attended Warren Wilson College, a unique university where the students work and undertake community service in addition to their studies. After struggling to find suitable e ..read more

Gemma Gray is a strategic marketing consultant from Edinburgh in Scotland. She left her long-term role following a burnout two years ago and became self-employed. She is a parent to an autistic daughter, and was diagnosed herself in March this year, aged 46. Still in the early days of her diagnosis, she says she is unravelling being a people-pleasing professional masker with chronic low self esteem and imposter syndrome. Eight years ago, before her own diagnosis, Gemma set up a Facebook group for parents of autistic children, which is still going strong, and she has recently been awarded fundi ..read more

Naomi Ghafoor is a mental health activist who has spent over a decade battling the mental healthcare system and dealing with misdiagnoses, negligence and systemic abuse, which recently led to her suing her NHS mental health trust earlier this year.  Now 26, she works as a Lived Experience Leadership Officer for a mental health charity in London, UK and is passionate about sharing her experiences and using her voice to uplift and empower others. She was diagnosed autistic at 24. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Being misdiagnosed with BPD and told she couldn't be autistic  ➡ Final ..read more

Livia Sara is an eating disorder survivor, mental health coach, autism advocate and author from the Netherlands. Diagnosed autistic at 20, she now helps other neurodivergent people recover from disordered eating through learning to embrace their unique traits.  She takes a holistic approach to health and healing, supporting each individual on their own journey to recovery and living life to their fullest potential.  She shares autism and eating disorder related content on her popular YouTube and Instagram accounts, hosts her own podcast, the Liv Label Free podcast, and is publishing ..read more