In episode 257 of The Just Checking In Podcast our Founder Freddie Cocker speaks about getting officially diagnosed with autism.
Freddie was first diagnosed by his GP in December 2023 but given the role he holds through Vent in the men’s mental health space, he wanted to be 100% certain before declaring it online.
He was fortunate enough to be in a position where he could pay for a private assessment and in July 2024, he received confirmation that he met the diagnostic criteria for autism.
He also has many traits associated with ADHD but has not been diagnosed with the condition so he will be seeking a further assessment for it next year.
In this episode he discusses: the history of autism itself, the many red flags he has exhibited from childhood to adulthood, being diagnosed and all of the emotions he experienced as a result, why his autism does not define him, his issues with the term ‘neurodiversity’ and what the next chapter of his life will look like alongside this diagnosis.
As always, #itsokaytovent
You can read the full article Freddie wrote here: vent.org.uk/autism-at-30-what-now
You can find links to all the resources Freddie discussed in this podcast below:
- The National Autistic Society
- Dr Lucy Foulkes – Coming of Age
- Temple Grandin – The Autistic Brain
- Blocked and Reported Podcast – Episode 220: ‘How Autism Got Hip’
- Steven Pinker – The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature
- University of Cambridge – Cambridge Laboratory for Research into Autism
- Valerie L. Gaus – Living Well on the Spectrum: How to Use Your Strengths to Meet the Challenges of Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism
- Jenara Nerenberg – Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Designed for You
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