How Amy Built a New School After Discovering She Was Autistic
In this episode, Angela speaks with Amy Kriewaldt about growing up a hyperlexic piano prodigy, parenting three neurodivergent children, and discovering her own autism at 42.
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Amy Kriewaldt, a late-diagnosed Autistic, ADHD, and PDA mother of three neurodivergent children.
Amy grew up a hyperlexic piano prodigy, praised for talent and performance while quietly navigating sensory overwhelm, situational mutism, perfectionism, and crushing internal expectations. It wasn’t until her children began receiving diagnoses that she started to recognise herself in their traits, and ultimately heard the words that changed everything: “Oh, I think you’re Autistic.”
Together, Angela and Amy explore hyperlexia, auditory processing differences, late self-recognition, self-compassion, memoir writing as a reframing, ADHD medication, self-medication through alcohol and caffeine, and the shift from compliance-based education to connection-centred learning.
This is a conversation about reframing failure, advocating fiercely, rewriting your past, and building systems that support autistic people across the lifespan.
🎧 Listen to this episode:
🪑 Attendees
Chair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate
Guest: Amy Kriewaldt — late-diagnosed Autistic, ADHD, and PDA advocate; founder of Creewald Academy
You: The Listener!
🗒️ Meeting Agenda
Opening remarks from the Chair
Member introduction: Prodigy pressure, hyperlexia, and sensory overwhelm
Discussion: Parenting autistic children and recognising yourself
Auditory processing, situational mutism, and late diagnosis
ADHD, self-medication, and relief through treatment
Rewriting childhood through memoir and self-compassion
Restraint policies, advocacy, and saying “no”
🧾 Minutes from the Meeting
1️⃣ Opening Remarks
Angela introduces Amy as a late-diagnosed Autistic and ADHD parent navigating life with three neurodivergent children — all PDA — and building alternatives where traditional systems fall short.
2️⃣ Member Introduction: Amy’s Story
Amy describes growing up as the youngest of eight children and a piano prodigy — hyperlexic, musically analytical, and praised for performance. Behind the talent were sensory overload, situational mutism, intense perfectionism, and chronic overwhelm that went unrecognised.
As her children received diagnoses, Amy began to see familiar patterns: auditory processing differences, sensory avoidance, social anxiety, and shutdown.
During a phone call describing how she processes information — needing complete silence to think — her psychologist paused and said, “Oh. I think you’re autistic.”
3️⃣ Discussion Highlights
Prodigy pressure: Performance, perfectionism, and masking through music
Parenting mirror: Recognising autistic traits through her children
Auditory processing: Needing silence to think and work
ADHD realisation: Chronic lateness, executive dysfunction, and relief through medication
Self-medication cycle: Alcohol, caffeine, and nervous system swings
IEP advocacy: “It doesn’t need fixing. It needs supporting.”
Restraint refusal: Saying no to compliance-based control
School reimagined: Founding Creewald Academy
4️⃣ Key Learnings
Diagnosis can transform shame into self-compassion
Failure often reflects unmet needs, not broken character
Support changes everything
Advocacy sometimes begins with “No”
Compliance is not the same as learning
Children thrive when autonomy is honoured
Rewriting your past can reprogram your future
You are not a moral failure for having limits
📌 Notice Board
📣 Club Announcements
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💌 Want To Be Our Next Guest?
If you’ve been nodding along and thinking, “That could be my story,” we want to hear from you.
We’re always looking for late-diagnosed or self-identified neurodivergent adults who are ready to share their story on The Late Diagnosis Club.
Tell us a little about yourself and your diagnosis journey here:
💜 Whether you’ve just realised you’re Autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, or you’re still figuring it out — your story belongs here. We’ve saved you a seat.
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💜 With Gratitude
A huge thank-you to our founding supporters of Autistic Culture Plus, who believed in this network before it even launched.
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These members form the foundation of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network, and you’ll see their names credited at the end of our shows and on our website.
🎙️ Executive Producers
Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.
🎧 Producers
AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.