How Carolyn Discovered She Was Autistic Through Her Own Podcast
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Carolyn Kiel, host of the award-winning podcast Beyond 6 Seconds, who discovered she was Autistic through her podcast.
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Carolyn Kiel, host of the award-winning podcast Beyond 6 Seconds, who discovered she was Autistic not before, but through her podcasting journey.
Together, Angela and Carolyn explore late-discovery through connection, the limits of traditional narratives about autism, workplace misunderstandings, and how language and self-understanding can transform everyday life.
🎧 Listen to this episode:
🪑 Attendees
Chair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate
Guest: Carolyn Kiel — Host of the Beyond 6 Seconds Podcast
You: The Listener!
🗒️ Meeting Agenda
Opening remarks from the Chair
Member introduction: Discovering autism through podcasting
Discussion: Representation, stereotypes, and lived experience
Late diagnosis and identity integration
Self-identification vs formal diagnosis
Post-diagnosis adjustments and accommodations
Autistic joy and special interests
Key learnings
Club announcements
🧾 Minutes from the Meeting
1️⃣ Opening Remarks
Angela introduces Carolyn Kiel, host of Beyond 6 Seconds, a long-running podcast exploring human experiences and neurodiversity. Carolyn shares how her podcasting journey began as a creative outlet, and unexpectedly became the pathway to discovering her own Autistic identity.
2️⃣ Member Introduction: Carolyn’s Story
Carolyn began podcasting in 2018 to build creative expression and practise one-on-one conversations. As an introverted and self-described shy person, interviewing others about their passions offered a structured way to connect.
Through her podcast, she encountered members of the disability and neurodivergent community, including Autistic creators. Hearing their experiences, particularly how autism felt rather than how it was externally described, led to a growing sense of recognition.
After further research, particularly around how autism presents in women, Carolyn began to question whether she might be Autistic. She later pursued a formal diagnosis in her mid-40s, which confirmed her understanding and led her to pivot her podcast toward neurodivergent voices and intersectional experiences.
3️⃣ Discussion Highlights
Discovery through others: Recognising yourself in the lived experiences of others
Beyond stereotypes: Moving past narrow 80s/90s definitions of autism
Self-identification vs diagnosis: Barriers, access, and validity of both paths
Social confusion: Difficulty navigating conversations, timing, and group dynamics
Communication shifts: Learning to verbalise internal processing needs
Accommodations: Fidgets, earplugs, sunglasses, and sensory awareness
Podcasting as control: Creative ownership, structure, and autonomy
Intersectionality: Exploring neurodivergence across race, gender, and identity
Corporate navigation: Developing “scripts” to survive workplace culture
4️⃣ Key Learnings
Late diagnosis can emerge through connection and shared stories, not just clinical pathways.
Understanding internal experience is often more powerful than external definitions.
Self-identification is valid, particularly where diagnostic barriers exist.
Giftedness and competence can mask significant support needs.
Small accommodations can meaningfully improve daily life.
Workplace challenges are often rooted in misunderstanding, not inability.
Identity integration is an ongoing process, not a single moment of clarity.
📌 Notice Board
Recommended Episode: Interview with Tiffany Hammond (A Day With No Words)
📣 Club Announcements
🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.
📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions
💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.
💌 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.
💫 Why Your Support Matters
When you join Autistic Culture Plus or pitch a show to the Autistic Culture Podcast Network, you’re doing more than subscribing to a podcast —
You’re investing in Autistic-led media.
Included with Autistic Culture Plus
• Ad-free listening (sensory-friendly)
• Early access to every episode
• Exclusive archive of ~100 classic episodes
Every pound, dollar, or share helps:
🎙️ Fund neurodivergent creators — paying Autistic hosts, editors, and producers for their work
🌍 Amplify Autistic voices and stories that mainstream media too often overlooks
💡 Build an ecosystem of culture, not pathology — where being Autistic is celebrated, not “treated”
🤝 Support accessible, sensory-friendly storytelling made with our community in mind
For less than the price of a coffee, you help sustain a growing network that’s 100% by and for neurodivergent people — ensuring that Autistic stories, creativity, and brilliance reach the audiences they deserve.
Joining isn’t just a subscription.
It’s solidarity. Visibility. Community in action.
💜 With Gratitude
A huge thank-you to our founding supporters of Autistic Culture Plus, who believed in this network before it even launched.
Our Executive Producers and Producers make this work possible — funding neurodivergent creators, amplifying Autistic voices, and helping build a media ecosystem rooted in pride, creativity, and community.
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.
Excellent guest. Excellent interview. Helped me to clarify my thinking about work place interactions.
Thank you for interviewing me on your show! I really enjoyed our conversation.