How Dale Missed His Autism Diagnosis Despite Working in Special Education
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Dale Pickles, who shares how he built a life that worked without realising he was Autistic and ADHD.
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Dale Pickles — host of Sendcast and Managing Director of B Squared — for a wide-ranging conversation on late diagnosis, education systems, and what it really means to support neurodivergent people.
Dale shares how he grew up surrounded by special education — yet still missed his own Autism and ADHD. It wasn’t until 2023, prompted by supporting his daughter through her diagnosis journey, that everything finally clicked.
This is a conversation about understanding yourself, supporting the next generation, and rethinking systems that weren’t built for neurodivergent minds.
🎧 Listen to this episode:
🪑 Attendees
Chair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate
Guest: Dale Pickles — SEND specialist, podcast host, and Managing Director of B Squared
You: The Listener!
🗒️ Meeting Agenda
Opening remarks from the Chair
Member introduction: Family neurodivergence and missed recognition
Learning social rules and masking
Late diagnosis through parenting
Navigating the UK diagnosis system
Education system challenges and executive function in schools
SEND reform and needs-led support
AI and neurodivergent support tools
Key learnings
Club announcements
🧾 Minutes from the Meeting
1️⃣ Opening Remarks
Angela introduces Dale Pickles and reflects on how someone can grow up immersed in special education and still miss their own neurodivergence.
2️⃣ Member Introduction: Dale’s Story
Dale grew up in a family deeply connected to special education, yet his own Autism and ADHD were not identified.
Although he recognised he was different, he didn’t feel he met diagnostic criteria. Instead, he developed ways to adapt, learning social rules, structuring his environment, and building a life that worked for him.
His path to diagnosis came later, prompted by supporting his daughter through her own challenges and recognition.
3️⃣ Discussion Highlights
Missed in plain sight: Growing up around SEND without recognising himself
Family neurodivergence: Traits present across generations
Long-term relationships: Building connections through learned skills
Diagnosis trigger: Supporting his daughter through school struggles
Self-accommodation: Designing life to reduce friction
Labels vs reality: Diagnosis doesn’t define ability
Fail-first system: Support often comes only after crisis
SEND reform: Moving toward needs-led support
Early intervention: Preventing long-term harm
Executive function gap: A missing focus in schools
AI support: Tools for communication, reflection, and preparation
Environmental impact: Needs to change depending on context
4️⃣ Key Learnings
You can build a life that works without knowing why it works.
Late diagnosis often comes through supporting others.
Self-accommodation is a powerful but often invisible skill.
Diagnosis is personal and not always necessary for everyone.
Education systems often require failure before support.
Early support can prevent long-term harm and trauma.
Executive function is a key area often overlooked in schools.
📌 Notice Board
Dale’s Podcast - https://thesendcast.com/sendcast-episodes/
Dale’s LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/dalepickles
📣 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.
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🎙️ 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.