How George Realised They Were Autistic While Studying Autism
In this episode, Angela speaks with George Watts about realising they were Autistic while studying autism — and how that shift reshaped their research, parenting, and understanding of quality of life.
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes George Watts, a neurodivergent researcher, parent, and PhD candidate whose path into autism research began before realising they were autistic themselves.
George first studied autism from the outside, absorbing dominant behavioural frameworks and evidence-based models that promised to “help” Autistic people. It wasn’t until they encountered Autistic voices, community, and their own reflection in the literature that their understanding — and their life — fundamentally shifted.
Together, Angela and George explore late identification, burnout, childbirth, internalised deficit models, the harm of behaviourism, and what becomes possible when Autistic people stop being studied in isolation and start building community together. This episode centres Autistic quality of life — not as an abstract metric, but as a lived, relational experience grounded in belonging, autonomy, and joy.
🎧 Listen to this episode:
🪑 Attendees
Chair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate
Guest: George Watts — Autistic researcher, PhD candidate, and parent
You: The Listener!
🗒️ Meeting Agenda
Opening remarks from the Chair
Member introduction: Childhood signs without diagnosis
Discussion: Burnout, childbirth, late identification, unlearning behaviourism and deficit-based models
Autistic parenting and education research shaped by lived experience
Key learnings
Club announcements
🧾 Minutes from the Meeting
1️⃣ Opening Remarks
Angela introduces George as a researcher whose academic path into autism began long before they understood their own neurodivergence. Early training framed autism as a problem to be fixed — with behavioural intervention positioned as the solution.
This episode traces what happens when that framework begins to crack.
2️⃣ Member Introduction: George’s Story
George returned to university as a mature student, studying autism after years of precarious work, burnout, and unrecognised neurodivergence. As they immersed themselves in autism literature, moments of resonance accumulated — until self-recognition became unavoidable.
Childbirth, sensory overload, and years of misattributed mental health struggles came into focus through a new lens. What had once been framed as personal failure or psychological fragility was re-understood as the cost of navigating a world not built for Autistic nervous systems.
3️⃣ Discussion Highlights
Late identification: Studying autism before recognising it in yourself
Burnout and childbirth: Sensory overwhelm and unmet support needs
Unlearning behaviourism: Letting go of ABA as “help”
Community as intervention: Autistic people supporting each other
Quality of life: Shifting research focus from causes and cures to belonging
Autistic parenting: Reducing unnecessary demands and honouring regulation
Research from the inside: Autistic-led questions shaping the field
4️⃣ Key Learnings
Understanding autism can reframe decades of self-blame
Behavioural compliance is not the same as well-being
Quality of life looks different for Autistic people — and should be defined by them
Community and belonging are not extras; they are foundational
Autistic-led research changes what we ask — and what matters
📌 Notice Board
🎥 George Watts — YouTube talk:
Autism Studies (FutureLearn course)
Research paper: A Certain Magic
Grove Neurodivergent Mentoring and Educating
Autistic Quality of Life Measure (ASQoL)
📣 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.