For most of her life, Hannah Wells believed the things she struggled with were caused by anxiety.

Then, while researching autistic children for her master’s degree, she began recognising her own experiences on every page.

In this episode, Hannah joins me to talk about receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult, the exhaustion of masking and the relief of finally understanding that she was never a failed version of a neurotypical person.

Hannah is a SEND practitioner who has spent years supporting neurodivergent children in mainstream education. Her master’s research explored whether the voices of autistic children are truly being heard in mainstream Reception classrooms. Her dissertation received the highest mark awarded on the course and is now used as a benchmark example for future students.

We discuss:

• Why the pandemic felt unexpectedly freeing
• Being diagnosed with anxiety before recognising autism
• Why phone calls can be so difficult for autistic people
• Masking at work and falling apart somewhere private
• What happened when Hannah disclosed her diagnosis at school
• The difference between challenging behaviour and dysregulation
• Why consistency and predictability matter in education
• Whether children are disabled by autism or by their environment
• Helping neurodivergent children develop their own voice
• Raising autistic children with greater self-understanding
• Letting go of the pressure to appear neurotypical

Hannah also shares how her own painful experiences at school now shape the way she supports children—and why something as simple as a quiet space, a weighted blanket or permission to step away can completely change a child’s experience.

You can find Hannah and her artwork here:

Website: linktr.ee/thepotterspalette

Patreon: http://patreon.com/thepotterspostclub

The Weighted Blanket is a space for honest conversations about neurodivergence, parenting, identity and everything we are still learning about ourselves.

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