In this episode of the Social Work Community Podcast, part of the Neurodiversity belongs in social work campaign miniseries, Sharmeen speaks to 'Stacey' (not her real name) talking about her experience of being diagnosed with autism and ADHD (AuADHD) in her forties.

Stacey, a social worker, has not yet disclosed her diagnosis to her colleagues. She explains why she feels unsafe to do this in her current workplace.

She also describes how she always felt she was 'different' and now understands why that was. Stacey explains how having a strong sense of social justice is one of the traits many neurodiverse people have. She also talks about 'masking' which is described as a strategy used by some autistic people, consciously or unconsciously, to appear non-autistic. While this strategy can help them get by at school, work and in social situations, it can have a devastating impact on mental health, sense of self and access to an autism diagnosis (Autism.org.uk, 2026).

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

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Produced by Sharmeen Ziauddin

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