# Dr. Emma Offord: Navigating an autism diagnosis later in life

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dial-emma-5229217/dr-emma-offord-navigating-an-autism-diagnosis-later-in-life
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dial-emma-5229217/dr-emma-offord-navigating-an-autism-diagnosis-later-in-life.md
Podcast: [Dial Emma](https://stenobird.com/podcast/dial-emma-5229217)
Published: 2026-01-05T00:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://dial-emma.captivate.fm
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/63abfcea-9b6b-4b2d-89db-84b95000a1a2.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=55a7e298-840a-4d74-83ea-9b2f7b730a36&aw_0_1st.episodeid=63abfcea-9b6b-4b2d-89db-84b95000a1a2
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/dial-emma-5229217/episodes/dr-emma-offord-navigating-an-autism-diagnosis-later-in-life
Duration seconds: 2661

## Resource

Welcome back to Dial Emma and a very happy new year to you all! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help. This week, I'm joined by Dr. Emma Offord, a clinical psychologist, neurodivergence specialist and founder of Divergent Life . We're unpacking a dilemma from a listener who has been diagnosed with autism at 38. The diagnosis initially brought her relief, but now the dust has settled, she has been left with a sense of being unmoored from everything she once knew. How does this listener find her authentic self again, after a life spent blurring her true identity by people-pleasing and masking? In this episode, we discuss the challenges of receiving a neurodivergent diagnosis later in life, the complexities of identity, the societal expectations that contribute to masking, and the importance of self-acceptance and understanding our own sensory needs. Dr. Emma Offord also emphasises the need for a supportive community during the process of unmasking and embracing who we truly are. If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form.   --- Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook. --- Social media: Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrell Dial Emma @dialemmapodcast Email: contact@dial-emma.uk

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## Transcript

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