# Late-Diagnosed ADHD + Autism: Sam Perkins on Validation, Work Strengths & Emails – Ep 127

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/focus-and-chill-productivity-tactics-for-audhders-and-other-neurodivergent-folks-5667584/late-diagnosed-adhd-autism-sam-perkins-on-validation-work-strengths-emails-ep-127
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/focus-and-chill-productivity-tactics-for-audhders-and-other-neurodivergent-folks-5667584/late-diagnosed-adhd-autism-sam-perkins-on-validation-work-strengths-emails-ep-127.md
Podcast: [Focus and Chill - productivity tactics for AuDHDers and other neurodivergent folks](https://stenobird.com/podcast/focus-and-chill-productivity-tactics-for-audhders-and-other-neurodivergent-folks-5667584)
Published: 2026-01-18T17:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/9570e5cb
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/9570e5cb/5a38ce01.mp3
Processing state: processed
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Duration seconds: 3063

## Resource

What if your biggest “flaws” were actually invisible load you’ve carried for years? Sam Perkins is the CEO of Cellular Agriculture Australia. He’s a proudly neurodivergent leader with 15+ years across academia, humanitarian work, and industry, and a PhD in aeronautical engineering. Sam now helps shape the future of food through policy, ecosystem building, and innovation. In this episode, Sam shares what changed after being late-diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism and how it reshaped his work, identity, and communication. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by “simple tasks,” struggled with memory, found networking exhausting, or questioned your productivity, this episode gives a brutally honest look at neurodivergent leadership, ADHD working styles, and practical self-advocacy that improves real life (not just motivation). Episode Highlight: 00:01:58 — The dyslexia diagnosis that finally made sense Sam explains how a book conversation exposed a gap: he was deeply engaged while reading, but couldn’t recall what he’d just absorbed. That moment led him to the Cambridge Disability Center and a dyslexia diagnosis that “validated what we already knew.” 0 0:04:00 — ADHD and autism: “Someone read my life back to me” After reading Chloe Hayden’s Different, Not Less , Sam recognized his lived experience in her ADHD traits. His formal journey led to an ADHD diagnosis in Oct 2023, followed by therapy and an autism diagnosis in 2024. 00:05:30 — The most powerful part wasn’t the label, it was the validation He describes the process as overwhelmingly positive, with self-reflection as the main benefit. It helped him acknowledge the hidden cognitive and emotional load he’d been carrying for years. 00:09:45 — How he compensated in uni: rewriting entire textbooks Sam shares a brutally…

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