{"podcast":{"title":"Focus and Chill - productivity tactics for AuDHDers and other neurodivergent folks","slug":"focus-and-chill-productivity-tactics-for-audhders-and-other-neurodivergent-folks-5667584","podcast_index_feed_id":5667584,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/focus-and-chill","website_url":"https://podcast.focusbear.io","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/v35EcImQKD5LzAuB7gQVxkKhyg56Z4Nwg4n0DP2BKzc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzMzNDE3LzE2NjEw/NjYyOTYtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.jpg","author":"Jeremy Nagel","episode_count":135,"summary":"Welcome to the Focus and Chill podcast where we discuss productivity tactics that work for AuDHDers and other neurospicy people. Every episode we interview guests with lived experience of neurodivergence who also have a solid productivity and habit game and pass the learnings on to you, our wise and benevolent audience. Podcast sponsored by https://focusbear.io","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/focus-and-chill-productivity-tactics-for-audhders-and-other-neurodivergent-folks-5667584"},"episode":{"title":"Autism Masking in Early Childhood | Why My Signs Were Missed - Ep 135 with Avalon McWha","slug":"autism-masking-in-early-childhood-why-my-signs-were-missed-ep-135-with-avalon-mcwha","published_at":"2026-03-08T03:44:43+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/focus-and-chill-productivity-tactics-for-audhders-and-other-neurodivergent-folks-5667584/autism-masking-in-early-childhood-why-my-signs-were-missed-ep-135-with-avalon-mcwha","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/focus-and-chill-productivity-tactics-for-audhders-and-other-neurodivergent-folks-5667584","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/017a6780","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/017a6780/352f0ef3.mp3","summary":"“I think I’ve always felt a bit like an alien… even in preschool I remember watching other kids like curious creatures.” Avalon McWha spent much of her childhood feeling different without knowing why. Behaviours like stimming or walking on tiptoes were explained away as “just a ballet moment,” and it wasn’t until later in life that she discovered she was autistic and ADHD. If you’ve ever felt like an outsider growing up, struggled with masking, or are navigating a late autism or ADHD diagnosis, this conversation explores what changes once you finally understand your brain. Avalon McWha is an ADHD advocate, autism consultant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and founder of Pebbl Tech. She works to improve autism diagnosis services and create more sensory-friendly environments in healthcare. Avalon is also developing Pebbl, a wearable assistive device designed to support executive functioning through simple voice reminders. Episode Highlights 00:01:48 — Feeling like an alien in early childhood Avalon recalls observing other children even in preschool and feeling like she was fundamentally different. Without understanding why, she experienced social interactions almost like watching a different species operate. 00:03:35 — When autism traits were mistaken for something else Growing up doing ballet meant that behaviours like stimming or walking on tiptoes were interpreted as dance habits rather than autistic traits. These misinterpretations helped hide the signs of autism for years. 00:09:30 — Burnout from masking in the workplace While early design roles allowed her to work independently, startup environments demanded constant meetings and social interaction. The cognitive load of masking eventually led to severe burnout and moments of going nearly nonverbal. 00:12:53 — Pro…","meta_description":"“I think I’ve always felt a bit like an alien… even in preschool I remember watching other kids like curious creatures.” Avalon McWha spent much of her ch…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2585,"processing_state":"processed","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/focus-and-chill-productivity-tactics-for-audhders-and-other-neurodivergent-folks-5667584/episodes/autism-masking-in-early-childhood-why-my-signs-were-missed-ep-135-with-avalon-mcwha/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/focus-and-chill-productivity-tactics-for-audhders-and-other-neurodivergent-folks-5667584/autism-masking-in-early-childhood-why-my-signs-were-missed-ep-135-with-avalon-mcwha.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}