Not Seeing Yourself: Late-Identification, Masking & Neuroaffirmative Practice with Katie Kerley

You can be trained to recognise neurodivergence in others… and still miss it in yourself.

In this episode of Unlearning Autism, I’m joined by occupational therapist Katie Kerley to explore late identification, masking, and what it means to finally see yourself clearly.

Katie shares her journey to identifying as Autistic, ADHD and dyspraxic — including the complexity of “coming out,” the fear of being a fraud, and the shift toward authenticity in both life and clinical work.

We talk about the hidden cost of masking, why so many women don’t recognise themselves in traditional narratives, and what truly makes practice neuroaffirmative — not just positive, but real.

This is a conversation about identity, unlearning, and the quiet power of being understood — sometimes for the first time.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Unlearning Autism to hear more guest conversations and my shorter My Autistic Musings episodes each week.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might also benefit from hearing it.

About Katie

Katie Kerley is an occupational therapist and clinical director of Horizons Therapy Services in Dundalk. Katie is multiply neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD and Dyspraxic) and has a strong interest in supporting neurodivergent people to be their truest and most authentic selves. Katie specialises in sensory processing and how it affects meaningful occupation. Katie provides one-to-one therapy to both children and adults, as well as OT assessments, and enjoys taking a person-centred, lived-experience and rights-based approach to each individual. Katie loves being part of continual professional development, both as a learner and as a teacher/ mentor. She provides webinars with a variety of organisations, including AUsome Training. Katie is passionate about being neuro-affirmative and is immersed in the neurodivergent community in Ireland, and is a member of the Therapist Neurodiversity Collective.

Instagram:⁠https://www.instagram.com/horizonstherapyservices/

Website: ⁠https://www.horizonstherapy.ie/

🎧 Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts / christinedoyle.ie

🔗 Full transcript for this episode is available on Spotify Podcasts

You can connect with Christine on Instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/christinedoyle.ie/ ⁠

Visit ⁠www.christinedoyle.ie⁠ for information on Christine’s webinars, speaking work, and the Wild Women Community.