Late Diagnosis Club: How Carolyn Discovered She Was Autistic Through Her Own Podcast

In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Carolyn Kiel, host of the award-winning podcast Beyond 6 Seconds, who discovered she was Autistic not before, but through her podcasting journey.

Together, Angela and Carolyn explore late discovery through connection, the limits of traditional narratives around autism, workplace misunderstandings, and how language and self-understanding can transform everyday life.

🪑 Attendees

Chair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate

Guest: Carolyn Kiel — Host of the Beyond 6 Seconds Podcast

You: The Listener!

🗒️ Meeting Agenda

• Opening remarks from the Chair
• Member introduction: Discovering autism through podcasting
• Discussion: Representation, stereotypes, and lived experience
• Late diagnosis and identity integration
• Self-identification vs formal diagnosis
• Post-diagnosis adjustments and accommodations
• Autistic joy and special interests
• Key learnings
• Club announcements

🧾 Minutes from the Meeting

1️⃣ Opening Remarks

Angela introduces Carolyn Kiel, host of Beyond 6 Seconds, a long-running podcast exploring human experiences and neurodiversity. Carolyn shares how her podcasting journey began as a creative outlet, and unexpectedly became the pathway to discovering her own Autistic identity.

2️⃣ Member Introduction: Carolyn’s Story

Carolyn began podcasting in 2018 to build creative expression and practise one-on-one conversations. As an introverted and self-described shy person, interviewing others about their passions offered a structured way to connect.

Through her podcast, she encountered members of the disability and neurodivergent community, including Autistic creators. Hearing their experiences, particularly how autism felt rather than how it was externally described, led to a growing sense of recognition.

After further research, particularly around how autism presents in women, Carolyn began to question whether she might be Autistic. She later pursued a formal diagnosis in her mid-40s, which confirmed her understanding and led her to pivot her podcast toward neurodivergent voices and intersectional experiences.

3️⃣ Discussion Highlights

• Discovery through others: Recognising yourself in the lived experiences of others
• Beyond stereotypes: Moving past narrow 80s/90s definitions of autism
• Self-identification vs diagnosis: Barriers, access, and validity of both paths
• Social confusion: Difficulty navigating conversations, timing, and group dynamics
• Communication shifts: Learning to verbalise internal processing needs
• Accommodations: Fidgets, earplugs, sunglasses, and sensory awareness
• Podcasting as control: Creative ownership, structure, and autonomy
• Intersectionality: Exploring neurodivergence across race, gender, and identity
• Corporate navigation: Developing “scripts” to survive workplace culture

4️⃣ Key Learnings

• Late diagnosis can emerge through connection and shared stories, not just clinical pathways.
• Understanding internal experience is often more powerful than external definitions.
• Self-identification is valid, particularly where diagnostic barriers exist.
• Giftedness and competence can mask significant support needs.
• Small accommodations can meaningfully improve daily life.
• Workplace challenges are often rooted in misunderstanding, not inability.
• Identity integration is an ongoing process, not a single moment of clarity.

📌 Notice Board

• Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people
• Recommended Episode: Interview with Tiffany Hammond (A Day With No Words)

📣 Club Announcements

🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.

📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions

💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

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