Why so many adults are being diagnosed late | Dr. Rebecca Kerr & Dr. Linnie Telford

Why are so many adults being diagnosed late? Dr. Rebecca Kerr and Dr. Linnie Telford on the rise in neurodivergence diagnoses, the women the system missed, and what a real assessment looks like. This week's pairing: Dr. Rebecca Kerr and Dr. Elina 'Linnie' Telford, on the 787% rise in UK neurodivergence diagnoses, the women misdiagnosed for years before being identified, and the reframe that often follows a late diagnosis. Chapters 0:00 - Intro 2:00 - Neurodiversity vs neurodivergence: getting the language right 7:00 - Why diagnoses are rising 12:00 - The 787% statistic and what's behind it 17:00 - Social media, awareness, and self-recognition 22:00 - How autism presents differently in women 28:00 - What a real assessment looks like 34:00 - NICE guidelines and the multi-disciplinary team 40:00 - The ADOS and developmental history 46:00 - Misdiagnosis: personality, anxiety, eating disorders 52:00 - Autism, anorexia, and the sensory drivers 58:00 - The myths: vaccines and 'we're all on the spectrum' 1:06:00 - Self-diagnosis: is it valid? 1:12:00 - What a formal diagnosis actually changes 1:18:00 - Identity, reframing, and self-compassion 1:24:00 - Adapting society to people, not people to society In this episode Dr. Kerr and Dr. Telford open with the language. Neurodiversity is the broad fact of natural difference in how brains work. Neurodivergence is the subset of that, where someone's brain develops in a way that sits outside the typical range, including ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. The two clinicians treat the shift in language as a real one, away from the older clinical framing that often did more harm than help. From there the conversation moves to the numbers. The UK has seen a reported 787% rise in clinical neurodivergence diagnoses, alongside a parallel rise in self-diagnosis. The pairing works through why: better access to information through social media, a clearer clinical picture of how autism presents in women and girls, and schools that are more alert to the signs than they used to be. They take the rise seriously rather than treating it as a trend, because for a lot of people it is the first time they have ever been described accurately. A large part of the episode walks through what a clinical assessment actually involves. NICE guidelines, a multi-disciplinary team, screening, the ADOS observational assessment, a developmental history interview with someone who knew you as a child, and information from other contexts such as schools. They are honest about misdiagnosis. Many adults, women in particular, were given a personality disorder, anxiety, or eating disorder diagnosis years before the underlying neurodivergence was recognised. Research suggests up to 50% of women with anorexia nervosa may also be autistic, and the pairing argues that understanding the sensory drivers behind eating behaviours is critical for treatment that actually works. The second half tackles the persistent myths head-on. The two clinicians are direct on vaccines, pointing to the research that long ago put the question to bed, and they push back on 'we are all on the spectrum' as a phrase that is both patronising and clinically incorrect. They argue for the validity of self-diagnosis given NHS waiting lists and private assessment costs, while being honest that a formal diagnosis does not always open a clear path to support. What it does open, often, is a different relationship with yourself. The chance to reread old messages about being lazy or disorganised through a more accurate lens, and to begin asking what it would look like for the world to adapt to you instead. Resources mentioned Dr. Rebecca Kerr Dr. Linnie Telford - https://www.thebluebellclinic.co.uk/meet-dr-linnie MindFriend (the platform): https://mindfriend.com/ MindFriend Pro: https://mindfriendpro.com/ Connect with us Instagram: @mindfriendtalk TikTok: @mindfriendtalk #MindFriendTalk #TheLateDiagnosis #Neurodivergence