Sharon McCarthy: Decoding a dual diagnosis of ADHD & autism

Episode 92 with Sharon McCarthy. “I will start talking and lose my train of thought mid-sentence because my brain has suddenly gone off on a completely different tangent.” Sharon is the founding director of Autism Journeys, a training and consultancy service based in Cork, Ireland, where she supports autistic children and young people and their families from both an advocacy and educational standpoint. She is also the host of Autism Journeys, the fabulous radio show & podcast that shares stories and perspectives of members of the worldwide autism community. Sharon has worked in the autism field in a number of capacities over the last 20 years. She lectures at University College Dublin, coordinates and delivers autism-centric courses in her local community college, and delivers autism-specific training workshops to different disability and training services across Ireland.  We talk about her incredible journey as a mother to multiply-identified neurodivergent children, which led her to become a fierce advocate for her kids. And more recently, this journey has led to her being identified as both autistic and an ADHDer, and she is now finally empowered to be her authentic neurodivergent self.  We also talk about the dual diagnosis and overlap of traits, how autism presents in girls and women, how the definition and understanding of autism has changed over the years, as well as when it might be time to seek an autism diagnosis either for your child or yourself. Website: Autism Journeys Instagram: @autism.journeys   Episode edited by E Podcast Productions Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts   This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a Women & ADHD listener, you’ll receive 10% off your first month of BetterHelp when you use this link: betterhelp.com/womenadhd   - - - - - Small group coaching with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/groupcoaching - - - - - Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching - - - - -   Finally ... you've found your people! Now come join us in the Women & ADHD online community: www.womenandadhd.com   - - - - -   If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and you’d like to be a guest on this podcast, please reach out to Katy via email womenandADHDpodcast (at) gmail.com. Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast Twitter: @womenandadhd Facebook: @womenandadhd Our Sponsors: * Check out Done and use my code PODCAST for a great deal: www.donefirst.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/women-and-adhd/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy