What happens when you spend years believing you're not good at learning, only to discover that your brain works differently?

In this episode of That AuDHD Teacher, I'm joined by Paul McKee, a former teacher and online education entrepreneur who shares his experience of living with ADHD, navigating learning differences, and discovering how to work with his brain rather than against it.

Paul was labelled as struggling academically during childhood, despite being highly capable when learning was approached in a way that suited him. After years of figuring things out for himself, he received an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood and began to understand his experiences in a completely different light.

We talk about what it was like growing up misunderstood at school, how Paul discovered his own learning patterns, and why finding the right strategies can make such a difference. We also explore ADHD and sleep, the challenges of managing energy and focus, recognising similar traits in your children, and how understanding your neurodivergence can influence the way you approach work and entrepreneurship.

Paul also shares his journey from teaching and engineering into online education, including why he decided to make educational resources more accessible through his website, Free Worksheets.

Explore Paul's free educational resources: https://freeworksheets.com/

Free Worksheets provides worksheets for teachers, parents and homeschoolers, with resources created by teachers. Paul's goal is to help make educational resources accessible without the expensive paywalls that can make them difficult to access.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Paul's childhood experiences and his journey to an ADHD diagnosis as an adult

• Learning differences and why traditional education doesn't work for everyone

• Finding strategies that fit your individual ADHD brain

• ADHD, sleep difficulties and creating a sleep routine that works for you

• Recognising ADHD traits in your children and supporting them as they grow

• The relationship between ADHD, creativity, risk-taking and entrepreneurship

• Why understanding yourself matters more than following a one size fits all checklist

• Paul's mission to make educational resources freely available to teachers, parents and homeschoolers

  
  

This is a conversation about self understanding, challenging the assumptions we make about ability, and discovering that there isn't one right way to learn, work or navigate life.

If you enjoy honest conversations about ADHD, autism, AuDHD and neurodivergent experiences, follow That AuDHD Teacher for more episodes.

Hosted by Emily Sigglekow, a New Zealand early childhood teacher sharing conversations and reflections on life as a neurodivergent adult.

This episode shares personal experiences and is for informational purposes. Individual experiences of ADHD, sleep and treatment vary.

What happens when you discover you're autistic and have ADHD after spending decades trying to fit in?

In this episode of That AuDHD Teacher, I'm joined by Dr Amanda Wilson, an AuDHD orthodontist from Hawaii who received her autism and ADHD diagnosis at 51. We talk about late diagnosis, masking, autistic burnout and the complicated process of understanding yourself through a new lens.

Amanda shares what it was like growing up as a girl who was desperate to fit in, learning to hide the parts of herself that felt different, and looking back at childhood experiences that make much more sense now. We discuss the grief that can follow a late diagnosis, the friendships and relationships that change when you start unmasking, and the relief of finding people who understand you.

We also get into the realities of neurodivergent burnout, including losing the ability to speak, navigating workplaces that don't always understand you, and finding ways to work and communicate that better suit your brain. Amanda reflects on her experiences as an orthodontist, the challenges of being neurodivergent in a demanding career, and how creating content has given her a new outlet for purpose and joy.

This is an honest conversation about what it means to be a late diagnosed AuDHD woman, why masking can be so exhausting, and what can happen when you finally start giving yourself permission to be who you are.

If you've ever wondered why you've spent your life feeling different, pushed yourself to the point of burnout, or started re-examining your past after an ADHD or autism diagnosis, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, we discuss:
• Late diagnosed autism and ADHD (AuDHD)
• Childhood signs of autism and ADHD in girls
• Masking, people pleasing and the pressure to fit in
• Grief, identity and relationships after diagnosis
• Unmasking and why everyday things can become harder
• Autistic burnout and losing the ability to speak
• Neurodivergence, workplace challenges and career burnout
• Boundaries, self acceptance and finding your people
• Using creativity and technology to support neurodivergent communication

That AuDHD Teacher is a podcast hosted by Emily, an early childhood teacher from New Zealand exploring the realities of living with AuDHD, late diagnosis, identity and navigating a world that doesn't always make room for neurodivergent people.

If this episode resonates with you, follow That AuDHD Teacher and leave a rating or review to help other neurodivergent listeners find these conversations.

“But you don’t look autistic". If you’re an autistic or AuDHD adult, you may have heard this before. You may even have thought it about yourself.

In the first episode of Season 2 of That AuDHD Teacher, I’m talking about what autism can look like when it isn’t immediately visible to other people, and why being able to work, study, socialise, travel, communicate or appear “fine” doesn’t mean that being autistic is easy.

We’re talking about autism masking, late autism diagnosis, invisible autism, autistic adults and the assumptions we make about what an autistic person is supposed to look like.

I also reflect on my own experience of being diagnosed AuDHD later in life, and the strange experience of finally understanding yourself while still having other people question what they think they know about you.

Because there isn’t one way to look autistic. And there isn’t one way to be AuDHD.

Season 2 of That AuDHD Teacher is going beyond diagnosis and into what it actually means to live with an autistic and ADHD brain, including masking, PDA, meltdowns and shutdowns, alexithymia, late diagnosis grief, workplace accommodations, being an AuDHD teacher and much more.

If you’ve ever been told “you don’t seem autistic”, or wondered whether you could really be autistic because you don’t fit the stereotype, this episode is for you.

Why do some people become so deeply attached to certain people? In this bonus episode, Emily is joined by her best friend Emma to talk about AuDHD, ADHD, attachment, hyperfocus, emotional intensity, rejection sensitivity and the experience of having someone become a major focus of your thoughts.

We talk honestly about lifelong patterns of attachment, childhood experiences, teachers and mentors, relationships, reassurance, uncertainty, rumination, dopamine, people pleasing and what happens when an attachment becomes all consuming. We also explore whether people can become a hyperfocus or special interest, and why being deeply attached isn't necessarily something to be ashamed of.

If you've ever thought, "Why do I care about this person so much?" or recognised yourself in the experience of thinking about someone constantly, this conversation might make you feel a little less alone.

What actually happens during an adult autism assessment?

In this episode of That AuDHD Teacher, I take you through my own autism assessment experience, including the screening questionnaires I completed, what I was asked, and what the assessment process was like for me.

I'll talk about the different questionnaires that were used as part of my assessment, including the RAADS-R, Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q), and Monotropism Questionnaire (MQ).

I've also included links to the questionnaires I talk about in the episode below.

RAADS-R: https://novopsych.com/assessments/diagnosis/ritvo-autism-asperger-diagnostic-scale-revised-raads-r/

Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ): https://psychology-tools.com/test/autism-spectrum-quotient

CAT-Q: https://embrace-autism.com/cat-q/

Monotropism Questionnaire (MQ): https://osf.io/wpx5g/files/4wru2

Please remember that these are screening and self-report tools, not diagnostic tests. Completing a questionnaire or receiving a particular score does not mean that you are autistic. They are simply one possible source of information within a broader assessment process.

I'll also talk about something that made a huge difference to my own experience: having a clinician who understood that autism can present differently in women.

I didn't feel like I had to prove that my struggles were real. They listened to me, believed my experience and that made an enormous difference.

I'll also talk about finding a reputable clinician, why autism assessments can differ between countries and providers, and why it's important to ask questions about an assessment before committing to it.

I've created a free resource with questions you might want to consider asking a clinician before choosing someone to assess you.

https://thataudhdteacher.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/questions-to-ask-an-autism-clinician.pdf

My assessment was conducted online, which also meant there were limitations to what support I could access afterwards. For example, some forms of support may require an assessment that meets particular requirements, including an in-person assessment.

Your assessment experience may look very different from mine. This episode is about my personal experience of being assessed for autism and what I learned from the process. It isn't a guide to what every autism assessment should look like, and it isn't a substitute for professional assessment or advice.

Welcome to That AuDHD Teacher , a podcast about my journey as an autistic and ADHD teacher, and the things I'm continuing to learn about AuDHD, neurodiversity and myself.

What actually happens during an adult ADHD assessment?

In this episode of That AuDHD Teacher, I take you through my own ADHD assessment experience, including some of the screening questionnaires I completed and some of the questions I was asked along the way.

I'll talk about what the assessment process was like for me, what I found difficult, what surprised me, and what it felt like to finally have someone look at the things I'd struggled with throughout my life through the lens of ADHD.

I'll also talk about the importance of finding a clinician who understands that ADHD doesn't always look the same in everyone, particularly when it comes to adults and women who may have developed strategies to compensate or mask their difficulties.

I've included links to the two screening questionnaires I discuss in this episode below:

Wender Utah Rating Scale: https://novopsych.com/assessments/diagnosis/wender-utah-rating-scale-25-item-version-wurs-25/

Diagnostic Interview for ADHD In Adults (DIVA): https://www.advancedassessments.co.uk/resources/ADHD-Screening-Test-Adult.pdf

Please remember that these are screening questionnaires, not diagnostic tests. A score on a questionnaire cannot tell you whether you have ADHD. They can be a useful starting point for reflection and deciding whether you want to explore things further with a qualified professional.

I've also created a resource with questions you might want to consider asking an ADHD clinician before choosing someone to assess you.

https://thataudhdteacher.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/questions-to-ask-an-adhd-clinician.pdf

ADHD assessment processes can vary between clinicians and countries, so my experience won't necessarily look the same as yours.

This episode is about my experience of assessment, what happened, what I learned and how it felt, rather than a guide to what every ADHD assessment should look like.

Welcome to That AuDHD Teacher , a podcast about my journey as an autistic and ADHD teacher, and the things I'm continuing to learn about AuDHD, neurodiversity and myself.

Have you started wondering whether you might be autistic or have ADHD?

Maybe you've been watching videos, reading posts, listening to podcasts or taking online screening questionnaires and suddenly finding yourself thinking, "Wait... this sounds a lot like me." But what do you actually do next?

In this episode of That AuDHD Teacher, I talk about some of the things you can do when you're beginning to explore whether autism or ADHD could be part of your story.

I'll talk about online screening questionnaires, books and other resources that helped me, things you might want to start noticing about yourself, and what you can do if you're considering a formal assessment.

I'll also talk about looking back at your childhood, because autism and ADHD don't suddenly appear in adulthood. Sometimes the people who knew you when you were younger can remember things that you don't.

I've included a list of questions you might want to ask family members or friends about what you were like as a child, including questions about friendships, routines, behaviour, interests and things they remember about you growing up. I've also included the screening questionnaires and books I mention in the episode below.

Books:

- Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum (Sarah Hendrickx)

- We're All Neurodiverse (Sonny Jane Wise)

- Unmasking Autism (Devon Price)

- Different, Not Less (Chloé Hayden)

- Welcome to AuDHD (Megan Griffith)

- AuDHD (Leanne Maskell)

- This is ADHD, I am Autistic and I have Dyslexia (Chanelle Moriah)

Links to screening questionnaire's:

ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf

AQ Screening Questionnaire: https://psychology-tools.com/test/autism-spectrum-quotienthttps://psychology-tools.com/test/autism-spectrum-quotient

Please remember that online screening questionnaires are not diagnostic tests. They can be a useful starting point for reflection, but they cannot tell you whether you are autistic or have ADHD.

- What was I like as a child?

- Did I have many friends, and how did I get along with other children?

- Did I have any strong routines, rituals or unusual ways of doing things?

- How did I respond to changes in plans or unexpected situations?

- Did I have any particularly intense interests, sensory sensitivities or repetitive behaviours?

I've put together a longer list of childhood questions and resources on my website: https://thataudhdteacher.blog/resources/↗

These might help you gather information about your early experiences before speaking with a clinician.

I'll also talk about what to think about when looking for a clinician, why finding someone who understands how autism and ADHD can present differently in different people matters, and some things you might want to consider before booking an assessment.

This episode is based on my own experience and the things I've learned throughout my own AuDHD journey. It isn't a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or assessment.

Welcome to That AuDHD Teacher , a podcast about my journey as an autistic and ADHD teacher, and the things I'm continuing to learn about AuDHD, neurodiversity and myself.

Change is something everyone experiences, but for autistic and AuDHD people, even seemingly small changes can sometimes feel much bigger than other people realise.

In this episode of That AuDHD Teacher, I explore why change can be so difficult, from changes to routines and plans to unexpected interruptions, transitions and things simply not happening the way you expected them to.

I'll talk about the relationship between autism, predictability, uncertainty and emotional regulation, as well as how ADHD can add another layer through difficulties with transitions, executive functioning and shifting attention.

I'll also share some of my own experiences with change and the things I've started to understand differently since learning more about being AuDHD.

Because sometimes it's not that you don't want to adapt. Sometimes your brain needs time to process the change.And when that change happens suddenly, the reaction can be much bigger than the situation might appear from the outside.

This is another episode about understanding the why behind our experiences rather than simply judging the reaction.

Welcome to That AuDHD Teacher , a podcast about my journey as an autistic and ADHD teacher, and the things I'm continuing to learn about AuDHD, neurodiversity and myself.