Not a School Skiver: Unmasking ADHD, Autism & OCD in Girls with Emily Katy

🌟 My new book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit, is available to preorder here 🌟

In this inspiring episode, I speak with Emily Katy, author, advocate, and neurodivergent changemaker, about her powerful journey with late-diagnosed autism, ADHD, and OCD. At just 22, Emily is using her voice to spotlight the urgent need for better understanding and support for neurodivergent girls, particularly in education.

We explore how Emily’s struggles with school attendance, mental health, and being misunderstood led to her writing Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life. Her story is a call to action for educators, parents, and mental health professionals to rethink how we support young neurodivergent women.

What You’ll Learn:

✨ How stereotypes influence undiagnosed ADHD, autism, and OCD in girls

✨ The power of Emily's diagnosis in understanding lifelong struggles

✨ Why Emily started the ‘Not a School Skiver’ campaign to challenge harmful assumptions about school avoidance

✨ The link between neurodivergence, school attendance difficulties, and severe emotional distress

✨ How schools and the government must do better to support neurodivergent children

✨ Practical adjustments to help neurodivergent students struggling in mainstream education

✨ Why recognising undiagnosed neurodivergence is critical in mental health services

✨ How self-acceptance and diagnosis changed Emily’s life — and inspired her to write a book to help others

Timestamps:

🕒 01:56 – Emily’s diagnosis journey

🕒 04:50 – The daily challenges of living with ADHD and autism

🕒 07:11 – Why school refusal is often misunderstood

🕒 10:20 – The failures of the education system for neurodivergent students

🕒 12:01 – Why recognising neurodivergence is key in mental health

Listen now for a deeply honest, eye-opening conversation that will leave you feeling informed, moved, and motivated to spark change.

Learn more about Emily here

Read Emily's Letter to the government here

Links & Resources:

⭐ Perfectionism, Pressure, Procrastination, Productivity, and all the ADHD Ps in between! Workshop available to buy now on demand. Click here to purchase.

⭐ Book on the next ADHD Wellbeing Workshop all about 'Boosting ADHD Hormonal and Perimenopausal Wellbeing' on April 22nd @1.30pm! Click here to book.

⭐ If you love the podcast but want more ADHD support, get a sneak peek of my brand new book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit and pre-order it here!

⭐...