The Rise of Late Diagnosis: Why So Many Adults Are Discovering They’re Neurodivergent
- Kaitlyn Boudreault
- Jul 10
- 9 min read
Updated: Jul 11
In recent years, the number of people referring to themselves as neurodivergent or discovering that they are autistic, have ADHD, or are neurodivergent later in life has steadily increased.
Conversations around different ways of thinking and processing have become more visible.
Friends are mentioning they’re autistic. Your coworker is talking about their ADHD more. Books and stories are more likely to include neurodivergent experiences.
This has led many people to ask, “Why are so many adults discovering they’re neurodivergent now?”
Some of you may feel like this has to do with the rise of the internet or some other trend.
However, in reality, neurodivergence has not suddenly become more common. These experiences have existed forever.
But our understanding of neurodivergence has expanded, and with that, more neurodivergent people have been identified.
People are finally finding the language they need to express the experiences that they have carried for decades. At our virtual neurodiversity-affirming clinic, we have found that some people have always felt different in social situations or experienced sensory overwhelm, burnout, or executive functioning challenges. You may also have felt a sense that the world was never designed with your brain in mind.
These neurodivergent experiences were not missed because people were not neurodivergent. They were missed because earlier research, diagnostic criteria, and societal understanding did not capture the full range of all neurodivergent experiences.
As that understanding has grown, so has our ability to recognize neurodivergence in adults whose experiences don’t match the earlier picture of neurodivergence.
For many late-discovered neurodivergent adults, this realization can feel both validating and overwhelming.
Fortunately, support is available. Neurodiversity-affirming therapy in Ontario, Canada, and international neurodivergent coaching can provide a space to explore identity, process complex emotions, and develop strategies that honour the way your brain works rather than trying to force you to fit neurotypical standards.
In this neurodivergent blog, we will explore what neurodivergence is, why more adults are discovering they are neurodivergent, why many people were missed earlier in life, and the journey after a late diagnosis.
Since more adults are identifying as neurodivergent, you may be asking yourself, "What exactly does it mean to be 'neurodivergent’?
One common misconception that some people have is that neurodivergence only refers to autism and ADHD. You may also wrongly assume that neurodivergence is the same as a neurodevelopmental condition.
While autism and ADHD are commonly used to discuss forms of neurodivergence, the term itself is much broader and extends far beyond neurodevelopmental conditions.
According to Kassiane Asasumasu, who coined the terms “neurodivergent” and “neurodivergence” during the autistic rights movement, neurodivergent describes individuals whose way of navigating the world differs from neuronormativity—dominant societal expectations about how people are expected to think, learn, communicate, regulate emotions, behave, and interact.
Through this definition, the modern view of neurodivergence understands it as a non-medical term that cannot be diagnosed but rather exists as an identity.
Anyone whose way of navigating the world differs from neuronormativity can identify as neurodivergent.
It includes autism and ADHD alongside many different neurological, developmental, psychiatric, and cognitive experiences, including, but not limited to:
Tourette syndrome
Epilepsy
Intellectual disabilities
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Other conditions and experiences that influence how someone processes and engages with the world
A neurodiversity-affirming approach to care recognizes that people can experience disability, distress, and barriers while also having strengths, differences, and ways of experiencing the world that are valuable.
Why Are So Many Adults Discovering They’re Neurodivergent Now?
More people are not suddenly becoming autistic, ADHDers, or neurodivergent.
So what are the factors that are actually contributing to the greater recognition of neurodivergence as a possibility among many adults?
Related: Is There an Autism Epidemic?
Societal Understanding of Neurodivergence Has Expanded
Historically, autism and ADHD were recognized through a very narrow lens.
Early research primarily focused on white cis boys, who were more likely to display externally visible traits of ADHD or autism. Due to this, ADHD was often thought of primarily as hyperactivity or impulsivity, and autism was primarily thought of as communication challenges and repetitive behaviours or stimming.
In school, behaviours that created noticeable challenges, like a student bouncing off the wall, interrupting the teacher while they speak, or a student having a visible autistic meltdown, were seen as a need for further exploration of neurodivergence.
Although these descriptions of neurodivergence are accurate for some. They do not give the complete picture of neurodivergence.
Neurodivergence can also show up internally as:
Adults, women, and assigned female at birth (AFAB) individuals may develop strong coping strategies that tend to mask their experiences of neurodivergence in childhood. The criteria used to identify neurodivergence did not reflect the full range of experiences.
As the understanding of neurodivergence has increased, clinicians have begun to understand that neurodivergence can present differently in different people.
Earlier Criteria Captured a Narrower External Picture
Over the past decade, the diagnostic criteria for certain neurodivergent conditions, like autism and ADHD, have evolved.
Earlier frameworks focused on more obvious external behaviours. Those whose differences were less visible often went overlooked.
For example, someone who was academically successful, socially adaptable, or able to meet expectations may not have been recognized as needing support.
However, external success does not always reflect internal experience.
Many people have spent years relying on intense effort, perfectionism, anxiety, routines, or overcompensation to navigate environments that were not designed for their needs.
Understanding the hidden challenges has allowed us to discover the neurodivergent individuals who tend to experience more internal traits.
Diagnostic Substitution
Diagnostic substitution occurs when individuals who previously received one diagnosis may now be more accurately identified under a different diagnosis.
For example, some individuals may have previously been misdiagnosed with intellectual disabilities, anxiety, language disorders, depression, or personality disorders rather than ADHD or autism. Clinicians may have failed to recognize the underlying autistic profile contributing to these experiences.
Because neurodivergence has been mistakenly seen as only autism or ADHD by some people, individuals who were misdiagnosed with another condition other than autism or ADHD may not have been seen as neurodivergent in the past.
However, with an increased understanding of what neurodivergence actually means under Kassaine’s original definition, clinicians and society are better understanding that these individuals are also neurodivergent.
The increase in neurodivergence reflects improved recognition and a growing understanding of the diversity of neurodivergent experiences across the lifespan.
Women, AFAB Individuals, and Historically Overlooked Groups Were Missed
Research and understanding of neurodivergence have historically focused on how it presents in white, cisgender boys and those whose traits are more externally visible.
People expected that if they were neurodivergent, it would present as an obvious social difference, sensory processing challenges, or hyperactivity.
Individuals who did not fit into this narrow population were overlooked, misunderstood, or misdiagnosed, and this was more likely to occur for:
Racialized communities
Gender-diverse individuals
There are several reasons why this occurs, including the fact that neurodivergent women and AFAB individuals are more likely to be socialized from a young age to mimic peers, suppress differences, and engage in masking to avoid social exclusion.
They tend to internalize autistic traits, which can show as anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, eating disorders, burnout, or chronic emotional exhaustion.
Today, research and understanding of neurodivergence have expanded.
These historically overlooked groups have contributed to the “growth” of neurodivergence in adulthood. We now understand that you can be neurodivergent and also:
Appear organized because you have developed extensive systems to compensate
Overprepare to avoid mistakes
Work harder than others to maintain consistency
Internalize struggles instead of displaying them outwardly
Experience mental overwhelm, racing thoughts, or emotional intensity that is not immediately visible
Similarly, BIPOC individuals have faced barriers to seeking autism diagnoses due to systemic inequities, cultural biases in the healthcare system, language barriers, and disparities in medical resources. BIPOC children have often been diagnosed later than white peers or misidentified with behavioural or emotional disorders instead of neurodivergence.
There is also growing recognition of the overlap between neurodivergence and gender and sexual orientation diversity. Many neurodivergent individuals identify as transgender, nonbinary, gender-diverse, or part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Increased awareness of this intersection has encouraged more affirming and inclusive assessment practices that better recognize the diversity of neurodivergent experiences.
As diagnostic systems become more equitable and inclusive, prevalence rates naturally increase because more neurodivergent individuals are finally being accurately identified. This does not mean neurodivergence is suddenly “appearing” more frequently.
Rather, it reflects a growing ability to recognize neurodivergence across a wider range of identities, presentations, and lived experiences than was previously possible.
Masking Can Delay Recognition
Masking involves altering your behaviour to conform to societal expectations, often leading to feelings of isolation and disconnection from your true self.
Consider a chameleon in a rainforest, which changes its colours to blend into its environment to avoid predators. This is akin to the concept of masking among neurodivergent individuals.
It's a complex process of constantly monitoring and adjusting one's behaviour to fit in. This can include:
Suppressing natural movements
Rehearsing conversations
Monitoring social behaviour
Forcing eye contact
Hiding sensory discomfort
Copying behaviours observed in others
Overpreparing for everyday situations
Masking tends to develop over the years for many individuals. When a child discovers that their way of navigating the world tends to get them excluded, they may adapt their behaviours to fit in through the process of masking.
Externally, when a person masks, they may appear as though they are coping well and doing fine. But internally, they may be experiencing significant exhaustion from constantly monitoring and adjusting themselves.
Understanding that masking of neurodivergence may cause one to see a calm demeanour or a strong academic performance, but this individual may be struggling with neurodivergence, is important.
Instead of only looking at visible behaviour, clinicians have a greater recognition that internal experience matters and that someone can be neurodivergent even if they appear fine on the outside.
This has contributed to a rise in those who are now recognizing that they were neurodivergent all along, but it wasn’t noticed earlier due to masking.
Major Life Transitions Can Reveal Longstanding Patterns
For many, neurodivergent struggles may not show up externally in childhood because there may be some everyday coping strategies that work to mask the challenges.
But major life events, such as starting university, becoming a parent, exploring a new career, or undergoing major health changes, can make the neurodivergence more visible externally.
These experiences are not causing one to suddenly become neurodivergent. Instead, they may increase demands on executive functioning, sensory regulation, and emotional resources, which makes previously successful coping strategies harder to maintain.
As a result, people may begin to struggle with more visibly neurodivergent traits and start to recognize that the neurodivergent term represents these experiences.
Online Communities Have Expanded Access to Information
The internet is often viewed as a negative thing by many. However, there are positives.
For many adults, discovering that they are neurodivergent began with recognition. You may hear someone describe an experience online and think, “That sounds like me.”
Social media, podcasts, books, and online communities have allowed more people to access information and hear directly from neurodivergent individuals sharing their lived experiences.
Online content can provide language and context that help people begin exploring their experiences. The neurodivergence has always been there, but these online communities are allowing people to finally have language for the challenges.
The Emotional Impact of Discovering Neurodivergence Later in Life
You may have recently discovered that you are neurodivergent. This late identification may come with a range of different emotions, and all of these are valid.
For some people, late identification of neurodivergence can bring relief. You may feel as if there is finally an explanation for the experiences that previously felt confusing or shameful. You may feel as if you can finally understand yourself.
For others, you may be experiencing grief because you wish you could have gotten support earlier. You may sit there and wonder what things could have been like if you had known sooner.
You may also be angry at society for missing your neurodivergence this whole time. You may think, “Why was this missed?”
There may also be a feeling of hope that you can finally look into strategies and communities that support how your brain works. You may feel that with the right strategies, you can begin to thrive, rather than focus on living in survival mode.
For many people, it is about developing a more accurate and compassionate understanding of who they have always been.
No matter how you feel, neurodivergent coaching and therapy can support you in processing your experiences, unlearning internalized shame, embracing your neurodivergent identity, and finding practical strategies that align with your needs and values.
Book a Free Consultation With Blue Sky Learning
If you are exploring your neurodivergent identity, navigating a late diagnosis, or seeking support to better understand your experiences, support is available.
Blue Sky Learning offers neurodiversity-affirming therapy and coaching designed to support you without asking you to change who you are.
Book a free 20-minute consultation to help you explore your support options and determine what type of neurodiversity-affirming care may be the right fit for you. Email hello@blueskylearning.ca or through the link below to book a consultation.
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