6. S1, Ep6: Self diagnosis, burnout and mental health

Stephanie Silvan is self diagnosed. Originally from Germany, she now lives in Finland with her teenage daughter, who is also autistic.  She has worked in many different fields: she has run her own business as a dog behaviourist, she is a linguist and biologist, has trained as a teacher and also spent several years as a farmer. Her most recent role saw her travelling all Asia, Europe, and the USA managing global teams. She is currently focusing on reprioritising her life and practicing self care after having to leave employment due to autistic burnout. In our conversation we talk about autism at school, raising an autistic child when you’re autistic yourself, the availability of adult diagnosis, having a connection with animals, introversion, burnout and mental health. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: If you'd like to connect with Stephanie, you can find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-silvan-93881491/ If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/