FROM THE ARCHIVES: Different by Design — Autism, Neurodivergent Identity & Self-Discovery with Tamsyn Hawken
What happens when you stop trying to fit in and begin embracing who you truly are?
In this archived episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, host Paul Cruz and former volunteer co-host Letara Couto sit down with Tamsyn Hawken, a mental health mentor supporting university students across the UK.
Together, they explore autism, ADHD, identity, belonging, unmasking, representation, and the often complicated journey toward understanding yourself.
Drawing from her lived experience as a queer neurodivergent woman, Tamsyn shares how growing up in a rural village shaped her understanding of herself and how limited representation contributed to a delayed recognition of her own neurodivergence.
She reflects on receiving autism and ADHD diagnoses, learning to unmask, developing self-advocacy, and finding spaces where people can safely explore and embrace their identities.
At the heart of the conversation is Tamsyn’s powerful metaphor of being a zebra among horses—an image that captures what it can feel like to move through a world built around expectations that don’t quite fit.
But understanding that you are a zebra can change the story.
What once felt like failure to fit in can become an opportunity for self-understanding, connection, empowerment, and belonging.
In this conversation:
• Autism, ADHD, and later self-discovery
• Neurodivergent identity and unmasking
• Queer Neurodivergent experiences
• Representation and belonging
• Self-advocacy and personal growth
• Supporting Neurodivergent students in higher education
• Systemic barriers within academia
• Building inclusive and affirming communities
• Self-kindness and self-acceptance
Why We’re Replaying This Conversation
Many Neurodivergent people spend years feeling different without having the language or representation to understand why.
Tamsyn’s story is a reminder of the importance of community, representation, self-understanding, and spaces where people can explore their identities without judgment.
It is also a conversation about moving away from the pressure to become someone else—and toward understanding the person who was there all along.
This replay also recognizes the contribution of Letara Couto, who joined Paul as a volunteer co-host for the original conversation.
About Tamsyn Hawken
Tamsyn Hawken is a mental health mentor supporting university students throughout the UK. Through mentoring, advocacy, and educational programs focused on self-advocacy and empowerment, she helps Neurodivergent individuals build confidence, navigate challenges, and celebrate their authentic selves.
Key Takeaway
You may experience and move through the world differently from the people around you.
Understanding those differences—and meeting yourself with greater kindness—can create space for advocacy, connection, belonging, and authentic living.
If this conversation resonates with you, subscribe to The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, leave a review, and share the episode with someone navigating their own journey of Neurodivergent self-discovery.
Featuring: Tamsyn Hawken
Host: Paul Cruz
Volunteer Co-Host: Letara Couto
Topics: Autism, ADHD, Neurodiversity, Neurodivergent identity, unmasking, self-discovery, belonging, queer Neurodivergent experiences, higher education, self-advocacy, Tamsyn Hawken, Neurodiversity Voices
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