As far back as Izzy can remember, Izzy has always felt different and everyone seemed to notice this. Leaving home to study at university made Izzy reflect on the challenges she had faced and consequently seek out support for her mental health. Izzy received a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) through the NHS which Izzy did not identify with. However, Izzy did attend the full course of dialectical behaviour therapy for this diagnosis and did find it incredibly helpful. Even then, the therapist suspected that the BPD diagnosis that had been given was not very accurate. Many of Izzy’s close friends are neurodiverse and discussions with them helped Izzy realise she may have autism. Izzy decided to ask the doctors if she could be put on the waiting list for an assessment with the NHS. Before Izzy was assessed by a professional, Izzy completed a self-assessment and gathered information from her parents and partner.

Izzy was relieved when she was assessed as having autism after being misdiagnosed with BPD. Izzy had one follow-up with psychology after the assessment. Izzy did not feel equipped with the knowledge and found this challenging. Izzy’s experiences had been invalidated for years, and she was diagnosed later in life after unfortunately, learning to mask. Izzy felt she had missed her chance to learn about herself and develop healthy ways of coping when she was younger. When Izzy started working as an occupational therapist, the occupational health team referred her to Access to Work and that’s how Izzy found Autism Plus.

Since starting employment coaching with Autism Plus Izzy has learned so much about how autism affects her and how to take care of herself at work. This is especially important as Izzy also suffers from congenital heart disease which impacts her physical and mental health daily. One example of what Izzy has learnt through Autism Plus, is how to maintain a work-life balance. This has proven to be very useful, as Izzy used to be hyper-focused on her job, and this sadly led to stress, then to burnout and deterioration in other health conditions. Izzy now spends more time with family and friends, traveling and enjoying hobbies.