In this compelling episode of All Things Autism, host Anna Kennedy interviews Dave Bedford, a man who lived 30 years feeling like he didn’t fit in before receiving a life-changing autism diagnosis at age 40. After his son was diagnosed with autism at age 4, Dave recognized his own struggles in the diagnostic reports and sought his own evaluation. Despite having digital hearing aids and initially attributing his social difficulties to hearing loss, Dave discovered that autism was the real reason behind his lifelong challenges with fitting in and social interactions. Dave shares his journey from academic success through mainstream education to adult diagnosis, revealing how the revelation has helped him better understand his meltdowns and social struggles. He discusses the impact on his marriage, his approach to parenting a child with autism, and how receiving a diagnosis later in life has allowed him to develop better coping strategies and communicate his needs more effectively to his family.