In this episode, Ben sits down with Professor Francesca Happé - one of the most distinguished and respected voices in autism research. With over 30 years at the forefront of the field, Francesca has reshaped how we understand autism, from exploring social cognition to uncovering the hidden experiences of autistic women, the elderly, and under-researched groups.

Together, they get to the heart of why so many women remain unseen, undiagnosed and misdiagnosed. As well as exploring what ageing means when the world was never built for your brain.

They unpack diagnostic overshadowing, the crossover between CPTSD and autism, and what happens when a late diagnosis reframes an entire lifetime.

This is the first of a two part episode - tune in for some groundbreaking discoveries next week in Part Two!

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00:00 Introduction

1:30 Autism: The Study That Keep’s Francesca Up at Night

4:00 Autistic Elderly People VS Our Society

5:45 Late in Life Autism Diagnosis: A Lifetime Reframed

10:07 Autistic Women: The Missing Diagnoses

12:50 Eating Disorders VS Autism: What is Diagnostic Overshadowing?

17:16 Autism in Women & Girls: Finally Being Diagnosed

19:40 What is the Difference between Male and Female Autism?

23:20 Can Animals Be Autistic?

25:33 Aging VS Autism: Does Autism Lower Life Expectancy?

28:10 Living with CPTSD & Autism: Untangling the Symptoms

33:45 Are Autistic People More Sensitive?

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On "The Hidden 20%," host Ben Branson chats with neurodivergent [ADHD, Autism, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette's etc.] creatives, entrepreneurs, and experts to see how great minds.. think differently.

Host: Ben Branson

Head of Production: Bella Neale

Assistant Producer: Phoebe De Leiburné

Video Editor: James Scriven

Social Media Manager: Charlie Young

Music: Jackson Greenberg

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348

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Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org

Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity

Ben Branson @seedlip_ben

Francesca Happé @happelab

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BONUS: Ellie's Selected Thoughts on Emma's Unselected Journals, Vol. 3