LATE BLOOMERS - AUTISM IN DISGUISE: 10 “weird” things I didn’t realise were signs of autism

Episode Date: May 13, 2026

This week, Rich shares 10 “weird” things he always thought were just part of his personality… that actually turned out to be autism.From struggling with eye contact to leaving parties early, needing space, and even things like rubbing his feet together — we break down the small, everyday behaviours that didn’t seem like anything at the time, but make a lot more sense now.It’s a funny, honest, and really accessible conversation about what autism can actually look like in real life. Whether you’re diagnosed, questioning, or just trying to understand someone you love — this one might help you see things a little differently.20% off Loop Earplugs: ⁠https://www.loopearplugs.com/pages/lp-adhdlove⁠

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Carvana. Delivery fees may apply. This week we are going to be talking about the weird things that I thought was more a personality but actually turns out was autism. Like sticking to plans that I haven't actually told anyone and what's the deal with eye contact. Welcome to the late bloomer's podcast where we are getting our lives together. Bam bam, bam, eventually. Brought you by our amazing sponsor Loop Earplugs to I'm...

Oh actually, one thing. We always forget this. What? And this is, so I'm going to do it really quickly. And this is all I'm going to say, for those of you that listen to us regularly, our new book, The Cherry Tree Theory Theory, is now available as an audio book. Yes. So go listen to it.

And you can use an audible credit. And if you haven't got audible, you can listen to it for free on the free trial. There you go. Back. So I'm quite excited for this. I feel like I get a lot of heat on this podcast. I feel like that's fair. So it's time for you to get some heat.

Bring it on. I have got my Teflon coat in. Give me all the heat you want. Not going to stick to me. Oh, Lord. See what I've done there. Yeah, love you, babe. I do love you.

So we have basically put together a little list of 10 odd, weirdly wonderful. Weird is good, by the way. Extraordinarily strange things that you do in your life. things that maybe you thought made you weird or rude or the odd one out. And actually it turned out to be autism. Disclaimer, we know that autism is a spectrum. If you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person. So this is Rich's kind of autistic journey.

You may relate to some of it, but you may not. So we're by no means trying to speak over a very, very broad spectrum of autistic people. And what we're not saying is if you tick all 10 boxes, you are not definitely autistic. But you might want to go and speak someone about it. If you tick all 10, you might want to, yeah. But these, we've definitely gone into like some of the weird and wonderful. And so I'm going to get into it. And I just want you to kind of tell me how it shows up in your life.

And how you see it differently now that you have been diagnosed autistic. Yeah. So we're going to start with a fun one, which is echolalia. Yeah. Okay. So what have you got something else to say? Well, just for people that don't know, I think this is right. It's kind of the repeating of words, almost like subconscious repeat. You hear a phrase or a word and you will just repeat it without really realizing. It shows up to me as well and shows up in me and it makes me look. and sound like a child. Because then it's not like adult noises I'm repeating. It's weird, funny noises that I hear.

And like if I hear a doorbell and it goes ding dong, I'll be like, like, bong, bong, like that's how. And it keeps going. Bing bong, bong, like it will go on. Well, especially if the autistics flock together. So I don't know whether you, this, you can resonate with this. but when me and Sear lived together, when Sear lived here, that's basically the only way we communicated was weird sounds

that we had heard in a TV episodes or we were just made up and our entire communication was just random sounds. Yeah. With a weird voice. Yeah. I mean, it was quite adorable to witness, but it was like you and Cia. Sir is autistic, by the way.

It was like you and Sierra have this secret language where you just communicate via repetitive sounds. And I know very often that within that was like, I love you and it's great to see you and how are you doing? Like all of those almost social norms that you would have conversations between father and child was had by the medium of like, ding dong dang. Dang. Well, and I don't know, for those that have got a Samsung washer or dryer,

the tune that it plays after the cycle, me and CIR know that. And like if it starts, we all do the whole ding ding ding ding ding, ding, ding, oh no, oh my God, it's gone out of my head. Oh no, I'm not going to be able to do this episode. I think we should call it a day. It's okay. They'll know what you mean. I know what you mean. We're going to need to put a load of washing on after this. So it comes back to the forefront. So obviously understanding that can be an expression, I guess it's kind of vocal stimming or comfort.

How do you view that now if you used to see it as like odd or weird? It's just me. It's also involuntary. Like I don't, it feels like I don't choose to repeat these sounds. they just happen. And now I've got some words and some explanations to put behind it. I'm like fine with it. Like I totally embrace my childlike repeating of sounds. Amazing. Okay.

Number two, this makes me giggle. It's so funny actually because I can think about both you and sit. Yeah. With a lot of these. Probably all of them. It's secret plans. And what that means is having a very kind of strict expectation for the way an event or a day or a trip is going to go, you know, to the minute plan in your mind. But that hasn't been discussed with me or other members of the family.

And then if we accidentally deviate from that plan because we didn't know. know that you had it, it would cause you to have the hump. To have the hump with people. Yeah. Yeah. So I, I hear this so loud. And, you know, this, I would maybe question this one as maybe slightly toxic on my part. However, a lot of people resonate because I've spoken about this on the internet and a lot of people have shared my experience. So yeah, I, I, caveat, I am also good at sharing plans. So you will, you will get a plan from me if we're going to the airport. I'll run through the plan. This is more like an every day. Most of the time I will have a plan up until relaxed time in my head about what's

going to happen and when. And sometimes during that planning, there will be the inclusion of others in that plan and the expectation that that will happen. But yeah, like you say, I don't always communicate it. So then when you fail to follow that plan, I'm like, what are you doing? That's not part of the plan that is in my head that I haven't told you about.

How dare you? And it could be something as simple as me saying, oh, do you want to go to M&S and get some snacks? I'm like, no. Of course I don't. That's not on the schedule. So, look, I get it. I think what happens to me is I fall into the trap,

and I think a lot of people can do this, where I assume wrongly that everyone thinks the same as me, you would have thought after 40 years of thinking different to most people that I meet, I would have learned that that is not the case. But that I make the same mistakes. I make the same plans. I don't think it's going to stop. No, I think the difference here, and actually I've experienced this differently, when I didn't know you were autistic, I thought you were just a bit of a dick.

I'm so sorry. I'm so, like, happy that we know. I'm so pro-neurodivergent. I understand how that sounds like, but to be like, oh, can we go to M&S? Nope. It's not in the plan. You haven't told me the plan. it felt like being a bit controlled and I didn't like it and I would react a bit bad.

Now I know it's autism. Like I just fully understand like every moment you are living according to an internal plan that you may not have told me. So I handle myself so differently now. Bit of a challenge though. Go on. How long have we been together? Six years.

How long have I been diagnosed autistic? Four months. So what you're saying is, for five years and eight months, you thought I was a bit of dick. That's just so that's clear in my head, just so I know exactly what we're saying. Yeah, the maths does track. Wow. Right. I won't take that personally, but.

But now, I don't know if you, do you know my technique now? I know. What is it? So I take into account that you'll have a secret plan in your head. Yeah. Good plan. And I'll sort of go at it. I've seen a lot of those PDA mums on TikTok.

Now they talk to their kids. Don't think I'm liking this. So I'll, like, PDA mum you. So I'll be like, hey, looks like you're working on the laptop. That's amazing. Absolutely no pressure. Just want to throw it out there. Totally your choice.

is there a world where it would be useful for us to go to M&S, to do some meal buying for the week? Oh, so you've tapped. No pressure. You've tapped into my cryptonite there. And then you sort of go, yeah. Well, that's where the planning extends beyond that day. Do you want to plan for the week?

And then I go to M&S. Oh, fuck it. So, yeah, PDA mums, thank you for that hack. It's basically, if I'm, come at you and go, babe, can we go to M&S? It will hit you like anxiety, no. Well, that's because I know why you're really saying it is so you can buy some fresh flowers and candles, none of which we need.

On to number three? Yeah. Oh. Eye contact. Right, I can be really specific with this, right? So it's not as simple as I'm bad at eye contact. I've got a few different modes of eye contact. You're staring at me.

right now. I'm staring into your soul through your eyes, the black hole in your eyes. What is that called? The retina. Pupil. Oh yeah. What's the retina? That's the script. Right. Anyway, so it's not as stereotypical, for me anyway, as what people would say, which is you're bad at making eye contact. For me, there's a few modes. When it's someone that I really, really, really, I don't have a problem with eye contact. Like I can I can talk to you and Sear and Lily and a few others on earth and maintain eye contact because I'm like feel comfortable and safe. The other one, and this is really specific, is if I am talking to a stranger, if I'm listening

to them, I will be making eye contact with them because I'll be taking eye contact with them because I'll be taking in the information. If I'm talking to them, if it's my turn to talk, there's no way eye contact is being made because it's really off-putting. So I will stare at a wall or into the distance. You sort of dart, your eyes dart, all or anywhere but the eyes.

Yeah, whilst I'm getting out what I want to say. And that's because it makes you more comfy. I have absolutely no idea why I do this. I just know, I guess it is a comfort thing. I would feel uncomfortable and I would feel also distracted if I look at someone. It's like when I look into the camera, I just did it just then. It feels like I'm looking into someone's eyes and like I can't concentrate on what I'm saying. Whereas if I'm just looking into space, I feel at peace.

and I can... We used to call it your five-mile stare. I like you doing your five-mile stare because you'd just be looking straight through me or away. Now we understand. I'm most engaged though at that point. If I'm looking away and talking, I'm really focused in on what I'm saying.

Oh, your brain is locked on. Yeah. I love it. And I love that you just do it. You do what's comfy for you and that's amazing. Yeah. So it's not as simple as. I think that the narrative out there is that autistic people are bad at making eye contact

is more complex and layered than that. For me, anyway. The eye contact spectrum. Yeah. Okay, number four, this is a really interesting one because it's repetitive movements, which is often kind of called in the community stimming. And you had always identified as someone that didn't stim, even when you were diagnosed, it was like, well, that's one thing I don't do.

But actually, we realized that you do. And as part of your autism assessment, there were some sort of questions asked in this lane. Yeah. And it opened your eyes to the fact that, oh, my gosh, you are. You're just not doing, I don't know, the sort of maybe the classics rocking back and forth or chewing on something, which you don't do. But what do you do in repetitive movement? So a few different things.

And they're probably, and it will be probably masking, but they're more disguised, I suppose, for me. And that would have been years and years of working in a bank where I couldn't have a fidget toy, maybe. But mine would be, if there was a hairband on my wrist, that really came, or a rubber band around my fingers. I was watching the video back of me being assessed. and I was just constantly playing with an elastic band

that must have been cutting off the circulation to three of my fingers, but I couldn't stop just playing with it really, really repetitively. And hair bands I do the same with as well. Hair bands are huge, constantly. You have actually got a fidget ring now that you will often just be spinning. So anything on your wrist or hand, you also sway a lot. when you stand and I've noticed Sear does it as well, you very rarely stand still.

You just gently sway in the breeze even when you're inside. Which is weird, right? Because I get motion sickness on a boat. But when I'm on land, I mimic that of maybe motion that you would get on a boat, like a gentle... It is, but I guess it is a kind of a self-stimulation, a calming down. I'll always notice if we're like in the queue for coffee.

There's one more thing that I do that I have, I can't remember what it's called, but me and Sear both do it. I'll try to explain it. But if we're sitting down with our legs up or lying in bed, my feet will rub together pretty like pretty constantly. There's a name for it. I can't remember what the name is.

But that is a thing. I couldn't, couldn't coat. without doing that. But it's interesting, isn't it? Because very often we see the classics online and you might not see yourself represented and then you might think, oh, and I'm not autistic because I don't rock

or I don't need a chew or whatever. But actually, it's those repetitive movements can show up in other ways. So it's anything that you're doing repetitively, like almost subconsciously, like you said that you need to do it. Like you need to rub your titsies together. So thank you for sharing.

Okay. Cricketing. Cricketing. Max has just told us. It's called cricketing. That is correct. I remember now. Thank you, Max.

Wow. That's specifically the feat thing. I have learned a new word. Cricketing. There you go. Lovely, jubly. Okay. Number five.

What? Monotonous voice. Yeah. Don't give. me, don't give me that look. So I do have a monotonous voice. I can't do anything about it. But to the point as well, I also am quite slow often when I, when I speak. So like, here's a bit of a fessing up to the internet. If I'm ever recording videos, I'll do videos where it's just me talking to the camera. I'll often have to change it to 1.1 speed just so I sound.

more human because I speak really slow and really monotonously. Mind you, would you say that yesterday when I set up my robotic lawnmower that maybe my voice changed or not, was it still quite monotonous? No. I was really internally excited about it. There was a slight, well, you said. to me, Bowie, I'm really excited about my robotic lawnmower. Right. So, no, it didn't change then, is what you're saying.

So it's still monotonous, but I could tell, obviously you've said, you did tell me, I could just tell by me just peering out of the window. Just you were there for hours, walking it around the garden. Even in fact, having a kind of robotic lawnmower and being so obsessed with it, I think. It is the best thing, product that I've ever. owned. No, I'm not, I'm not even joking about that. Maybe, babe, I can doubt how seriously.

Out of all items I have ever come into my possession. So actually, yeah, out of all items, you were a bit more animated. So if you are sort of intellectually stimulated by a robotic lawnmower, you might not be as monotone. Let's just break that down, right? you said I was slightly changed. Now we are talking about me saying this is the best item that I have owned in 40 years

and the best you get is a slight change in tone. Your eyebrows lifted. Oh, okay. Because it's also kind of a monotonous face. Oh, brilliant. Right, so I was a dick and now I'm just a monotonous face. No, no. I love it, but you know.

Right, how can you have a non-monotonous face? It's my face. It's like a face that sort of moves and emotes and like a drama school kid face, like my face. Right, okay. When obviously the Botox slightly, like slightly brings me down a level. Fine. Okay, before we get on to the next one, we're just going to take a very quick second. If you have ADHD or other types of neurodivergence, there is a chance that you have got sensory sensitivity,

which is a posh way of saying that your ears can hurt if it gets. bit loud. So we are so lucky on the late bloomer's podcast to be sponsored by the amazing loop earplugs. It's something that Rich and I both love wear and will not leave the house without. And all of our listeners get 20% off. We have got loop earplugs for every situation, whether you use the loop quiet if you're taking a nap, the loop engage. If you're going out for dinner or the loop experience, if like me, you're dragging your partner to a rock. concert. Simply go to the show notes of this podcast or the link in our bio to get your 20% off all of our favourite loop earplugs. Okay, let's get back into it with number six. It's a classic

and it's really, really hating small talk. Oh, this is such an easy one. Like, I don't know why it exists. It's pointless. I understand logically that it's to break the but all I do is think when this is happening and we're talking about rubbish stuff like the weather and stuff like that is I am actively thinking to myself when can this be over like can we talk about what we've men have be talking about this morning actually so you weren't on our call with our like team that work with us because you felt a bit poorly this morning and ever on was talking for like six minutes about their weekend and Mark had just been on holiday and Oscar was talking about I can't even remember and I felt myself tolerating it more or allowing

it more to like overcompensate that you weren't there so I was like I need to let them have their thing but then after six minutes I was like guys I feel like I've I've let this go on for a little bit longer because Rocks isn't here but can we get on to talking about business? Because I'm like the social glue. Yeah. So if I'm not there, you have to like, I'm like a rabbit in headlights, babe. I'm like on the call like, oh my God, what are these people expecting from me? Oh no. They, they know me. So it's fine. Like if it, if it was like, I can't do this thing, can you go in, like this would never happen, but go and meet all these new people and mingle and we might want to talk to them about, I'd be like, no.

I'm ill as well. I'm ill as a result of you saying that I am now not well enough to attend. Oh, it's so funny because it's one of those things that is so common, like it is so commonplace in normal life. When you meet someone, a phone call, a video call, business, friends, you do this little small talk dance of, I don't know, to let them know that you're friendly, to just kind of soften the situation, to show that you're human. You both care about each other and then you get into to work. But when you think about, or overthink about it, it's like, what are we actually,

like, what are we actually doing? It's really awkward. I will admit, though, I take it too far. So I've got an example of this weekend, I was, I was sending an email to someone. I can't remember who, Daria maybe, someone who works in the team. And bearing in mind it's Sunday, right? I'm sending this email, not expecting them to read it until Monday, but it's a work email. I wrote the whole email out and then just about to press send and then reread it. And I was so to the point. I like, I think I might have written high and then went straight into business. So I just added, Hope you're well. Which I would like that for me. a small talk because I don't want to start a conversation about that but that's just

politeness it's like hey I'm just about to ask you something so I hope that you're still alive and well and haven't got a bug and stuff like that so therefore you can do my way I'm going to assume you're fine so I'm now going to talk about business I was I was leaving that bit out I was leaving the I hope you're okay I mean plenty of people would do that they would just be on a Sunday yeah I think So right, well, maybe. Like Elon Musk, I imagine, just, he probably doesn't even say hi. Yeah.

So is that what I need to drop the high now? No, no, no. I quite like that you do the kind of. Hope you're okay. It just softens the blow of a work email, doesn't it? But does it? Like, do people read that and go, oh, he hopes that I'm okay? That's lovely, actually.

I'm going to read the rest of his email in a completely different mindset now. Rich has said that he hopes that I'm okay. I don't know. I'm not the person to ask because I used to be very like over like, hi, hope you're well. So great to see you. Smiley, emoji, moji, moji, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Could you do this thing?

Like, I was. But no worries if not. No worries if not. Actually, like, all the worries if not, because it's your job. Like, I've actually, I'm training myself to be less like that and more direct. I think it's really helpful in life. The more clear you are, just the better the results are. So yeah, I'm not the person to ask.

I would need a neurotypical person to be like, what is the point of these emails? It's just the way it's always been done, isn't it? I don't know how many of them listen to this podcast. So maybe... Probably none. Okay, on to number seven. It's parallel play.

Okay. So this is lovely, but can also cause problems, right? So I will, I've got a really good example of where I would like you to parallel play with me, but you don't want to. Go on. So as if I'm playing my video game, which I don't do very often. And even though I am not going to communicate with you while I'm playing Call of Duty or something like that, I can't hear you because I've got a headset on, I still would rather you were there.

than not. Oh. I don't know. If it's weird, right? Because I'm not going to, I'm not going to talk to you. No, it's sweet.

It's sweet. It's like the, just the quiet company. I understand. It's kind of like body doubling, but for play. Yeah. Yeah, I understand.

The reason why I don't like it because I just get really bored because I can't sit and watch a video game. I also don't like because you're really loud. I think. I think it's more that than boredom, because you... Shouting, I'm like, oh God. Because you could just lie on the sofa on your phone.

Oh, yeah, I could. What, if you were a bit more quiet, it's like very aggressive. I have a very strong jump reflex. Yeah, okay, that's fair. So they don't particularly want to watch a kind of... Yeah. A gun game. But I will do it.

I tell you where I do love it is, with my new gardening obsession, when the sun's out, you come and... You'll come and vibe there, won't you? I'll sit on the sunbed while you are gardening. Pottering. Pottering. I love that. I wonder if pottering comes from gardening

because of the pot. Pottering shed. Pottering shed. Oh, I bet it does. Pottering in the garden. Max, can you let us know by the end of this episode, please, where pottering comes from? I would like to know.

I'll let you know by the end. Stay tuned in. Cricketing and pottering. Yeah. Oh, have you got on now? Pottering originates from 16th century English, deriving from the old word pottyen, meaning to

Poke, push or shove. Why, nothing to do with gardening. Are you poking, pushing and shoving in the garden? We're no longer using pottering because it doesn't make any sense. God, I wish I didn't ask. On to the next one. Lifelong special interest. Yeah, okay.

So mine's golf. I love golf. I mean from when you were... Ten? 10 um lily's just getting into it as well which is really quite exciting for me she's really good so i might be my retirement plan might be being a caddy lily's caddy yeah i would i would love that so yeah i maybe it's because because of the sport as well like it's quite like in nature quiet quiet calm but i

competitive, which I also am incredibly competitive. But yeah, it's not a, with a obsession or did you say obsession? Special interest. Special interest. Same thing. You haven't really got a choice. Once it's got you, it's got you and you can't do anything about it. Good, another good example is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, right? So I haven't got a choice. Even though a lot of the most recent films have not been very good. They've definitely gone for a bad patch, Deadborn Wolverine, bought it back a little bit. But I haven't got a choice.

I can't go, this isn't very good anymore, I'm going to stop watching. I have to endure all of the films, no matter whether they're good or not, because I have to be well equipped to know what's going on. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's not a choice. I mean, you have a whole leg full of Marvel tattoos. Yeah. Not the new ones, though.

You've seen some of those films over 200 times? Oh, lots, lots. They're also your safety films, though, aren't they? Like, it's a special interest, but if you're ever alone, if I'm ever not here, you watch them on repeat. I actually feel a sense of warmth and safety when I put on Avengers Infinity War, yeah. And it's crazy, right, because it's not a war. feel-good film, really.

Yeah, but it's your special interest. I think it's so, I just find it adorable. I don't want to patronise. Or even fanatialise, but it is quite... Yeah. Number nine. Wasn't that number seven? There's number eight.

Okay. Are you sure? I may have made an error, but I'm going to back myself because that's kind of person I am these days. Right. Number nine, exit strategies. So this is... And this is so funny because pre-autism diagnosis and post, like, I have a different reaction

to you doing this. When we were first together, I felt incredibly uncomfortable if we'd like go to your families for a barbecue. And we would have been there for an hour. People are chatting. People are setting in. Having a drink, having a hot dog. And then suddenly you would just sort of move and go, right, I've had enough now. Time to go, Bobby. And like, out of nowhere. It was like just throwing a leaving grenade into the middle of the party. And there was no like warming up to it, going around, shaking hands, hugs. It was just like, I'm done. We're leaving. It was like something had happened. Maybe your social battery had run out and you had to leave. And that's happened at barbecues, parties, nights out, dinners, even when people are at our house, I think it's

time for you to go now. Like, just what I would think of, like, incredibly rude. And I know often and autistic people can be wrongly judged as rude. And now I understand it's just your social battery has been reached. But yeah, tell me a bit more about that. Well, yeah, it's not just announcing when I'm leaving. It's also having a bit of a plan about how long I'm going to stay before I get there. So it's like if it's a barbecue and we're arriving at two, I'm not completely rigid with this, but I'm like,

is two hours enough time to stay there. And then I'll say to you, like, do you think that's about right? Like, should we be aiming to leave about four? Which is crazy, right? Because if I'm having a good time, I still gets to four and I'm like, oh. Time to leave. Time to leave now. Oh, so that's your own secret plan.

Malfunctioning in my own brain. Yeah. Where I'm the one that's like potentially wants to deviate from the plan. But that's just not how I'm, not how I'm wired. With regards to announcing it, leaving, I sort of don't know any other way because I can't just leave without saying anything because they'll be like, where's Rich gone? That's a long wee. So I have to sort of say to people, and if I'm in conversation with people, they need to know that the conversation's over and I'm leaving. I think, I actually think your way of doing it is brilliant.

It comes in your head. Time's go. Time's go. See you. what is sort of done typically or what I would do, let's say if I decided it was time to leave, I'd come up to you, I'd like, Bobby, do you think it's time to leave?

Okay, I'm just going to go and speak to the host. Just to let you know, thank you so much. I think we decided to leave. I was going to say bye. You've got to say bye, get your bits, get in another combo. So you'd take an hour run up to leaving anyway. Yeah, to try and not appear rude. There's you just like, I've had enough now, I'm going.

and actually I've got a lot of respect for it. I think just sometimes it feels like it comes out of nowhere because you'll look like you're in the middle of a good combo and you'll just like shake it off and go right, time to leave. It's funny as well and I don't mean I do obviously care about people's feelings so I do try to not come across rude. But what's funny as well is after I've made that declaration that I'm leaving, if somebody tries to start up a new conversation,

I will shut it down with, I'm leaving. I don't know why you're doing this. I've literally said I'm leaving and you're starting to talk to me about something new. I haven't got time to engage with you. I'm sorry. I love it. I love it. Okay.

And finally, number 10. Loyalty to routines. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it sort of does what it says on the tin. I love a routine. I don't know whether that will come as a surprise to you or not. And unless I can think and find and test and validate that a newer routine is better, then that routine is staying.

And even on holiday, right, I will quite quickly get to a routine on holiday with what happens in the morning, where everything is, where to go, what table to sit out at breakfast, what to order at breakfast, what to do immediately following breakfast. Like, that's just how my life is. It's a life of routine. I like it. There's no unexpected stuff. And if this is the one, I'm sure there's multiple weaknesses with a lot of these 10 things,

but one thing that really notes, which I, wish I had more resilience for is if the routine is broken by something that is out of my control, something breaking or something going wrong or whatever, someone coming to the door, it like puts my whole thing out, my whole nervous system. I'm like, this is not how today was meant to be. The whole day can be ruined for you if you're not. out of routine and it's very difficult. In fact, it's almost impossible to get back in. That's when you'll need to watch Marvel or do one of the safety things. Or potter in my garden.

Potter in the garden or cricket with your feet to feel okay again. And it's just, it's so interesting, isn't it, how someone that so needs routines feel happy and focused is married to someone who is like the antithesis of routine. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, but we've made it work. We have. I mean, listen, if you can think I'm a dick for five years and eight months, I can put up with your lack of routine following, I suppose it's the least I can do. This has been the late blooms podcast. We do love each other, really, I promise. Thank you so much for hanging out with us. We'd love to know. How many of Rich's little weird things do you relate to?

What have you found on your journey to autism or ADHD that you thought will maybe weird personality quirks and actually turned out to be something quite different? Thanks so much for listening. If you did like the episode, like, follow, subscribe. It really does help us and we shall see you next week.