298 ADHD, Autism, and The Hidden Struggles in Women You Didn't See Coming
I Have ADHD Podcast
Kristen Carder
4.8 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 14 January 2025
⏱️ 63 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ever feel like the world just doesn't get what’s happening inside your brain? In this episode of the I Have ADHD Podcast, I sit down with my client and colleague Dr. Priyanka Rao, and we dive headfirst into the wild, twisty world of ADHD and autism—especially how it shows up in women.
We’re talking about the real stuff—like why it’s so dang hard to get diagnosed, the silent battles happening behind the scenes, and why neurodiversity-affirming care is a game-changer (spoiler: it’s life-changing). Dr. Rao opens up about her late-in-life diagnosis and lets us in on what she wished she knew sooner.
Oh, and hormones? Yep, they’re in the mix too. We cover how they mess with ADHD, the overlap with autism, and—most importantly—how you can speak up and advocate for yourself during assessments.
I also unpack some heavy hitters: perfectionism (ugh), why self-diagnosis is totally valid, and how the mental health field needs to step it up when it comes to cultural competence and understanding neurodivergent brains.
This episode is packed with insights, personal stories, and practical tips to help you feel seen, heard, and ready to take on the world (or at least that overdue to-do list).
www.ihaveadhd.com/perfectionism
www.ashamh.com
www.asha-coaching.com
@ashacoach
Hit play and let’s get into it!
Watch this episode on YouTube
Want help with your ADHD? Join FOCUSED!
Have questions for Kristen? Call 1.833.281.2343
Hang out with Kristen on Instagram and TikTok
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the I Have ADHD podcast, where it's all about education, encouragement, and coaching for adults with ADHD. |
| 0:13.8 | I'm your host, Kristen Carter, and I have ADHD. Let's chat about the frustrations, humor, |
| 0:20.1 | and challenges of adulting, relationships, |
| 0:22.8 | working, and achieving with this neurodevelopmental disorder. I'll help you understand your unique brain, |
| 0:29.7 | unlock your potential, and move from point A to point B. Hey, what's up? This is Kristen Carter, |
| 0:35.8 | and you've tuned into the I Have ADHD podcast. I am |
| 0:39.2 | medicated, caffeinated, regulated, and ready to roll. Today, I just have a guest that I adore |
| 0:46.9 | and I'm so excited to introduce you to her. Dr. Priyanka Rao is a licensed clinical psychologist |
| 0:54.0 | based in Minneapolis and the founder |
| 0:56.3 | of Asha Mental Health, a private practice specializing in neurodiversity, affirming, and multicultural, |
| 1:03.8 | inclusive mental health care. She's an executive coach for leaders and entrepreneurs, especially |
| 1:09.7 | those with ADHD. And as a late |
| 1:12.7 | diagnosed ADHD or herself, Dr. Rao brings both professional expertise and personal insight |
| 1:19.0 | to her work, particularly in neurodiversity affirming adult ADHD and autism assessment, |
| 1:26.8 | which we're going to be talking about today. When she's not working, |
| 1:30.5 | Pri enjoys chasing after her two highly energetic toddler boys attempting to stop her comically |
| 1:37.1 | large dog, Loki, from eating all of her kids' food and spending too much time watching every |
| 1:42.6 | hallmark rom-con she can find on Netflix. Now, listen, |
| 1:47.0 | I adore this woman so much. She's been a client of mine for almost a year, and I feel so grateful to |
| 1:53.5 | her to come and share her experience with me, with you. We're going to be talking about ADHD and |
| 1:59.1 | women. We're going to be talking about the overlap between autism and ADHD, and we're going to be talking about ADHD and women. We're going to be talking about the overlap |
| 2:01.6 | between autism and ADHD. And we're going to talk about what does it mean to actually be |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Kristen Carder, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Kristen Carder and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.