I learned I was AUDHD at 61 and my life finally made sense
AUDHD Is Its Own Thing: Stephanie Lewis on RSD, Sensory Life, and a Therapy That Doesn’t Rely on Talking
Struggling with therapy that asks you to “talk it out” when words won’t come? This one’s for you.
In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie Lewis—retired special education teacher, school psychologist, and coach—who discovered her own autism and ADHD in her 60s. We unpack why AUDHD isn’t just “autism + ADHD,” how that shows up day to day, and why so many of us feel unseen in traditional therapy.
Stephanie reveals a structured, non-language-based process she created that helps with things like rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), shutdowns, and overwhelm—without forcing you to label every feeling. You’ll hear how it works with the nervous system, why confidence is a habit you can build, and the subtle shifts clients notice first.
By the end, you’ll see new possibilities for relief and self-trust—and you’ll have a simple first step you can try today. But how does this approach reduce RSD episodes? What makes it flexible for different AUDHD profiles? And why do many clients feel “seen” long before they say much at all?
About the Guest
Stephanie Lewis is a retired special education teacher and school psychologist turned coach. After decades supporting neurodivergent folks, she learned she’s autistic with ADHD and now focuses on accessible methods that don’t depend on heavy talk therapy. She also offers free intro sessions to her process on Facebook and Zoom.
Key Timestamps
0:11 – Meet Stephanie Lewis and her late-in-life diagnosis
1:59 – What AUDHD really means (and why it’s not in the DSM…yet)
11:49 – The problem Stephanie set out to solve with a non-talking method
16:52 – When traditional therapy missed the mark
18:27 – “You function”: a simple way to describe the AUDHD experience
27:29 – How this structure differs from typical approaches
31:52 – Working with the nervous system, not against it
33:43 – Handling burnout, shutdowns, and overwhelm in real time
42:54 – For the AUDHD listener exhausted by bad therapy
44:18 – A quick, calming drawing practice for overwhelm
If this resonated, subscribe and share with someone who needs it. Find Stephanie’s links in the show notes, join our community newsletter, and keep the conversation going with me on socials.
Keywords: AUDHD, autism, ADHD, neurodivergent, RSD, rejection sensitive dysphoria, shutdowns, burnout, sensory sensitivity, DSM-5, nonverbal therapy, drawing-based therapy, habit building
Call to Action: Subscribe for more supportive conversations, grab the links to Stephanie’s free sessions, and send this to a parent, educator, or friend who could use practical, compassionate tools.
#AUDHD #Neurodivergent #Autism #ADHD #RSD
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