'I grew up thinking there was something wrong with me - after 17 years I finally got answers'

IT TOOK 17 years for Lily Morgan to find out one of the most important things about herself.

- HOLLY MORGAN

She said she was made to feel isolated, frustrated and alone. It took her mental health hitting an all-time-low for her to get answers.

She was diagnosed with autism, dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome at age 17, years after being “let down” by the Welsh education system - a system, in her view, that did not care about people like her.

The 20-year-old is a student at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Most studies suggest that the average age for an autism diagnosis in the UK is around three years old, but for women, their diagnosis is often missed or delayed because autism is frequently stereotyped as a male condition and the signs can present differently.

Lily recalled how, in primary school, she would frequently fail the Welsh Government national tests for reading and numeracy, yet no-one intervened or flagged that something could be wrong.

“My parents were constantly at the school pushing for them to look into why I was underperforming. I have three siblings, and they knew I was different to them,’ Lily said. “I couldn't read. I was ‘below average’ on all national tests. My parents brought it up multiple times but it was always brushed under the carpet.

“But the school must have thought that because I was quiet and well-behaved, there was nothing to flag, and this has been a pretty common theme throughout education for me.

“There’s a misconception that neurodiversity equals being naughty at that age, but the thing is, females are intelligent, we mask, we adapt and find ways to fit in. Often, neurodiverse boys will have outbursts when they are overwhelmed. This is not always the same in women. Educators should know that.

“Looking back now, it bewilders me how no-one picked up on anything”