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Grace Tame has launched a new four-part ABC podcast called “Autistic AF,” drawing on her personal experience of receiving an autism diagnosis at age 19 after years of going undiagnosed. The podcast explores what life is like for autistic women and gender-diverse people, combining personal stories with the latest research.
Quick Facts
- Four-part podcast series as a takeover of the ABC’s “Ladies, We Need to Talk” show
- Grace Tame diagnosed with autism at 19 after years of misdiagnosis and misunderstanding
- Launched May 31, 2026 with episodes available on ABC Listen and Spotify
- Girls are far more likely to receive late diagnoses than boys, a pattern the podcast addresses directly
A Late Diagnosis After Years of Misunderstanding
For years, Grace Tame was misdiagnosed and misunderstood before finally receiving an autism diagnosis in her late teens. This experience is far from unique. According to reporting on the podcast, girls are far more likely to get a late diagnosis than boys, a gap that reflects how autism in women is often missed or overlooked by clinicians. Tame said the diagnosis “could be confronting” and that it was “common for women to be diagnosed later in life.” The podcast investigates why science has historically left girls behind in autism recognition and what that gap means for their development and self-understanding.
Exploring Autism in Women and Gender-Diverse People
The four-part “Autistic AF” series takes over ABC’s “Ladies, We Need to Talk” podcast to dive into autism through both Tame’s personal lens and expert voices. The series combines personal stories with the latest research, exploring topics including late diagnosis, masking—the effort autistic people expend to hide or conform to neurotypical behavior—and overlooked strengths. Tame meets leading experts in autism as part of the takeover, bringing scientific context to lived experience.
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What the Podcast Means for Autism Awareness
By centering the voices and experiences of autistic women and gender-diverse people, the podcast addresses a historically underserved audience. Many adults discover they are autistic only after their own children are diagnosed, or much later in life when patterns finally click into place. Tame’s willingness to share her own late-diagnosis journey in a major broadcast platform signals growing mainstream attention to neurodiversity and the particular challenges women face in being recognized and supported as autistic people.
Sources
- ABC Listen — Official podcast page with series description and episode links
- News.com.au — Tame’s diagnosis age, quote on late diagnosis being common for women, June 2, 2026
- ABC Radio description — Confirmation of four-part series structure and expert-led format
- Apple Podcasts — Information that girls are far more likely to receive late diagnosis than boys
