The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by ADHD & autistic entrepreneur Ben Branson.
Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.
1 in 5 people are neurodivergent.
That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.
To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.
Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.
Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by ADHD & autistic entrepreneur Ben Branson.
Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.
1 in 5 people are neurodivergent.
That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.
To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.
Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.
Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, Ben sits down with Professor Francesca Happé - one of the most distinguished and respected voices in autism research. With over 30 years at the forefront of the field, Francesca has reshaped how we understand autism, from exploring social cognition to uncovering the hidden experiences of autistic women, the elderly, and under-researched groups.
Together, they get to the heart of why so many women remain unseen, undiagnosed and misdiagnosed. As well as exploring what ageing means when the world was never built for your brain.
They unpack diagnostic overshadowing, the crossover between CPTSD and autism, and what happens when a late diagnosis reframes an entire lifetime.
This is the First of a Two Part Episode - tune in for some groundbreaking discoveries next week in Part Two!
00:00 Introduction
1:30 Autism: The Study That Keep’s Francesca Up at Night
4:00 Autistic Elderly People VS Our Society
5:45 Late in Life Autism Diagnosis: A Lifetime Reframed
10:07 Autistic Women: The Missing Diagnoses
12:50 Eating Disorders VS Autism: What is Diagnostic Overshadowing?
17:16 Autism in Women & Girls: Finally Being Diagnosed
19:40 What is the Difference between Male and Female Autism?
23:20 Can Animals Be Autistic?
25:33 Aging VS Autism: Does Autism Lower Life Expectancy?
28:10 Living with CPTSD & Autism: Untangling the Symptoms
33:45 Are Autistic People More Sensitive?
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On "The Hidden 20%," host Ben Branson chats with neurodivergent [ADHD, Autism, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette's etc.] creatives, entrepreneurs, and experts to see how great minds.. think differently.
Host: Ben Branson
Head of Production: Bella Neale
Assistant Producer: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
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Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Simon Baron Cohen @sbaroncohen
If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
