Autism Masking in Early Childhood | Why My Signs Were Missed - Ep 135 with Avalon McWha

“I think I’ve always felt a bit like an alien… even in preschool I remember watching other kids like curious creatures.”Avalon McWha spent much of her childhood feeling different without knowing why. Behaviours like stimming or walking on tiptoes were explained away as “just a ballet moment,” and it wasn’t until later in life that she discovered she was autistic and ADHD.If you’ve ever felt like an outsider growing up, struggled with masking, or are navigating a late autism or ADHD diagnosis, this conversation explores what changes once you finally understand your brain. Avalon McWha is an ADHD advocate, autism consultant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and founder of Pebbl Tech. She works to improve autism diagnosis services and create more sensory-friendly environments in healthcare. Avalon is also developing Pebbl, a wearable assistive device designed to support executive functioning through simple voice reminders.Episode Highlights00:01:48 — Feeling like an alien in early childhood Avalon recalls observing other children even in preschool and feeling like she was fundamentally different. Without understanding why, she experienced social interactions almost like watching a different species operate.00:03:35 — When autism traits were mistaken for something else Growing up doing ballet meant that behaviours like stimming or walking on tiptoes were interpreted as dance habits rather than autistic traits. These misinterpretations helped hide the signs of autism for years.00:09:30 — Burnout from masking in the workplace While early design roles allowed her to work independently, startup environments demanded constant meetings and social interaction. The cognitive load of masking eventually led to severe burnout and moments of going nearly nonverbal.00:12:53 — Processing a late autism diagnosis After receiving her diagnosis, Avalon went through a long period of reinterpreting past experiences and confronting internalized ableism. Realizing autism wasn’t inherently negative helped reshape her understanding of herself.00:18:09 — Advocating for better autism diagnosis systems In her role at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Avalon works alongside clinicians to ensure autistic perspectives are included in the diagnostic process. Her focus is helping professionals remember that behind every diagnostic score is a real person.00:20:23 — Building Pebbl to reduce cognitive load Avalon explains how her own struggles with executive functioning led her to develop Pebbl, a wearable device designed to simplify reminders without adding more mental effort or screen time.Connect with Avalon:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/avalon-mcwha-2a3876baWebsite: https://pebbl.tech/Connect with Jeremy:LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremyEmail: jeremy@focusbear.ioMore from Focus Bear:Website: https://focusbear.ioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-bear/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focusbearappTwitter: https://twitter.com/focusbear1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_bear/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focusbearapp/Podcast: https://podcast.focusbear.ioTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@focusbear