Rediscovered: A Compassionate and Courageous Guide For Late Discovered Autistic Women

by Catherine Asta

Misunderstood your whole life, ashamed, lost, lonely and struggling to cope? Exhausted from trying, but never quite managing, to fit in? Welcome to the Late Discovered Club, home to thousands of late discovered autistic women.

Late discovery can be life-changing - a lifetime of mysteries finally making sense. But there can also be a deep accompanying sense of grief. This is a book about coming home to yourself.

Part memoir, part guide, part narrative non-fiction - this book weaves Catherine Asta's deeply personal late discovery story with the lived experiences of over 100 autistic women spanning seven decades, while offering therapeutic insight, practical tools, and a powerful cultural critique of the systems that continue to overlook autistic women.

Catherine's empathetic guidance supports you advocate for yourself with a greater degree of self-awareness. With chapters on everything from masking, mental health, meltdowns, and menopause, to burnout, sensory processing, emotions, relationships, and work - it helps you to nurture your strengths as an autistic woman.

Most importantly, it shows you that you are not alone.

Catherine's next book, Still Living: Rewilding The Self After The Climb was published in April 2026.

Genres: Nonfiction, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Adhd, Psychology, Disability

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 21, 2025

About the author

Catherine is a former NHS strategist turned psychotherapist, writer, visual artist and storyteller. She lives on the edge of the moors in Ilkley, Yorkshire where the wild beauty of the landscape inspires and informs much of her creative work.

She is the author of two books: Rediscovered (2025, JKP), which has been translated internationally, and her memoir Still Living (2026), published under her own independent publishing imprint. Catherine is also the producer and host of The Late Discovered Club, the number-one-ranked podcast for late-identified autistic women, as well as the NHS-funded Autism Central podcast.

Her work is deeply shaped by her connection to nature and her lived experiences as a disabled woman, a two-time breast cancer survivor, and someone navigating life with ME, chronic illness and pain. Through her writing, art, space holding and storytelling, Catherine explores the intersections of identity, difference, vulnerability and what it means to be human.

Across all her work runs a belief in the power of stories to challenge what we think we know, make space for difference, and remind us of our shared humanity - creating possibilities for deeper understanding, connection and belonging.

Instagram | @catherine.asta
Substack |'The Wild Returning'
Website | www.catherineasta.com

Reviews

[Emily Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compassionate, honest and brave guide for any late diagnosed autistic woman but which I’m sure holds wisdom and messages for anyone who picks it up. Catherine sharing her experience of being an autistic woman going through cancer treatment shed a light on autistic experience I haven’t seen covered before. Highly recommend.

[Sarah Boon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Experiences of autistic people I know are talked about in this book that I haven’t seen written before (going through cancer when you’re autistic) I’d particularly recommend this book for women discovering their autistic in middle age. I’m still (just about) considered a young person, so it’s good to have a heads up of what it’s like being autistic in the years to come.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and put words to feelings I've had as a late diagnosed autistic woman. Highly recommended read!

[Julianne Nanzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

PHENOMENAL! Catherine please write more?! 🥰✨

[Michael Karasinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The depth at which Catherine shares her experiences in this book is incredibly brave. Her honesty and compassion will without doubt help not just late discovered autistic women, but anyone who reads it. It will help to spark important conversations within families and workplaces, helping to break down the stigma surrounding diagnosis (or self-diagnosis) and foster a sense of safety and understanding.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

great

[Frances Gaudiano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative for adult women who feel they may have autism. It is upsetting in sections but tools are provided for readers who feel they want to go on the journey of self-discovery and acceptance.

[Amy · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Lynn Finnerty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unsure how to review this book without outing myself. If you’ve spent your life masking. If youre sensitive touch, light, sound. If you want to be social but don’t really know how. If you were late to the “fill in the blank” in childhood and adulthood. If seemingly normal behaviors and exchnages feel awkward or uncomfortable for you. If you are obsessed with logic, structure, order, rules, and routines. If you’ve been described as odd or shy. And in particular if you are a woman and were born before the 1990s and any of these lines describe you, you may be a late discovered autistic woman. This book was fantastic and helped with my unpacking process.

Recommend. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was für ein großartiges Buch! Ich bewundere Catherine Asta und bin dankbar für dieses tiefe Verständnis und die Hilfestellung die dieses Buch gibt. Man kann sehr viel damit arbeiten. Ich sehe es sozusagen als meine eigene Therapeutin, denn wir wissen ja, an Hilfe mangelt es an jeder Ecke!

[Melissa Annis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. I carried this around with me everywhere I went. It made me feel like I was not alone and was not weird. For any adult who is or might think they are neurodivergent it is a must read.