'I Was Told the Problem Was Me’: Raising My Autistic Daughter

'I Was Told the Problem Was Me’: Raising My Autistic Daughter

From Happy Mum Happy Baby by Giovanna Fletcher

April 21, 2026 · 1h 11m · Season 17 · Episode 17

About this episode

Catherine Simpson shares her journey of raising her autistic daughter Nina and the challenges faced in obtaining a diagnosis.

Catherine Simpson thought she was failing as a mother throughout the first 10 years of her daughter Nina's life. After a decade of misdiagnosis, blame, and searching for answers, she finally discovered the truth: Nina is autistic. In this episode of Happy Mum Happy Baby, Catherine sits down with Giovanna for a conversation about the journey to getting Nina—now 31—her diagnosis. This episode is all about letting go of perfection, and learning to navigate a world not built for autistic children. Catherine’s memoir, Hold Fast: Motherhood, My Autistic Daughter and Me , is available now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Giovanna

Guest: Catherine Simpson

Topics covered

  • autism
  • motherhood
  • diagnosis
  • parenting
  • mental health

Keywords

  • perfection
  • navigating autism
  • memoir

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Hold Fast: Motherhood, My Autistic Daughter and Me

Books & works: Happy Mum Happy Baby, Hold Fast: Motherhood, My Autistic Daughter and Me

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