Learning disability nurse and RCN Nursing Awards winner Gerard Wainwright was diagnosed with autism at 50 and wants more opportunities for the neurodivergent

Like many people with a late diagnosis of autism, I was increasingly aware that I was autistic long before I was diagnosed. Equally, I would often think of reasons why I was not autistic. I have a career as a nurse that requires me to be caring and empathetic, I have a deep love for my partner and children, I am not particularly good with numbers and I do not have a highly specialised talent or photographic memory.