Bassline Episode 24

In this special episode, the roles are reversed as Adrian takes the interviewer’s seat to speak with Dave about a subject that is both deeply personal and increasingly relevant: neurodiversity, late ADHD diagnosis, and the profound impact this can have on our relationship with money.

Dave reflects on being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, prompted initially by his children’s experiences and a growing realisation that many lifelong patterns finally had an explanation. What follows is a candid discussion of how neurodiversity shapes how people process information, manage attention, experience boredom, and engage with complex topics such as finance, risk, and long-term planning.

Together, Adrian and Dave explore:

• What neurodiversity really means, and why it is neurological rather than psychological
• How ADHD can manifest in adulthood, from hyperfocus and creativity to difficulty with documents, money, and future planning
• The hidden risks neurodiverse individuals can face in financial decision-making, particularly around trust and complexity
• Why traditional financial advice frameworks often fail to capture people’s true relationship with money
• How advisers can communicate more effectively by adapting how information is presented, rather than assuming one size fits all
• The growing role of AI in financial understanding, and why human oversight remains essential

The conversation also looks forward, asking how AI could help bridge gaps in financial literacy and accessibility, especially for those who struggle with conventional formats, while warning against blind reliance on automated advice.

Above all, this episode is about understanding brains, not labelling them, and recognising that neurodiversity is not a weakness but often a source of insight, creativity, and commercial instinct. For Dave, diagnosis became “a key unlocking the brain” — and a catalyst for healthier relationships with money, family, and self-understanding.

This is a thoughtful, honest episode for anyone interested in neurodiversity, financial well-being, and the future of advice in an AI-enabled world.

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