30/08/2026
Westmeath couple on planning a neurodivergent-friendly wedding.
Engaged couple Cathal Cully and Rebecca Wilson were in the midst of wedding planning when they decided to launch 'Different Minds, Same Heart', an awareness and education campaign for neurodiversity.
Having both received diagnoses in their 30s, the couple are coming to terms with how overwhelming traditional weddings can be for those on the spectrum.
Cathal was diagnosed with Autism just a few years ago, while Rebecca received her ADHD diagnosis in recent months and is still awaiting her Autism assessment.
Now, in the run-up to their vows, they are working to spread awareness of just how broad the neurodivergent spectrum really is, and how society can become more supportive.
"I was diagnosed twice with ADHD, once as a child and once as a teenager," Cathal explains. "Autism would come up, but my parents would avoid it, so it was when I was an adult that I got the official diagnosis privately."
As well as a lack of resources during his childhood, the 33-year-old says his diagnosis was delayed due to the formatting of the tests.
"They say you can answer the questions any way you want, but I didn't even want to be there," he laughed.
Taking that as a very literal instruction, he used very few words to answer the questions, which he says would be interpreted as a short attention span and lack of focus.
Meanwhile, despite having suspicions for much of her life, Rebecca was only recently diagnosed with ADHD and is currently saving for a private Autism assessment.
"My [ADHD] diagnosis was only about five or six months ago," she explains. "I had suspected it for a few years. In my early 20s, I struggled with my mental health a lot; I had to leave work with depression and anxiety."
The 32-year-old was first misdiagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, as a lot of the symptoms overlapped with traits of neurodivergence.
Much like Cathal, Rebecca struggled with the formatting of the questions she was being asked.
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https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2026/0829/1589604-westmeath-couple-on-planning-a-neurodivergent-friendly-wedding/
