Footballer James McClean reveals he has been diagnosed with autism at 33 after he recognised ‘small traits’ from his daughter – who also has the condition
Republic of Ireland footballer, James McClean, has revealed he has been diagnosed with autism at the age of 33, having undergone tests after noticing similar traits in his daughter, who has the condition too.
The Wigan Athletic winger said he had gone on ‘a bit of a journey’ before receiving a formal diagnosis.
McClean, who has 98 caps for Ireland, has been helping his daughter Willow-Ivy understand her disorder and learning about it alongside her before deciding to get an assessment himself.
Having been officially diagnosed with autism, McClean has now taken to Instagram to share the news during autism awareness week, taking the opportunity to discuss how he has helped Willow-Ivy navigate the condition – saying he decided to go public to help her.
As you all know, my daughter Willow-Ivy is autistic,’ he wrote alongside a picture of himself posing with her.
The last four years have been life-changing in the most amazing way but also very difficult at times as her daddy [has been] watching her overcome so many obstacles in her life and learning how to manage the challenges she faces on a daily basis.
‘The more [wife] Erin and I learned about autism the more we began to recognise I was very similar to Willow in more ways than we thought.
‘I see so many small traits in her that I see in myself. So I decided to go and get an ASD assessment.