ABOUT ME

I am an author and writer based in Gateshead in Northeast England, with a background in communications, journalism and youth work, giving me opportunities to work with different communities, understand challenges people face and reflect on my own. Moments of reflection throughout my career eventually led to writing and publishing my debut book “Neurodiversity in the Workplace: How to create a safe and supportive environment” which is an achievement I continue to be deeply proud of. It is about promoting systemic inclusion and universal design at work, cultivating community and making the workplace a positive place to be and most importantly be yourself in. The book grew out of my own experiences as a neurodivergent person at work, and passion for change. From a young age, I have always felt different and that I didn’t quite fit in. I always longed for a sense of belonging, to be included and valued. I was diagnosed with dyspraxia at the age of seven, and since my teenage years have experienced periods of anxiety and poor mental health. It wasn’t until my 30’s when I was diagnosed with ADHD and started putting pieces of my previously unsolvable puzzle together.

After developing my career, following numerous bouts of mental health relapses, and trying to understand where my neurodivergent brain can fit in, I have turned my attention to exploring in greater depth inclusion in the workplace. This thinking was inspired by a recent workplace that was supportive of growth whatever someone’s differences, identity, or challenges.

I wrote 'neurodiversity in the workplace' because I want organisations to consider what inclusion really means in policy and practice, and to share my dream for a better, fairer and more just world for neurodivergent folk in the workplace. I believe that if we work together, we can achieve that dream.

Following the publication, I regularly share my experiences of ADHD, dyspraxia and neurodivergence in the media and have appeared on national radio, live panel discussions, podcasts, written articles and been interviewed for magazine features. I have also successfully generated interest from several employers and delivered talks on inclusion for a wide range of organisations including an energy company, NHS Trusts, charities and local authorities.

Shortly after my book was released, I went through redundancy, and suddenly understood why the book, and more research and understanding on inclusion in the workplace and during recruitment is very much needed. Redundancy, especially related to neurodivergent people’s challenges isn’t often spoken about. I was suddenly thrown into a world of endless applications, and interviews. Tasks that weren’t written or communicated well, and ambiguous expectations of job adverts. I came face to face with practices that were not built to include me. Organisations queried the need for reasonable adjustments and face to face interviews were in busy, noisy environments that were not neurodivergent friendly. As disheartening and exhausting the process felt, I considered how it must be for others, those who don’t have the language to describe inclusion, people who remain undiagnosed due long waiting lists and others who need different methods to communicate. It is for these people that I continue to speak and write about the injustices many neurodivergent people face when going through redundancy, job hunting or finding a community where they can belong at work.

I hope that my now more positive experience of a previous workplace, will provide hope for others for the future, and act as a starting point for conversations, to challenge the expected norms around inclusion at work and throughout the systems and services we access. My writing and speaking draws on the challenging, complex, and often difficult to talk about topics, to tackle stigma, normalise difference and being vulnerable, and to raise awareness of the issues people face.

You can check out more of my writing in my blog here.

And please consider buying my book about neurodivergent inclusion at work here.

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