Why Parents of Neurodivergent Children can be Trailblazers for the Future

We have a brand-new episode of ‘Autism: In conversation with auticon’ to share with you. Hosted by Carrie Grant, our latest episode is all about autistic talent – what that means, what that looks like, how we celebrate it, and how we nurture it.   Carrie is joined by a fantastic panel, including: Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip, Pollen Projects and The Hidden 20%, Dancer & TV Personality Tom Malone Jnr, and Steve Hill, Chief Commercial Officer for UK & Ireland at auticon.

Did you know that June 18th marks Autistic Pride Day? We thought, what better way to celebrate than to release a ‘best of’ podcast episode, featuring a selection of guests from the last five series of ‘Autism: In conversation with auticon’.   We hear from an incredible lineup about a wealth of subjects including: what being autistic means to them their stories of diagnosis the strengths autistic people bring to the workplace how to make the working world better to enable neurodivergent people to thrive our guests’ hopes for the future and what they would like to see happen that would make life better for our autistic community.   Thank you so much to our fabulous guests: @connorwarduk @purpleellaandcoco @theaspieworld @carriegrantsays @annehegertyofficial @kathy.lette @holly_branson Ben Pearson from @bigclothing4u @willard_wiggan @hxpefully Phillip Scott from @deloitte_uk @cray @neurodivergent_lou @autistic_callum_  

There is often lots of learning (and unlearning) to be done when it comes to understanding neurodivergent conditions.   For instance, many of the standard parenting guidelines simply don’t apply to neurodivergent children, meaning parents often have to find their own unique ways of doing things. This can mean re-writing the rulebook to find an approach that works for each individual child and family.   Having the courage to take a personalised approach, even if it means going against expectations, can be a great blueprint for helping the working world to become more neuroinclusive.  In our latest episode of ‘Autism: In conversation with auticon’, we talk to some incredible parents who are definitely blazing a trail when it comes to advocating for their neurodivergent children, paving the way for a better future for all. 

This Autism Acceptance Month, auticon is talking about the need to better educate people about autism and neurodivergence. It is thought that 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent but with the number of people receiving a diagnosis of ADHD skyrocketing, and autism assessment services seeing unprecedented figures, it is thought that the figure of 15-20% of the global population is probably conservative. If we are ever going to pave the way for our neurodivergent community to thrive, education is at the heart of that process. But how do we tackle years of lack of awareness and understanding to really break through and make meaningful change? We invited author, illustrator and advocate, Eliza Fricker, Hayley Hamilton, Neuroinclusion Coach at auticon and Eden West, Associate Artist at Access All Areas to join Carrie Grant MBE to discuss how best to educate people about neurodivergence.

One of the things we are really passionate about is shining a light on best practices, hopefully giving inspiration to others who might want to do more to make the workplace a more inclusive place for neurodivergent people. Sometimes when people from the neurodivergent community request accommodations to be made they can be met with a rejection because ‘if an exception is made for one person, it can open up the floodgates to other people requesting the same thing’. But, is that such a bad thing? Are these rigid ways of working outdated and harmful, not only the person but the business as a whole? In this episode Carrie Grant MBE discusses the benefits of neuroinclusion with: Charlotte Valeur, Chair of the Institute of Neurodiversity Kirsty Cook, Global Director of Neuroinclusion Services at auticon Matt Elliott, Chief People Officer at Bank of Ireland

One of the things we are really passionate about is shining a light on best practices, hopefully giving inspiration to others who might want to do more to make the workplace a more inclusive place for neurodivergent people. Sometimes when people from the neurodivergent community request accommodations to be made they can be met with a rejection because ‘if an exception is made for one person, it can open up the floodgates to other people requesting the same thing’. But, is that such a bad thing? Are these rigid ways of working outdated and harmful, not only the person but the business as a whole? In this episode Carrie Grant MBE discusses the benefits of neuroinclusion with: Charlotte Valeur, Chair of the Institute of Neurodiversity Kirsty Cook, Global Director of Neuroinclusion Services at auticon Matt Elliott, Chief People Officer at Bank of Ireland

It’s Valentine’s Day, which got us thinking about relationships – whether that be romantic relationships, friendships, working relationships, and beyond. So what better theme to start series 5 than that very subject? We really hope you enjoy the first episode: ‘Autism and relationships’.   For anyone new to the podcast, each episode aims to help raise a greater understanding and appreciation of neurodiversity, through fascinating conversations with fantastic guests. Throughout the episodes, we talk about the many benefits of hiring neurodivergent talent, through to some of the more common challenges faced by autistic adults navigating the workplace, plus so much more!   Hosted by late diagnosed autistic broadcaster and campaigner, @carriegrantsays (who is also mum to four neurodivergent children), every episode features inspirational guests from all walks of life, who each share a passion for making the world more inclusive. In this episode we welcome: Sef Cavendish: Social media manager at @Hikiapp, the world's largest dating app for autistic people Ashlea Cromby: Neuroinclusion Advisor at @auticon_uk And Dr Emma Svanberg: Clinical psychologist and author of ‘Parenting for Humans’ @mumologist We loved hearing what they had to say about this subject, with each guest bringing a fresh and varied perspective to a topic that impacts each of us, every single day. Find out more about our guests and the companies/organisations referenced in this episode here: ⁠www.auticon.com/uk⁠ https://www.hikiapp.com https://dremmasvanberg.com https://www.carrieanddavidgrant.co.uk   https://www.neuromancersmagazine.com (Sef voluntary work)   https://www.catherineasta.com (Emma's recommendation)    

In this episode the auticon team had the opportunity to 'turn the tables' and interview the host of our podcast series, Carrie Grant MBE. Carrie - mother to four neurodivergent children and long-time advocate for autistic and neurodivergent people, tells auticon exclusively how she has been diagnosed as autistic (in January 2023). The award-winning broadcaster, vocal coach, leadership coach tells us about how her diagnosis has lead her to reflect upon her childhood, career, the meaning of the word 'autistic' and what she hopes her diagnosis will mean to others. Carrie spoke about her decision to use the auticon podcast to share her announcement. She said, “I cannot think of a better group to do this kind of interview with than you guys, because what you are doing is not just life-changing for autistic people (and) therefore life-changing for their families, but actually you are system-changing. And when you get to system changing, that's when you're talking about legacy.” auticon is an autistic-majority social enterprise. It tackles inequalities in employment for neurodivergent adults by employing autistic IT consultants and placing them into specialist roles within high profile companies. auticon also provides extensive neuroinclusion services, including advisory, coaching and training for its clients and any businesses wishing to become more inclusive workplace environments.

Research shows that due to the unequal structures in our society, those who have a diagnosis of autism plus additional intersections, such as gender identity, sexuality, race etc., face multiple barriers. This episode aims to explore what we mean by intersectionality, why it is particularly relevant to the autistic community and hear about people’s lived experiences. Our Guests in This Episode: Nadia Dillion – Tech specialist and social media influencer @BlackAutisticGirl Luke Seraphin – Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Content and Sky Studios

A diagnosis of autism can often go hand in hand with a plethora of superb skills, such as pattern recognition and attention to detail. However, sadly, the employment figures for autistic people are depressingly low, with only around 1 in 5 in employment. The purpose of this episode, therefore, is to shine a light on the incredible abilities of those with an autism diagnosis. Our Guests in This Episode: Stephanie De Kramer – IT specialist, former auticon consultant and semi-pro wrestler Bridget Young – Head Teacher at The Holmewood School Zoey Clenshaw – Operations Executive at Harry Specters Chocolate