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 mak ..read more

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 neuroin ..read more

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 ..read more

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 Are these rigid ways of working outdated and harmful, not only the person but the business as a who ..read more

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 who ..read more

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 commo ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

The number of people diagnosed with autism has increased significantly since the 1990s. This episode looks at what the diagnostic process involves, along with signposting for people who may be looking for more information as they take their next steps towards getting a diagnosis. We’ll also talk about what the implications are for autistic people within the workplace. Our Guests in This Episode: Louise Chandler- Student and social media influencer aka 'Autistic Lou' Russ Botting – Lead Job Coach at auticon Dr Kath Fielder – GP & Clinician at Neurospectrum Useful links mentioned int he e ..read more

Autistic people can often thrive when the right supports are put in place, but it can be extremely difficult to navigate a variety of systems to obtain the help required. For instance, sourcing additional support within the school environment, or into the wider work environment. This episode looks to discuss some of the resources that are available, as well as provide hints and tips around how to access these, along with helpful signposting regarding where else to seek help. Our Guests in This Episode: Catriona Stewart OBE – Academic researcher, autism advisor and assessor Sunil Choti – SEN c ..read more