ADHD at work

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Thank you, Kristie.

 

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So hello, croeso. Welcome, everyone.

We’re just going to wait another minute

 

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to give people the chance to join while

I’m admitting them.

 

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There we are. Fantastic. So hello again.

I’m sure we’re going to have some more

 

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people join in the next couple of minutes,

so we’ll continue to let them in.

 

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But firstly, diolch,

a big thank you and a warm welcome to you

 

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all for attending our webinar this

morning.

 

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The webinar this morning is on

neurodiversity.

 

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It’s got a focus on ADHD in the workplace.

The webinar is being recorded and you

 

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will get the recording after the session.

I should have set the webinar up so your

 

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microphone should be muted, but you are

 

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more than welcome to put your camera on.

 

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And also you should have access to the

chat bar.

 

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So if you do want to communicate anything

with us, please use that.

 

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Yes, you should be able to hear anything.

Can I have a thumbs up if other people

 

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can hear me?

 

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OK,

I suggest maybe leaving if you are

 

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struggling to let me pop that in the chat

and communicate that with.

 

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Yeah.

 

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You.

 

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Start.

 

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Perfect. Sorry. So yeah,

if you are having any IT difficulties,

 

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please just let us know in the chat

bar or you can e-mail us our e-mail

 

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address I’ve just posted in to the chat

bar, it’s a [email protected]

 

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and I will do my best to help sort

that for you.

 

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You we are welcoming any questions or

queries that you may have that are

 

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appropriate to the topic today.

Thank you to those who have added

 

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questions on registration.

We are hoping to cover a couple of them

 

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at the end of the session,

but any that aren’t picked up,

 

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we will aim to get something to you

afterwards.

 

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So yeah,

just to bear in mind that we will try to

 

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answer as many as we can,

but if we do run out of time,

 

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we will get a frequently asked questions

to you after the webinar.

 

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So who are we?

We are Healthy Working Wales.

 

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If you haven’t joined one of our webinars

before, thank you for joining this one.

 

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And we are joined today by the fantastic

Aimee Smith,

 

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who is from Core ADHD and she is going to

be taking us through the webinar today.

 

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The webinar is going to last for

approximately 60 minutes and during this

 

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time I would like to encourage you to

stay hydrated on this very cold morning,

 

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keep distractions to a minimum,

so perhaps put your phone on silent or

 

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turn it off and I would also like to

encourage you to stand,

 

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sit or stretch and stretch throughout the

webinar, if you are able to.

 

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You also may wish to have a notebook and

pen to hand to take any notes throughout

 

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the webinar.

I have also popped the link to the

 

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evaluation form in the chat bar already.

Feedback is extremely important to us so

 

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if you could open that up now ready to

fill in at the end of the webinar,

 

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that would really be appreciated.

 

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So as I previously explained,

your microphone should be muted,

 

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but we do welcome you to put your camera

on if you wish.

 

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You may have an opinions around this

topic that’s been discussed today,

 

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but I do ask that we be respectful to

everyone who has joined us today.

 

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So that is the housekeeping out the way.

So once again thank you for joining us.

 

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And what I’m going to start us with is a

short poll which should appear on your

 

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screen in a second and it’s going to

create a word cloud for us.

 

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So I’d just like to ask you if you wish

to add a word or two words into the box

 

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that should have appeared on your screen.

 

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If it hasn’t for whatever reason,

you will be able to also find it in the

 

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chat bar and it’ll create a nice word

cloud for us to use after the webinar

 

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about what you think when you hear of the

word neurodiversity.

 

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Amazing. Thank you everyone.

I look forward to seeing all the results

 

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for that and we will share it afterwards

or you should be able to actually see the

 

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results as they’re being added in,

in the chat bar and it’ll create a really

 

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nice word cloud.

So we would appreciate and encourage you

 

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to get involved throughout.

 

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So if you do have any questions for Aimee

or any queries while she’s presenting,

 

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by all means,

add them into the chat bar myself and

 

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another team member will be monitoring

that so we can pick them up at the end if

 

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there is time.

So I’m now going to hand this over to

 

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Aimee. Thank you very much.

 

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There you go. Thanks, Nikki. All right.

So in the name of neurodiversity and

 

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ownership and taking responsibility and

having the courage to be open,

 

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I myself I’m neurodiverse and I’m super

super nervous.

 

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So you’ll see me playing with my rock a

little bit to try and focus my mind.

 

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And as we work through,

you’ll learn why that’s really important.

 

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So my name is Aimee, as Nikki said,

and it’s great to be with you here today

 

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to talk about neurodiversity and ADHD in

particular, more specifically.

 

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I’ve spent 20 years working in clinical

mental health,

 

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both in the NHS here in the UK and within

government services in Australia.

 

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My background is in mental health,

nursing psychotherapy and coaching,

 

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and I now specialise in ADHD assessment

and diagnosis.

 

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My work primarily focuses on helping

people understand the neurodiverse brain,

 

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not just the traits that we experience,

but the impact that these traits can have

 

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when they’re misunderstood or unsupported.

 

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A big part of my approach is helping

individuals build self-awareness and

 

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develop practical strategies to manage

their neurodiversity in a way that

 

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reduces stress,

prevents burnout and compassion fatigue,

 

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and protects long term mental health.

 

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So today is all about sharing that

knowledge with you so you can better

 

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understand ADHD in the workplace and

support colleagues in a way that’s both

 

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informed and compassionate.

So why does ADHD awareness matter? Well,

 

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neurodiverse brains,

including those with ADHD,

 

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often bring incredible creativity,

problem solving and outside the box

 

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thinking.

 

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But they do also unfortunately come with

some unique challenges.

 

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Without understanding and without a good

level of support these challenges can

 

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lead to, unfortunately, frustration,

burnout, like we said, compassion fatigue,

 

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mental health distress and the worst of

all, I think untapped potential.

 

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So today I’d like to focus on three key

things. First,

 

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understanding what ADHD and

neurodiversity are and what they look

 

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like in a professional setting. Second,

supporting colleagues and employees in

 

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ways that actually work.

 

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And third,

leveraging the unique talents that ADHD

 

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and other neurodiverse minds bring to the

workplace. So, as Nikki said,

 

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just a little quick note,

ADHD and neurodiversity can be extremely

 

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controversial and very sensitive,

so I just want to say this isn’t about

 

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labelling anybody at all.

 

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It’s not about judgement.

It’s not about making excuses.

 

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It’s about awareness,

practical strategies and creating

 

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environments where every neurodiverse or

neurotypical,

 

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that’s a person that isn’t neurodiverse,

person can do their best work and have

 

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the best quality of life as possible.

 

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By the end of this session,

hopefully you’ll have a clearer

 

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understanding of ADHD and neurodiversity,

and some clear practical strategies you

 

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can apply immediately to help individuals

thrive in the workplace. OK.

 

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So let’s just touch briefly on some legal

and ethical responsibilities that

 

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supports neurdiversity and ADHD in the

workplace.

 

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This is really important to understand I

think from the get go.

 

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Under the Equality Act 2010,

ADHD may qualify as a disability,

 

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depending on how much impacts on that

person’s daily life and how much impacts

 

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on their work.

 

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This means that employers do have a legal

duty to make reasonable adjustments to

 

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support employees with ADHD.

These adjustments can be small,

 

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they can be flexible like something,

sorry,

 

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like flexible scheduling or clear

instructions that they can just make in

 

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the workplace,

 

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but they can make a huge difference in

terms of performance and mental health.

 

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It’s not really just about meeting legal

obligations, though.

 

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I hope this comes across as we move along.

 

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It’s something that’s beyond compliance

and supporting neurodiverse employees.

 

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It’s actually, it’s ethical,

it’s good for business,

 

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it’s good for employees and it’s a great

way to have an inclusive workplace and

 

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attract talented people,

that fosters creativity and also reduces

 

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sickness absence.

So it’s good for everyone.

 

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OK.

 

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So to first start to understand ADHD,

it’s really important to understand what

 

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neurodiversity actually is.

So have you heard of the term

 

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neurodiversity, or neurodiverse?

It would be great to know if people have

 

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heard of that, or even neurotypical.

 

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Yeah, you’re not a thumbs up for that.

 

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Is this something I want to quickly

explain why the word neurodiversity

 

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exists? Why conditions like ADHD, autism,

dyslexia? Have you heard of dyslexia?

 

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Because autism and ADHD are quite talked

about quite often, but dyslexia less so,

 

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and we’re going to talk about one that is

really less known.

 

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But is very new and big and up and coming,

you might recognise in yourselves,

 

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and so they’re often grouped together

under the umbrella of neurodiversity

 

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because neurodiversity became a way as a

group label because people started to

 

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realise that all of these conditions have

something in common.

 

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They’re not illnesses or they’re not

personality flaws.

 

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There are different ways of thinking,

processing and experience the world

 

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around you.

So the term originally came from the

 

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autistic community in the 1990s and it

was really simply created as a way to

 

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challenge the old medical model that said,

these brains were disordered or deficient,

 

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so we wanted to move away from that

medical framework.

 

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So instead neurodiversity highlights that

human brains naturally vary,

 

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and those variations come with both

strengths and some challenges so but we

 

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don’t want to call them deficits.

That’s really important.

 

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Overtime the term expanded because lots

of these neurodevelopmental conditions

 

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share similar patterns of strengths and

needs.

 

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Things like differences in attention,

communication, executive functioning,

 

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sensory processing,

and how information is organised and how

 

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emotions are regulated as well,

which is a big one and often not talked

 

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about. We often hear a lot about

 

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executive functioning and we don’t talk

about emotional regulation,

 

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which is a passion of mine.

So rather than seeing each other or each

 

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condition, sorry, in isolation,

one group over another or hearing and

 

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putting people into boxes,

we created the neurodiversity label to

 

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just try and

 

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share information quickly with each other

as clinicians,

 

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but also just to help people have a

greater understanding that it’s not

 

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mental distress.,It’s not deficit,

it’s just a difference in the way

 

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people’s brain works.

It’s as simple as that.

 

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All right. So before we zoom in on ADHD,

I wanted to give you just a little bit

 

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more information and explanation about

different neurodivergent conditions and

 

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how they typically present.

Some strengths,

 

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some challenges and where they overlap

because they often do overlap and they

 

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often do coexist.

 

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So most people have only ever been taught

the challenges, which is very sad for me,

 

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because I do definitely like to focus on

the strengths.

 

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Every neurodivergent profile has both

strengths,

 

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big strengths and some barriers.

So we have dyslexia.

 

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Which is a learning difficulty,

not a learning disability.

 

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That’s an important difference right

there.

 

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Learning disability is something very

different.

 

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So people with dyslexia are often

exceptional big picture thinkers.

 

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Do we have anybody with dyslexia here?

 

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It’s OK me, I have dyslexia.

 

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They can spot patterns,

themes and connections that others miss.

 

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They tend to be a big creative problem

solvers and strong verbal communicators.

 

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Many dyslexic people excel in strategy,

innovation, design and people based.

 

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They’re often very creative.

So the challenges with dyslexia.

 

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are typically reading and writing,

and it can be difficult. It can be slow,

 

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it can be effortful. Working memory,

can be difficult as well.

 

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So holding on to bits of information can

be tricky. Note taking,

 

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so spelling and written accuracy can take

more time and more energy and feel quite

 

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exhausting.

 

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And they may also struggle with

sequencing information in a step by step

 

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way.

 

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So then we have autism,

which is a neurodevelopmental condition,

 

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so it’s not a learning difficulty like

dyslexia,

 

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it’s a neurodevelopmental condition.

Do we have anybody with autism?

 

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Nope,

can’t see any thumbs going up for that

 

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one. Oh, yeah, yeah,

we do have somebody here with autism.

 

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So autistic people often bring deep focus,

accuracy and strong ethical awareness.

 

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They’re brilliant at detail,

pattern recognition and technical problem

 

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solving.

 

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00:16:22,230 –> 00:16:27,083

They’re reliable, honest and consistent.

You know exactly where you stand with

 

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people who have autism,

which is incredibly refreshing sometimes.

 

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Many excel in roles requiring logistic

systems thinking or specialist knowledge,

 

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so they can pick a subject if they’re

passionate about it and become an expert.

 

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Very quickly.

 

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Some challenges that people with autism

face are social expectations can feel

 

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confusing or exhausting.

Sensory environments, noise, lights,

 

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interruptions can be extremely

overwhelming.

 

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Transitions and unexpected change are

particularly stressful.

 

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Executive function challenges can show up

around planning and switching tasks.

 

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So when routines are broken or change

happens too quickly.

 

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And then we have dyspraxia.

Has anybody heard of dyspraxia?

 

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Do we have anyone with dyspraxia? Yeah,

yeah, yeah, everybody’s heard of it.

 

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So dyspraxia is a developmental

coordination disorder.

 

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So this is more about physical body

coordination.

 

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So dyspraxia people are often very

creative,

 

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intuitive thinkers with strong empathy.

 

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They’re resilient because they’ve always

had to keep up.

 

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If you think about the playground,

a child running after you know the

 

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00:17:41,153 –> 00:17:44,133

children who are quite physically strong

and coordinated,

 

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00:17:44,133 –> 00:17:47,574

they’ve had to develop this,

this great resilience to keep up with

 

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kids, other kids from the get go.

 

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They’ve often they often work harder than

others as a result.

 

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They can be brilliant problem solvers

because they’re used to adapting.

 

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They’ve had all their lives adapt very,

very quickly.

 

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Their challenges are motor coordination

like I just said a little bit about.

 

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Handwriting can be difficult,

and physical tasks,

 

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00:18:09,944 –> 00:18:13,962

bumping into things quite frequently,

tripping over organisation and

 

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organisation and planning may also feel

quite overwhelming as well,

 

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00:18:17,922 –> 00:18:20,950

and they do typically struggle with time

management

 

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and some fatigue.

And they get fatigued because everything

 

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physically takes so much.

Now the one that I mentioned earlier,

 

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00:18:29,254 –> 00:18:33,402

which is one that you probably haven’t

heard of, be maybe you have.

 

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So dysgraphia has anybody heard of

dysgraphia?

 

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Yeah. So your son is dual diagnosed. Yeah.

Yeah. My son,

 

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00:18:43,021 –> 00:18:48,323

my son has dysgraphia as well.

So dysgraphia is a writing learning

 

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00:18:48,323 –> 00:18:52,518

difficulty,

and that’s different to dyslexia because

 

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00:18:52,518 –> 00:18:56,950

dyslexia is an overall overarching

learning difficulty.

 

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00:18:57,270 –> 00:19:01,799

Dysgraphia is specifically pertains to

writing. Sorry. So, but again,

 

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they have incredible strengths,

so people who are dysgraphic,

 

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00:19:05,810 –> 00:19:11,245

they often think in very rich visual ways.

So if you’re ever teaching somebody with

 

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dysgraphia, think of them,

they’re a visual learner, so showing them

 

248

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is always the better way to teach.

They have an incredible mind’s eye so

 

249

00:19:20,029 –> 00:19:23,413

they can picture things like a movie

running through their mind,

 

250

00:19:23,413 –> 00:19:27,577

and so they often, sort of, you know,

you have to say in their heads are in the

 

251

00:19:27,577 –> 00:19:29,972

clouds.

People who have dysgraphia often have

 

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00:19:29,972 –> 00:19:32,730

their heads in the clouds because they’re

so visual,

 

253

00:19:32,730 –> 00:19:35,750

they’re dreaming up something creative

they are, you know

 

254

00:19:35,910 –> 00:19:41,092

thinking of their next creative project

and they can see it very, very clearly,

 

255

00:19:41,092 –> 00:19:44,656

very visual minds.

They excel in storytelling for this

 

256

00:19:44,656 –> 00:19:49,256

reason and verbal communication,

beautiful creative thinking and very,

 

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00:19:49,256 –> 00:19:51,070

very good at design as well.

 

258

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And they often have strong insight and

strong imagination.

 

259

00:19:59,150 –> 00:20:03,919

I just saw that comment then that they

these descriptions are useful. Yeah,

 

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00:20:03,919 –> 00:20:07,935

I can do that, Nikki.

I can put these in a in a document we can

 

261

00:20:07,935 –> 00:20:11,825

send that out to everyone.

Challenges are around handwriting.

 

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00:20:11,825 –> 00:20:16,030

So handwriting for somebody with

dysgraphia is physically painful.

 

263

00:20:16,430 –> 00:20:20,524

It really hurts them.

It’s exhausting and it it is physically

 

264

00:20:20,524 –> 00:20:24,949

painful and it’s not like dyspraxia,

whereas all sort of motor is,

 

265

00:20:24,949 –> 00:20:29,109

it specifically pertains to handwriting.

So the difference is,

 

266

00:20:29,109 –> 00:20:33,270

say my son as an example writing is

extremely painful for him.

 

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00:20:33,630 –> 00:20:37,053

Therefore,

he struggles to write letters and numbers

 

268

00:20:37,053 –> 00:20:41,767

like his S’s looks like fives or his

threes look like fives or whatever.

 

269

00:20:41,767 –> 00:20:47,063

But he can actually sew and he sews tiny,

tiny little costumes for models that he

 

270

00:20:47,063 –> 00:20:51,972

makes. So it’s not an overall motor,

and it’s not even just refined to just

 

271

00:20:51,972 –> 00:20:53,070

fine motorskills,

 

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00:20:53,110 –> 00:20:57,630

it’s it is specifically specifically

pertaining to writing itself.

 

273

00:21:00,310 –> 00:21:05,447

Written expression doesn’t reflect their

actual intelligence or their ideas,

 

274

00:21:05,447 –> 00:21:09,317

unfortunately,

so this is a challenge that they have. So,

 

275

00:21:09,317 –> 00:21:14,522

often in the schooling environment.

It doesn’t get picked up and the teachers

 

276

00:21:14,522 –> 00:21:15,790

will mark them down

 

277

00:21:16,030 –> 00:21:19,797

and think that they’re not projected to

do well in exams etcetera etcetera

 

278

00:21:19,797 –> 00:21:22,911

because of the quality of writing.

But if they have a scribe,

 

279

00:21:22,911 –> 00:21:26,679

they soon realise that actually it’s got

nothing to do with their level of

 

280

00:21:26,679 –> 00:21:29,291

intelligence,

it’s just the writing and getting the

 

281

00:21:29,291 –> 00:21:32,657

information out into a writing format.

Because if it’s so painful,

 

282

00:21:32,657 –> 00:21:35,470

you can imagine that it’s really

difficult to focus on.

 

283

00:21:35,710 –> 00:21:38,672

Spelling,

punctuation and layout can be difficult

 

284

00:21:38,672 –> 00:21:41,278

for this reason,

so you’ll often have this,

 

285

00:21:41,278 –> 00:21:43,885

and I know a lot about this because my

son,

 

286

00:21:43,885 –> 00:21:47,143

but you often have kids who have

dysgraphia who would,

 

287

00:21:47,143 –> 00:21:51,350

who have wonderful stories to tell

incredible creative writing skills.

 

288

00:21:51,830 –> 00:21:55,341

But because the teachers focus so much on

punctuation,

 

289

00:21:55,341 –> 00:21:58,661

their natural ability in English creative

language,

 

290

00:21:58,661 –> 00:22:01,534

or creative writing gets pushed to the

side,

 

291

00:22:01,534 –> 00:22:06,258

and then they often not like English as a

subject when they’re incredible

 

292

00:22:06,258 –> 00:22:09,833

storytellers,

which shouldn’t really make sense because

 

293

00:22:09,833 –> 00:22:11,430

they should love English.

 

294

00:22:11,550 –> 00:22:15,524

But because of the focus on English

language with punctuation and layout,

 

295

00:22:15,524 –> 00:22:18,048

etcetera.

It puts them off and often robs robs

 

296

00:22:18,048 –> 00:22:22,130

children of of that lovely experience and

passion of creative storytelling.

 

297

00:22:22,130 –> 00:22:25,622

So obviously writing fatigue then will

also affect productivity,

 

298

00:22:25,622 –> 00:22:26,750

confidence and speed.

 

299

00:22:27,630 –> 00:22:34,884

So we have ADHD. Anybody heard of ADHD?

Yay. Anybody got ADHD. All right,

 

300

00:22:34,884 –> 00:22:40,864

so ADHD is like autism.

It’s a neurodevelopmental condition.

 

301

00:22:40,864 –> 00:22:46,550

The two often coexist. Not always,

but but they often do.

 

302

00:22:46,910 –> 00:22:51,706

I’m saying that dyslexia, dysgraphia,

ADHD and dyslexia often coexist as well.

 

303

00:22:51,706 –> 00:22:56,199

So when you’re assessing these,

you’ve really got to be able to pick them

 

304

00:22:56,199 –> 00:22:58,749

apart.

And this this is why these kind of

 

305

00:22:58,749 –> 00:23:00,510

assessments take a long time.

 

306

00:23:03,350 –> 00:23:06,518

ADHD brains are energetic, creative,

and full of ideas.

 

307

00:23:06,518 –> 00:23:09,404

They’re brilliant in a crisis.

They’re fast-paced.

 

308

00:23:09,404 –> 00:23:12,572

They enjoy fast-paced environments and

problem solving.

 

309

00:23:12,572 –> 00:23:16,533

They’re able to hyper focus,

which means they can produce exceptional

 

310

00:23:16,533 –> 00:23:19,872

work in short bursts.

They’re intuitive and empathetic and

 

311

00:23:19,872 –> 00:23:21,230

often great with people.

 

312

00:23:22,430 –> 00:23:28,066

The challenges are sustaining attention

on routine or uninteresting tasks can be

 

313

00:23:28,066 –> 00:23:32,032

tough. Planning,

prioritising and task initiation can be

 

314

00:23:32,032 –> 00:23:35,580

overwhelming.

Emotional regulation can be intense.

 

315

00:23:35,580 –> 00:23:38,990

Working memory gaps make instructions

evaporate.

 

316

00:23:39,350 –> 00:23:42,095

And we can talk a little bit more about

that.

 

317

00:23:42,095 –> 00:23:46,928

So it’s not that they can’t read and the

words jump about like what we would see

 

318

00:23:46,928 –> 00:23:50,210

in dyslexia.

The words go backwards or they’re jumping

 

319

00:23:50,210 –> 00:23:53,612

around the page.

It’s that they have their mind is going

 

320

00:23:53,612 –> 00:23:54,112

so fast

 

321

00:23:54,590 –> 00:23:57,276

through reading instructions or recipe or

anything like that,

 

322

00:23:57,276 –> 00:24:00,613

they kind of end up thinking well,

this is just stupid I just want to get to

 

323

00:24:00,613 –> 00:24:03,430

the bottom, you know, now.

That that’s what their mind is doing.

 

324

00:24:03,430 –> 00:24:07,026

So it’s almost like their legs are going

out in front of them before this and mind

 

325

00:24:07,026 –> 00:24:08,110

has a chance to catch up.

 

326

00:24:09,910 –> 00:24:13,518

Organisation doesn’t come naturally

without structure.

 

327

00:24:13,518 –> 00:24:18,175

These are the ones you’re more likely to

have heard of. And of course,

 

328

00:24:18,175 –> 00:24:21,980

zoning in and out.

So people talk a lot about zoning out,

 

329

00:24:21,980 –> 00:24:24,670

switching off in conversations, etcetera.

 

330

00:24:25,390 –> 00:24:28,753

OK,

so they do all overlap and there are

 

331

00:24:28,753 –> 00:24:33,183

similarities.

I’ve gone through a little bit of those

 

332

00:24:33,183 –> 00:24:33,683

so.

 

333

00:24:37,270 –> 00:24:41,157

They often get grouped under

neurodiversity because they share some

 

334

00:24:41,157 –> 00:24:44,415

common themes,

so the main common themes that they share

 

335

00:24:44,415 –> 00:24:48,874

are executive functioning differences,

planning, memory, organisation, focus.

 

336

00:24:48,874 –> 00:24:53,390

These can be harder or different across

ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and dyspraxia.

 

337

00:24:54,070 –> 00:24:58,724

We call something called a spiky profile.

This means someone might be exceptional

 

338

00:24:58,724 –> 00:25:01,960

in one area and really struggle in

another. For example,

 

339

00:25:01,960 –> 00:25:04,741

brilliant creativity,

but difficulty with admin,

 

340

00:25:04,741 –> 00:25:07,750

outstanding detail focus but struggling

with emails.

 

341

00:25:09,750 –> 00:25:13,941

They often mask at work.

People hide their struggles to look

 

342

00:25:13,941 –> 00:25:19,300

competent, which leads to burnout as well.

There’s environmental sensitivity.

 

343

00:25:19,300 –> 00:25:22,942

This is a big overlap.

Noise interruptions and clear

 

344

00:25:22,942 –> 00:25:26,790

communication.

These affect many neurodivergent people.

 

345

00:25:27,270 –> 00:25:30,316

So the main takeaway from this is there’s

huge strengths,

 

346

00:25:30,316 –> 00:25:32,679

and that’s what I really want to get

across,

 

347

00:25:32,679 –> 00:25:35,357

and I’m going to keep reiterating that

throughout.

 

348

00:25:35,357 –> 00:25:37,930

People who are neurodiverse have huge

strengths,

 

349

00:25:37,930 –> 00:25:41,187

but there are some challenges which, just,

if not understood,

 

350

00:25:41,187 –> 00:25:42,710

can can hinder the workplace.

 

351

00:25:43,350 –> 00:25:48,386

So some differences just so to give you

the parallel and I’m sort of talking

 

352

00:25:48,386 –> 00:25:51,787

through as well,

but I don’t want to miss anything,

 

353

00:25:51,787 –> 00:25:56,692

but it’s also important to be clear that

these conditions aren’t the same.

 

354

00:25:56,692 –> 00:26:01,467

Here are some simple differences.

Dyslexia is mainly about how the brain

 

355

00:26:01,467 –> 00:26:02,710

processes language.

 

356

00:26:04,430 –> 00:26:09,281

Yeah, dysgraphia effects written output,

and motor planning for writing,

 

357

00:26:09,281 –> 00:26:13,003

to summarise. Dyspraxia effects,

physical coordination,

 

358

00:26:13,003 –> 00:26:18,055

physical coordination and planning

movements. Autism effects communication,

 

359

00:26:18,055 –> 00:26:21,910

sensory processing,

and how someone interprets the world.

 

360

00:26:22,470 –> 00:26:26,616

ADHD is primarily about attention

regulation, not lack of focus,

 

361

00:26:26,616 –> 00:26:29,615

but attention regulation.

And it is different.

 

362

00:26:29,615 –> 00:26:34,081

We’ll jump into that a little bit more as

we move through on to ADHD.

 

363

00:26:34,081 –> 00:26:37,590

Impulse control,

motivation and executive functioning.

 

364

00:26:38,390 –> 00:26:41,846

People can have one of these,

or a combination of these and

 

365

00:26:41,846 –> 00:26:44,784

combinations, like I said before,

are very common.

 

366

00:26:44,784 –> 00:26:49,047

So one of the key ideas I want you to

take away here is that diversity of

 

367

00:26:49,047 –> 00:26:52,791

thought drives innovation.

People who think differently approach

 

368

00:26:52,791 –> 00:26:56,190

problems differently,

spot opportunities that others miss.

 

369

00:26:56,710 –> 00:27:00,946

And bring creativity to solutions that a

uniform way of thinking just can’t

 

370

00:27:00,946 –> 00:27:03,511

generate.

So when we talk about ADHD or other

 

371

00:27:03,511 –> 00:27:08,138

neurodiverse conditions in the workplace,

we’re not just talking about challenges.

 

372

00:27:08,138 –> 00:27:12,040

We’re talking about potential,

about how understanding and supporting

 

373

00:27:12,040 –> 00:27:16,110

these differences can unlock the talent

that’s already there rather than

 

374

00:27:16,230 –> 00:27:17,550

let barriers get in the way.

 

375

00:27:18,950 –> 00:27:22,849

So what is ADHD specifically? Well,

ADHD stands for attention deficit

 

376

00:27:22,849 –> 00:27:26,469

hyperactivity disorder,

and it’s a neurodevelopmental condition.

 

377

00:27:26,469 –> 00:27:30,536

So we’ve got the term disorder.

And this might sound finicky and piketty

 

378

00:27:30,536 –> 00:27:33,265

to some,

I don’t like the word disorder I prefer

 

379

00:27:33,265 –> 00:27:36,440

the word condition,

But disorder is in the label itself,

 

380

00:27:36,440 –> 00:27:38,390

so we still often have to use that.

 

381

00:27:38,750 –> 00:27:44,484

It means it’s related to how the brain

develops and functions over time.

 

382

00:27:44,484 –> 00:27:51,003

ADHD doesn’t just mean someone can’t pay

attention or is overly energetic as it is

 

383

00:27:51,003 –> 00:27:55,480

often believed.

It affects multiple areas of functioning

 

384

00:27:55,480 –> 00:27:58,230

that are critical work and in life.

 

385

00:27:58,990 –> 00:28:03,702

First, there’s attention.

People with ADHD may struggle to maintain

 

386

00:28:03,702 –> 00:28:09,108

focus on tasks that aren’t inherently

engaging and may get easily distracted.

 

387

00:28:09,108 –> 00:28:14,444

Second, there’s executive functioning.

This is the brains management system.

 

388

00:28:14,444 –> 00:28:17,910

It affects planning, organisation,

prioritisation

 

389

00:28:17,950 –> 00:28:22,472

and following through on tasks.

When executive function is impacted,

 

390

00:28:22,472 –> 00:28:25,355

even simple projects can feel

overwhelming.

 

391

00:28:25,355 –> 00:28:28,763

And third emotional regulation.

My favourite topic.

 

392

00:28:28,763 –> 00:28:32,630

People with ADHD often experience

emotions more intensely.

 

393

00:28:33,750 –> 00:28:37,554

And they can find it challenging to

modulate emotional responses,

 

394

00:28:37,554 –> 00:28:40,725

especially under stress.

And then finally impulsivity,

 

395

00:28:40,725 –> 00:28:44,934

which is acting quickly without fully

thinking through the consequences.

 

396

00:28:44,934 –> 00:28:48,105

This isn’t just actions,

by the way that’s speech too.

 

397

00:28:48,105 –> 00:28:51,910

So often when we’re assessing,

we’re looking at impulsive speech.

 

398

00:28:52,950 –> 00:28:55,900

At work,

this might show up as interrupting,

 

399

00:28:55,900 –> 00:28:59,833

making snap decisions,

or jumping from task to task without

 

400

00:28:59,833 –> 00:29:04,225

completing what was started.

So when we assess for ADHD in adults,

 

401

00:29:04,225 –> 00:29:08,421

we’re working from clear diagnostic

criteria. We use the DSM 5,

 

402

00:29:08,421 –> 00:29:11,830

which sets out the symptoms required for

diagnosis.

 

403

00:29:11,910 –> 00:29:17,618

And it has to be used rigidly as well.

We can’t skip it. We can’t,

 

404

00:29:17,618 –> 00:29:23,070

if we don’t have enough information

provided by family members,

 

405

00:29:23,070 –> 00:29:28,523

people who live with the person or even

employees, for example,

 

406

00:29:28,523 –> 00:29:31,590

that can be really helpful. We can’t

 

407

00:29:31,790 –> 00:29:36,337

and we can’t meet the DSM criteria,

even though we see somebody clearly is

 

408

00:29:36,337 –> 00:29:39,611

struggling,

we still cannot give them that diagnosis,

 

409

00:29:39,611 –> 00:29:44,038

it does depend on impact as well.

These fall into two areas in detention

 

410

00:29:44,038 –> 00:29:47,070

and hyperactivity, impulsivity.

So there’s three.

 

411

00:29:48,390 –> 00:29:51,521

When you,

when you diagnose somebody and you give

 

412

00:29:51,521 –> 00:29:55,216

the final diagnosis,

you can either give inattentive ADHD,

 

413

00:29:55,216 –> 00:29:58,222

which is lesser known and very common in

women.

 

414

00:29:58,222 –> 00:30:01,729

Hyperactive and impulsive ADHD without

the inattention.

 

415

00:30:01,729 –> 00:30:06,990

Or you can give a combined diagnosis with

a person experiences high impact of both.

 

416

00:30:11,790 –> 00:30:15,145

For adults,

we look for at least five symptoms in one

 

417

00:30:15,145 –> 00:30:18,563

or both areas,

and they must have been presented since

 

418

00:30:18,563 –> 00:30:22,789

childhood, before the age of 12.

And this is quite often where when

 

419

00:30:22,789 –> 00:30:26,270

somebody comes to us for an ADHD

assessment as an adult

 

420

00:30:26,630 –> 00:30:30,475

this is often where people fall down

because childhood information isn’t

 

421

00:30:30,475 –> 00:30:33,635

always available.

So if you’ve got somebody coming in their

 

422

00:30:33,635 –> 00:30:36,427

40s and 50s.

that that sometimes parents have passed

 

423

00:30:36,427 –> 00:30:40,588

away. Sometimes there’s estrangement,

sometimes parents just don’t remember or

 

424

00:30:40,588 –> 00:30:43,959

don’t fully understand.

I’ve had people say things like parents

 

425

00:30:43,959 –> 00:30:44,750

say things like

 

426

00:30:45,870 –> 00:30:49,757

I thought every child was like this,

so sometimes it can be difficult to

 

427

00:30:49,757 –> 00:30:53,326

obtain that information,

and if it is too difficult and the person

 

428

00:30:53,326 –> 00:30:57,160

themselves don’t have school reports,

or don’t have much of a memory of

 

429

00:30:57,160 –> 00:30:59,876

childhood, which many people don’t,

unfortunately,

 

430

00:30:59,876 –> 00:31:02,486

we have to mark that assessment as

inconclusive,

 

431

00:31:02,486 –> 00:31:04,670

which can be devastating for some people.

 

432

00:31:06,830 –> 00:31:07,330

Umm.

 

433

00:31:08,910 –> 00:31:13,193

So the assessment itself involves a

structured clinical interview,

 

434

00:31:13,193 –> 00:31:16,773

developmental history,

standardised questionnaires and,

 

435

00:31:16,773 –> 00:31:20,353

where possible,

collateral information from someone who

 

436

00:31:20,353 –> 00:31:23,870

knew the person in childhood.

So it is a huge process.

 

437

00:31:25,190 –> 00:31:29,769

It it’s supposed to take hours,

when I assess people for ADHD,

 

438

00:31:29,769 –> 00:31:35,075

I very rarely go under three hours,

sometimes more, three to four hours.

 

439

00:31:35,075 –> 00:31:39,436

It can be very emotional, very,

it can feel very intrusive.

 

440

00:31:39,436 –> 00:31:43,870

So it’s a very sensitive time and it

should never be rushed.

 

441

00:31:44,630 –> 00:31:47,445

So if that’s,

if you’re going for an assessment and you

 

442

00:31:47,445 –> 00:31:51,014

feel that you’re being rushed,

then I suggest finding another assessor

 

443

00:31:51,014 –> 00:31:54,583

and ending the assessment because it

shouldn’t be that way. And we do,

 

444

00:31:54,583 –> 00:31:57,198

we do know,

the reason why I raise it is because we

 

445

00:31:57,198 –> 00:32:00,264

do know that unfortunately,

we are seeing this in some dodgy

 

446

00:32:00,264 –> 00:32:01,270

companies out there.

 

447

00:32:02,350 –> 00:32:05,614

At this point,

it may be helpful to understand a bit

 

448

00:32:05,614 –> 00:32:10,173

about why ADHD comes under the mental

health services and not educational

 

449

00:32:10,173 –> 00:32:12,884

services like dyslexia and dyspraxia

would,

 

450

00:32:12,884 –> 00:32:17,812

and I want to share this because it’s

important that people understand it’s not

 

451

00:32:17,812 –> 00:32:20,030

a mental health distress difficulty.

 

452

00:32:21,750 –> 00:32:27,270

The reason why it comes under mental

health services is because the traits

 

453

00:32:27,270 –> 00:32:33,085

that you experience with ADHD and with

autism can cause mental health distress

 

454

00:32:33,085 –> 00:32:36,030

symptoms if not supported and addressed.

 

455

00:32:37,110 –> 00:32:40,528

So ADHD and autism are classified as a

disorder or a condition,

 

456

00:32:40,528 –> 00:32:43,091

and are assessed within mental health

services.

 

457

00:32:43,091 –> 00:32:46,403

ADHD is defined as a neurodevelopmental

disorder, as we said,

 

458

00:32:46,403 –> 00:32:50,462

which affects the regulation of attention

impulse control, activity levels,

 

459

00:32:50,462 –> 00:32:53,720

and emotional regulation.

So these are areas closely tied to

 

460

00:32:53,720 –> 00:32:55,910

neurological and psychiatric functioning.

 

461

00:32:55,990 –> 00:32:59,021

And ADHD often overlaps with anxiety,

depression,

 

462

00:32:59,021 –> 00:33:01,992

sleep issues and other mental health

conditions.

 

463

00:33:01,992 –> 00:33:04,963

So this is why they come into the same

services.

 

464

00:33:04,963 –> 00:33:08,964

So if you want an ADHD assessment and you

want to get in the NHS,

 

465

00:33:08,964 –> 00:33:13,875

you go to mental health services for that.

Whereas if you suspect you might have

 

466

00:33:13,875 –> 00:33:15,270

dysgraphia or dyslexia,

 

467

00:33:16,470 –> 00:33:19,497

or dyspraxia,

you would go to an educational

 

468

00:33:19,497 –> 00:33:25,150

psychologist or learning specialist who’s

suitably qualified to do that assessment.

 

469

00:33:29,350 –> 00:33:33,681

They are specific learning differences

that affect reading. Covered that,

 

470

00:33:33,681 –> 00:33:36,550

okay let’s move on because we have

covered that.

 

471

00:33:38,270 –> 00:33:41,558

Okay,

so some core issues and challenges ADHD

 

472

00:33:41,558 –> 00:33:46,706

shows up through four main areas like I

said. So we’ve got inattention,

 

473

00:33:46,706 –> 00:33:51,710

impulsivity, hyperactivity,

or restlessness and emotional regulation.

 

474

00:33:51,710 –> 00:33:54,070

So these are often misunderstood.

 

475

00:33:54,550 –> 00:33:59,155

So I want to give you some clear

practical examples of what they are and

 

476

00:33:59,155 –> 00:34:02,939

what they aren’t.

Inattention isn’t about not caring or not

 

477

00:34:02,939 –> 00:34:05,715

trying,

or the complete inability to focus.

 

478

00:34:05,715 –> 00:34:08,554

It’s about difficulty regulating your

focus.

 

479

00:34:08,554 –> 00:34:13,790

It’s more of a performance issue rather

than not having the skill or focus at all.

 

480

00:34:13,990 –> 00:34:18,459

So it’s where you put that focus.

It’s not that you can’t focus at all,

 

481

00:34:18,459 –> 00:34:23,363

because some people can actually hyper

focus. So when I say performance issue,

 

482

00:34:23,363 –> 00:34:27,150

it’s more about not being able to direct

that focus at will.

 

483

00:34:29,030 –> 00:34:33,519

People can very well, um, can focus,

sorry, very well on certain tasks,

 

484

00:34:33,519 –> 00:34:38,134

but struggle to stay engaged with things

that feel repetitive or mentally

 

485

00:34:38,134 –> 00:34:42,686

effortful. So examples of inattention,

losing track of details or steps,

 

486

00:34:42,686 –> 00:34:45,430

forgetting what you came in the room to

do.

 

487

00:34:45,830 –> 00:34:49,921

Starting a task,

then getting pulled away by something

 

488

00:34:49,921 –> 00:34:52,748

small,

finding it hard to follow long

 

489

00:34:52,748 –> 00:34:56,840

instructions. It’s not laziness.

It’s not low ability,

 

490

00:34:56,840 –> 00:35:03,163

and it’s certainly not a lack of interest.

Impulsivity is acting or speaking quickly

 

491

00:35:03,163 –> 00:35:05,470

before the thought fully forms.

 

492

00:35:05,630 –> 00:35:08,818

So it’s not deliberate or careless

behaviour.

 

493

00:35:08,818 –> 00:35:12,007

Examples are interrupting without meaning

to,

 

494

00:35:12,007 –> 00:35:16,860

sending a message before checking it and

emails before checking them,

 

495

00:35:16,860 –> 00:35:22,475

because that feels tedious to do to have

to read over something that you’ve just

 

496

00:35:22,475 –> 00:35:23,030

written.

 

497

00:35:23,710 –> 00:35:28,029

Agreeing to tasks without thinking about

workload. It’s not rudeness,

 

498

00:35:28,029 –> 00:35:32,534

it’s not that the person doesn’t care,

it’s not lack of professionalism.

 

499

00:35:32,534 –> 00:35:37,656

There’s often a great deal of remorse and

shame when they realise that someone has

 

500

00:35:37,656 –> 00:35:41,482

been offended. So often,

eople with ADHD are very big hearts,

 

501

00:35:41,482 –> 00:35:42,470

very big hearts.

 

502

00:35:44,630 –> 00:35:49,695

Neurodiverse people in general have very

big hearts because of the adversity that

 

503

00:35:49,695 –> 00:35:53,464

they’ve often had to face.

So often they they can seem quite

 

504

00:35:53,464 –> 00:35:57,232

defensive or, with ADHD,

if you struggle with speech impulse

 

505

00:35:57,232 –> 00:36:00,630

issues, then it can,

people can seem tactless or rude.

 

506

00:36:01,070 –> 00:36:04,798

It’s often not the case,

and when they find out that they’ve upset

 

507

00:36:04,798 –> 00:36:07,358

someone,

then there’s a lot of remorse there,

 

508

00:36:07,358 –> 00:36:09,918

usually,

because that person carries a lot of

 

509

00:36:09,918 –> 00:36:13,758

shame around that because that’s not

often not what they want to do.

 

510

00:36:13,758 –> 00:36:18,210

Hyperactivity or restlessness in adults

is usually internal rather than obvious

 

511

00:36:18,210 –> 00:36:20,270

indicators that people still like to,

 

512

00:36:21,070 –> 00:36:23,539

still like to – hyperactive hyperactive

boys.

 

513

00:36:23,539 –> 00:36:27,888

So what I’m trying to say there is the

typical hyperactivity that we we think of

 

514

00:36:27,888 –> 00:36:32,183

when we think of ADHD is the hyperactive

little boy in the school ground who is

 

515

00:36:32,183 –> 00:36:35,190

jumping all over the furniture.

It’s just not the case.

 

516

00:36:36,070 –> 00:36:40,956

Some examples of hyperactivity in adults

an internal restlessness is fidgeting,

 

517

00:36:40,956 –> 00:36:44,011

tapping, shifting in your seat,

feeling keyed up.

 

518

00:36:44,011 –> 00:36:48,104

So often feeling so claustrophobic,

and you’re not in a small box,

 

519

00:36:48,104 –> 00:36:51,891

but you feel like you are.

Multiple thoughts running at once.

 

520

00:36:51,891 –> 00:36:55,190

Difficulty relaxing,

so not being able to switch off.

 

521

00:36:55,310 –> 00:36:55,810

Yeah.

 

522

00:36:56,590 –> 00:36:59,710

Again, it what it isn’t.

It’s not immaturity,

 

523

00:36:59,710 –> 00:37:04,933

it’s not immature behaviour at all.

People really do just struggle to switch

 

524

00:37:04,933 –> 00:37:08,053

off.

It’s a real feeling and if people aren’t

 

525

00:37:08,053 –> 00:37:12,870

taught how to manage this sense of

restlessness and given the space to

 

526

00:37:13,350 –> 00:37:17,907

and the support to it can lead to

incredible levels of frustration,

 

527

00:37:17,907 –> 00:37:20,990

agitation,

and therefore emotional intensity.

 

528

00:37:22,350 –> 00:37:26,523

Emotional regulation differences are

common, but often missed.

 

529

00:37:26,523 –> 00:37:32,021

This is why people have strong reactions

to stress because they’re not being given

 

530

00:37:32,021 –> 00:37:35,995

the space and support to process the

internal restlessness.

 

531

00:37:35,995 –> 00:37:38,910

They find it hard to reset.

So for example,

 

532

00:37:38,910 –> 00:37:41,030

a neurotypical person’s baseline

 

533

00:37:41,470 –> 00:37:46,283

could, for stress could be say two,

so that’s where they feel calm and

 

534

00:37:46,283 –> 00:37:51,435

relaxed, and a person with ADHD,

their typical baseline could be higher at,

 

535

00:37:51,435 –> 00:37:56,180

say like maybe a five or six.

So when you’ve got that external stress

 

536

00:37:56,180 –> 00:37:59,773

coming in,

it would take longer for the neurotypical

 

537

00:37:59,773 –> 00:38:00,790

person to raise

 

538

00:38:01,110 –> 00:38:05,384

to a 10 where they, you know,

they’re exploding because they can’t take

 

539

00:38:05,384 –> 00:38:08,472

any more,

and the person with ADHD is maybe sitting

 

540

00:38:08,472 –> 00:38:13,221

at a five so that takes far less time,

Tyey’re far more likely to go quicker up

 

541

00:38:13,221 –> 00:38:14,350

and like a volcano.

 

542

00:38:15,870 –> 00:38:19,374

And then it’s much harder,

takes more time for them to come down,

 

543

00:38:19,374 –> 00:38:22,879

then back to their base level.

Whereas a neurotypical person will

 

544

00:38:22,879 –> 00:38:24,950

typically just come straight back down.

 

545

00:38:26,230 –> 00:38:29,910

They they sit in that that agitated state

for longer.

 

546

00:38:31,470 –> 00:38:33,990

And that’s a nervous system issue as well.

 

547

00:38:37,910 –> 00:38:43,682

It’s not overreacting and being dramatic.

Like I said, it is a nervous system issue.

 

548

00:38:43,682 –> 00:38:48,028

It’s a it’s a real thing,

but to to end on a positive note that

 

549

00:38:48,028 –> 00:38:52,918

doesn’t have to be the case.

The brain is malleable. We can retrain it.

 

550

00:38:52,918 –> 00:38:56,110

That’s not to say that we can get rid of

ADHD.

 

551

00:38:56,750 –> 00:39:01,214

But what we can do is create new neural

pathways within the brain that helps that

 

552

00:39:01,214 –> 00:39:04,590

emotional regulation.

So people aren’t just set like that and

 

553

00:39:04,590 –> 00:39:08,074

have to live like that forever.

There’s so much that we can do.

 

554

00:39:08,074 –> 00:39:12,430

All these patterns vary person by person,

this is really important to remember.

 

555

00:39:13,030 –> 00:39:15,984

Their severity and by the environment

around them,

 

556

00:39:15,984 –> 00:39:20,444

the greatest impact often shows up in

day-to-day work demands like planning,

 

557

00:39:20,444 –> 00:39:22,819

time,

keeping communication and managing

 

558

00:39:22,819 –> 00:39:25,715

priorities.

So understanding the reality of these

 

559

00:39:25,715 –> 00:39:30,059

traits beyond the stereotypes of the

naughty little school boy jumping all

 

560

00:39:30,059 –> 00:39:32,550

over the furniture makes it easier to

spot

 

561

00:39:32,750 –> 00:39:39,430

ADHD and to then in turn to to offer the

necessary support. All right.

 

562

00:39:41,310 –> 00:39:43,866

OK,

so I’d like to go through some some

 

563

00:39:43,866 –> 00:39:48,020

strengths. So obviously,

ADHD doesn’t just come with challenges.

 

564

00:39:48,020 –> 00:39:52,365

There are clear strengths that show up

consistently and workplaces,

 

565

00:39:52,365 –> 00:39:57,670

especially when the environment supports

the individual. That’s the big key there.

 

566

00:39:58,150 –> 00:40:02,460

Creativity and big picture thinking.

People with ADHD often think in a

 

567

00:40:02,460 –> 00:40:05,678

non-linear way,

which means they generate ideas that

 

568

00:40:05,678 –> 00:40:08,896

others may not see,

and they generate them at speed.

 

569

00:40:08,896 –> 00:40:12,903

So they’re good at spotting patterns,

making connections quickly,

 

570

00:40:12,903 –> 00:40:15,150

and imagining alternative approaches.

 

571

00:40:15,990 –> 00:40:19,321

In practise,

this might look like proposing solutions

 

572

00:40:19,321 –> 00:40:23,085

during brainstorming that shifts the

direction of a project,

 

573

00:40:23,085 –> 00:40:27,589

seeing long term possibilities when

others are focused on small details,

 

574

00:40:27,589 –> 00:40:32,525

challenging existing processes because

they naturally question how things could

 

575

00:40:32,525 –> 00:40:34,870

1. So a good funny example of this is

 

576

00:40:35,030 –> 00:40:39,022

within the DIVA tool,

which is the diagnostic tool that we use

 

577

00:40:39,022 –> 00:40:42,380

to assess people with ADHD,

one of the questions is,

 

578

00:40:42,380 –> 00:40:47,577

do you have difficulty taking direction

from management and the reason why we ask

 

579

00:40:47,577 –> 00:40:52,710

this is because people usually with ADHD

often do because they want to know why.

 

580

00:40:53,150 –> 00:40:57,955

They can’t just be told what to do.

They always see the finer details and

 

581

00:40:57,955 –> 00:41:02,630

they have to. They have to question why,

so that they fully understand.

 

582

00:41:02,630 –> 00:41:06,266

For a manager,

this can feel unnecessarily challenging.

 

583

00:41:06,266 –> 00:41:09,772

But you can,

if you learn to go with the flow and and

 

584

00:41:09,772 –> 00:41:12,630

understand that they’re just asking

because

 

585

00:41:12,670 –> 00:41:15,652

their brain is firing off in different

directions,

 

586

00:41:15,652 –> 00:41:19,220

and they’re coming up with possibly more

creative solutions.

 

587

00:41:19,220 –> 00:41:22,144

It can feel less challenging and less

disruptive.

 

588

00:41:22,144 –> 00:41:26,121

Many teams rely on people with ADHD to

bring energy and innovation,

 

589

00:41:26,121 –> 00:41:28,110

and fresh thinking to discussions.

 

590

00:41:29,110 –> 00:41:32,112

Like I said,

we do have the capacity to hyper focus

 

591

00:41:32,112 –> 00:41:36,270

and be incredibly productive.

Hyper focus is the ability to concentrate

 

592

00:41:36,270 –> 00:41:39,851

intensely when something is genuinely

engaging or meaningful.

 

593

00:41:39,851 –> 00:41:43,373

During these periods,

productivity can be extremely high and

 

594

00:41:43,373 –> 00:41:46,550

work can be completed quickly to a very

high standard.

 

595

00:41:47,430 –> 00:41:51,798

Examples of hyper focus at work include

completing a complex piece of work

 

596

00:41:51,798 –> 00:41:56,050

analysis in a single focus block,

building or designing something in far

 

597

00:41:56,050 –> 00:41:59,719

less time than expected,

absorbing new information quickly and

 

598

00:41:59,719 –> 00:42:04,030

becoming the go to person on a topic.

You see that lot in autism as well.

 

599

00:42:05,190 –> 00:42:07,941

They can become experts very,

very quickly.

 

600

00:42:07,941 –> 00:42:12,443

Hyper focus isn’t something someone can

switch off by will, by the way.

 

601

00:42:12,443 –> 00:42:15,319

But when it happens,

it can be a great asset.

 

602

00:42:15,319 –> 00:42:19,946

So it it can be unhelpful sometimes.

So when people get into a hyperfocus

 

603

00:42:19,946 –> 00:42:22,510

state, they do things like forget to eat.

 

604

00:42:23,950 –> 00:42:28,395

Forget to go to the toilet and then they

find all of a sudden like they’re busting

 

605

00:42:28,395 –> 00:42:31,556

and they’ve got to run.

Flexibility and crisis management.

 

606

00:42:31,556 –> 00:42:35,144

ADD brains can react quickly and adapt

very quickly on their feet.

 

607

00:42:35,144 –> 00:42:38,947

So this makes many individuals

particularly effective in fast changing

 

608

00:42:38,947 –> 00:42:42,590

situations or environments where rapid

problem solving is required.

 

609

00:42:42,670 –> 00:42:47,350

You may see this show up as staying calm

and functional during workplace

 

610

00:42:47,350 –> 00:42:51,004

emergencies or last minute changes.

So people with ADHD,

 

611

00:42:51,004 –> 00:42:54,658

unlike people with autism,

they can change very quickly.

 

612

00:42:54,658 –> 00:42:59,146

Whereas the people with autism they need

warning, they need planning,

 

613

00:42:59,146 –> 00:43:01,070

they need to think it through.

 

614

00:43:02,710 –> 00:43:06,753

Stepping into gaps when priorities shift

without becoming overwhelmed.

 

615

00:43:06,753 –> 00:43:09,373

So that’s that fast pace acting and

thinking.

 

616

00:43:09,373 –> 00:43:13,246

Offering practical solutions when others

are stuck in overthinking.

 

617

00:43:13,246 –> 00:43:16,948

People with ADHD often excel in roles

that require adaptability,

 

618

00:43:16,948 –> 00:43:19,910

rapid adjustments,

and clear action under pressure.

 

619

00:43:20,390 –> 00:43:25,430

So these strengths aren’t accidental,

they they’re directly linked to how the

 

620

00:43:25,430 –> 00:43:28,466

ADHD brain specifically processes

information.

 

621

00:43:28,466 –> 00:43:32,408

The brain is wired to seek stimulation,

novelty and meaning,

 

622

00:43:32,408 –> 00:43:35,768

which means it often spots patterns,

possibilities,

 

623

00:43:35,768 –> 00:43:38,030

and connections faster than others.

 

624

00:43:38,990 –> 00:43:42,683

It processes ideas in a more associative,

less linear way,

 

625

00:43:42,683 –> 00:43:45,813

which supports creative and big picture

thinking.

 

626

00:43:45,813 –> 00:43:50,069

Their nervous system also responds

quickly to urgency, like I said,

 

627

00:43:50,069 –> 00:43:53,449

or pressure,

which is why many people with ADHD think

 

628

00:43:53,449 –> 00:43:56,830

clearly and act decisively in fast moving

situations,

 

629

00:43:57,390 –> 00:44:00,507

and when something is genuinely engaging

to them.

 

630

00:44:00,507 –> 00:44:04,249

The brain produces enough dopamine to

lock into deep focus,

 

631

00:44:04,249 –> 00:44:08,240

which is where hyper focus and bursts of

high productivity can.

 

632

00:44:08,240 –> 00:44:12,542

So if you’re a person with ADHD and

you’re in a job that feels quite

 

633

00:44:12,542 –> 00:44:13,790

monotonous, that can

 

634

00:44:14,470 –> 00:44:15,796

very,

very quickly cause depression and and

 

635

00:44:15,796 –> 00:44:16,430

life dissatisfaction.

 

636

00:44:17,910 –> 00:44:21,532

And we often see that as one of the major

problems,

 

637

00:44:21,532 –> 00:44:26,688

people with ADHD are experiencing,

which is why you often see people with

 

638

00:44:26,688 –> 00:44:28,430

ADHD job hopping as well.

 

639

00:44:30,190 –> 00:44:33,650

They’ll they’ll have multiple jobs,

multiple roles within,

 

640

00:44:33,650 –> 00:44:38,166

like a single workplace because they need

that stimulation, that creativity,

 

641

00:44:38,166 –> 00:44:38,870

that change.

 

642

00:44:41,470 –> 00:44:45,214

So with all that said,

let’s look at some neurodiversity

 

643

00:44:45,214 –> 00:44:49,550

awareness and why it really,

really does matter in the workplace.

 

644

00:44:50,950 –> 00:44:55,307

So first it’s important to recognise that

neurodivergent individuals are very

 

645

00:44:55,307 –> 00:44:59,720

common about one in five people fall

under this umbrella, which includes ADHD,

 

646

00:44:59,720 –> 00:45:04,077

autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and more.

I actually think that number is higher.

 

647

00:45:04,077 –> 00:45:07,150

I think there’s so many people waiting

for assessment.

 

648

00:45:07,710 –> 00:45:11,607

And unfortunately,

I think the schooling system has been

 

649

00:45:11,607 –> 00:45:16,941

less than what we would have liked and is

still less than what we would like,

 

650

00:45:16,941 –> 00:45:22,206

that people just aren’t getting picked up.

Kids aren’t getting picked up and

 

651

00:45:22,206 –> 00:45:24,190

generations have been missed.

 

652

00:45:24,430 –> 00:45:28,201

Or misdiagnosed.

So I think that number is actually higher.

 

653

00:45:28,201 –> 00:45:33,230

Diversity of thought is not just a nice

to have and it’s not just about keeping

 

654

00:45:33,230 –> 00:45:36,687

employees happy.

Having a newly diverse team can drive

 

655

00:45:36,687 –> 00:45:39,892

innovation.

When people think differently approach

 

656

00:45:39,892 –> 00:45:44,230

problems from new angles and bring varied

perspectives organisations

 

657

00:45:44,310 –> 00:45:47,973

can adapt and grow in ways that wouldn’t

be possible otherwise.

 

658

00:45:47,973 –> 00:45:51,521

Creating an inclusive culture isn’t just

ethically important,

 

659

00:45:51,521 –> 00:45:55,985

it also makes good business sense.

So if there are people out there thinking,

 

660

00:45:55,985 –> 00:45:58,790

yes, well,

this is all ethical and this is good.

 

661

00:45:58,790 –> 00:46:02,110

But you know I am running a business and

I need outcomes.

 

662

00:46:02,630 –> 00:46:07,260

It does make good business sense and I’ve

got some examples in in a later slide of

 

663

00:46:07,260 –> 00:46:11,555

of companies that have specifically done

a neurodiversity drive and had good

 

664

00:46:11,555 –> 00:46:14,456

outcomes.

Companies that understand and accommodate

 

665

00:46:14,456 –> 00:46:17,245

neurodivergent talent are more likely to

attract,

 

666

00:46:17,245 –> 00:46:19,310

retain and empower their best people.

 

667

00:46:20,670 –> 00:46:22,957

So neurodiversity isn’t just a box to

tick,

 

668

00:46:22,957 –> 00:46:25,660

it’s a powerful lever for creativity,

productivity,

 

669

00:46:25,660 –> 00:46:29,923

and long term success for your business.

Some examples of businesses putting this

 

670

00:46:29,923 –> 00:46:34,238

into context with real organisations that

have invested in neurodiversity and seen

 

671

00:46:34,238 –> 00:46:36,630

clear benefits. Actually,

it’s on this slide.

 

672

00:46:37,190 –> 00:46:41,041

JP Morgan Chase,

they launched an autism at work programme

 

673

00:46:41,041 –> 00:46:46,067

and found that autistic employees in

certain roles were between 48% and 140%

 

674

00:46:46,067 –> 00:46:49,592

more productive compared to their

neurotypical peers.

 

675

00:46:49,592 –> 00:46:53,966

Their error rates dropped,

quality improved and the teams reported

 

676

00:46:53,966 –> 00:46:55,990

better problem solving overall.

 

677

00:46:57,710 –> 00:47:00,485

SAP,

the global software company they built a

 

678

00:47:00,485 –> 00:47:04,347

neurodiversity hiring programme and

reported higher innovation,

 

679

00:47:04,347 –> 00:47:07,424

better product testing and stronger team

cohesion.

 

680

00:47:07,424 –> 00:47:12,009

Microsoft’s neurodiversity hiring

programme completely reshaped part of its

 

681

00:47:12,009 –> 00:47:15,630

engineering and cyber security,

cyber security recruitment.

 

682

00:47:16,070 –> 00:47:20,999

They found that neurodivergent hires

brought exceptional pattern recognition,

 

683

00:47:20,999 –> 00:47:25,928

sustained focus and fresh perspectives on

long standing technical challenges.

 

684

00:47:25,928 –> 00:47:29,782

GCHQ in the UK has openly stated that

neurodivergent talent,

 

685

00:47:29,782 –> 00:47:34,711

especially autistic in ADHD individuals,

has been essential to its high level

 

686

00:47:34,711 –> 00:47:35,470

intelligence

 

687

00:47:35,590 –> 00:47:40,280

and cybersecurity work because of

strengths in attention to detail,

 

688

00:47:40,280 –> 00:47:43,315

lateral thinking and spotting unusual

pans.

 

689

00:47:43,315 –> 00:47:48,143

And also even in retail and hospitality

companies like Virgin, B&

 

690

00:47:48,143 –> 00:47:51,868

Q and Tesco of all reported stronger

staff retention,

 

691

00:47:51,868 –> 00:47:55,110

better customer feedback and increased

loyalty

 

692

00:47:55,310 –> 00:47:58,790

after implementing neurodiversity,

inclusion, recruitment and support.

 

693

00:48:01,310 –> 00:48:05,095

So all of these examples show the same

pattern, in my opinion.

 

694

00:48:05,095 –> 00:48:09,181

When organisations tap into

neurodivergent strengths with the right

 

695

00:48:09,181 –> 00:48:12,666

environment and adjustments,

they gain better innovation,

 

696

00:48:12,666 –> 00:48:14,950

better accuracy and more stable teams.

 

697

00:48:17,390 –> 00:48:18,030

OK.

 

698

00:48:19,510 –> 00:48:22,959

Less mental health distress.

When the support is there,

 

699

00:48:22,959 –> 00:48:27,641

people who are neurodivergent and who

experience mental health distress but

 

700

00:48:27,641 –> 00:48:31,030

want to absolutely thrive.

I can’t stress that enough.

 

701

00:48:33,990 –> 00:48:37,079

So now that we’ve covered why

neurodiversity matters,

 

702

00:48:37,079 –> 00:48:41,541

let’s talk a little bit about how to

generally harness the strengths that all

 

703

00:48:41,541 –> 00:48:44,345

neurodivergent employees bring to the

workplace.

 

704

00:48:44,345 –> 00:48:48,063

The first step is to understand each

individual’s working style.

 

705

00:48:48,063 –> 00:48:51,382

Everyone is different,

even if some two people have ADHD,

 

706

00:48:51,382 –> 00:48:53,270

the strengths the the challenges,

 

707

00:48:53,750 –> 00:48:57,602

the impact will be different for that

person,

 

708

00:48:57,602 –> 00:49:04,469

so having a unique one-to-one workplace

assessment is always advised in the first

 

709

00:49:04,469 –> 00:49:09,661

instance. Encourage,

open communication when people feel safe

 

710

00:49:09,661 –> 00:49:13,430

to share how they work best the

organisation

 

711

00:49:13,710 –> 00:49:17,434

can adapt rather than expecting everyone

to fit a single rigid system.

 

712

00:49:17,434 –> 00:49:21,683

So I’m a big fan of open communication,

which is why I told you all right at the

 

713

00:49:21,683 –> 00:49:25,984

start that I am nervous as hell because

I’m owning it and now I’ve owned it I can

 

714

00:49:25,984 –> 00:49:30,076

move forward and you all have a little

bit more empathy and a little bit more

 

715

00:49:30,076 –> 00:49:31,230

compassion if I fluff.

 

716

00:49:33,350 –> 00:49:35,653

Next,

match tasks to strengths whenever

 

717

00:49:35,653 –> 00:49:38,475

possible.

A simple workplace assessment can help

 

718

00:49:38,475 –> 00:49:41,470

highlight these.

Some individuals excel in creative

 

719

00:49:41,470 –> 00:49:45,501

problem solving. Like we said,

others in rapid decision making during

 

720

00:49:45,501 –> 00:49:49,187

high pressure situations.

Aligning tasks with strength benefits

 

721

00:49:49,187 –> 00:49:52,470

both the employee and the team.

Everything in my opinion

 

722

00:49:52,510 –> 00:49:56,878

comes down to being strengths based.

Finally value and allow creativity and

 

723

00:49:56,878 –> 00:50:01,305

different problem solving approaches.

So what might look like unconventional

 

724

00:50:01,305 –> 00:50:05,789

thinking can actually drive innovation

and uncover solutions that traditional

 

725

00:50:05,789 –> 00:50:09,813

methods would never reveal.

So I was like to try and encourage people

 

726

00:50:09,813 –> 00:50:11,710

to be flexible in their thinking,

 

727

00:50:12,670 –> 00:50:18,150

flexible in their receiving. Being open,

just open to new ideas.

 

728

00:50:20,590 –> 00:50:25,071

Some practical ways to support employees

with ADHD specifically. First,

 

729

00:50:25,071 –> 00:50:28,370

environmental adjustments can make a big

difference.

 

730

00:50:28,370 –> 00:50:31,606

Visual prompts like wall charts,

post-it reminders,

 

731

00:50:31,606 –> 00:50:35,590

or checklists help keep important

information front and centre.

 

732

00:50:36,750 –> 00:50:40,321

So nothing gets lost in all he shuffle..

Noise,

 

733

00:50:40,321 –> 00:50:44,115

distraction from noise that needs to be

regulated.

 

734

00:50:44,115 –> 00:50:49,918

Space maybe to be offered or headphones,

quiet spaces or some headphones that

 

735

00:50:49,918 –> 00:50:51,630

people can can utilise.

 

736

00:50:53,350 –> 00:50:58,309

Visual visible clocks, timers,

reminders give structure to the day.

 

737

00:50:58,309 –> 00:51:03,997

On Amazon you can get a visual timer

countdown and it it shows with different

 

738

00:51:03,997 –> 00:51:09,030

colours the time as it moves.

Often people with ADHD don’t see time.

 

739

00:51:09,590 –> 00:51:13,569

So they quite often think they have more

time to do things and underestimate how

 

740

00:51:13,569 –> 00:51:17,057

much time it actually takes to do

something sometimes. Or like I said,

 

741

00:51:17,057 –> 00:51:19,464

they can become hyper focused and forget

to eat.

 

742

00:51:19,464 –> 00:51:23,100

That can be detrimental because then

people get into a pattern of of real

 

743

00:51:23,100 –> 00:51:26,441

stress, so if they’re not eating,

if they’re not drinking properly,

 

744

00:51:26,441 –> 00:51:28,750

it’s not using the bathroom when they

need to.

 

745

00:51:29,150 –> 00:51:33,191

So that can have a knock knock on effect

to physical health and mental health.

 

746

00:51:33,191 –> 00:51:37,131

So as much as we want to show time so

people can focus during tasks and keep

 

747

00:51:37,131 –> 00:51:39,536

themselves focused,

we want to be able to say,

 

748

00:51:39,536 –> 00:51:43,680

set yourself a hyper focused time of like

one hour and then you’ve got to get up

 

749

00:51:43,680 –> 00:51:46,545

and move about.

Otherwise you’re going to make yourself

 

750

00:51:46,545 –> 00:51:47,045

ill.

 

751

00:51:51,550 –> 00:51:53,778

OK.

So continuing with some reasonable

 

752

00:51:53,778 –> 00:51:56,635

adjustments,

providing clear written instructions

 

753

00:51:56,635 –> 00:52:01,092

ensures expectations are understood and

reduces the risk of miscommunication.

 

754

00:52:01,092 –> 00:52:05,321

So many people with ADHD process

information better when they can read it

 

755

00:52:05,321 –> 00:52:09,150

back and refer to it later.

That’s the same with dyslexia as well.

 

756

00:52:09,710 –> 00:52:14,333

Or break it down at their own pace,

so breaking tasks into smaller manageable

 

757

00:52:14,333 –> 00:52:18,422

steps helps prevent overwhelm and makes

it easier to track progress.

 

758

00:52:18,422 –> 00:52:22,631

It gives structure which reduces

cognitive load and supports executive

 

759

00:52:22,631 –> 00:52:24,350

functioning. Use goal setting

 

760

00:52:24,710 –> 00:52:30,042

in your your supervisions. Use smart,

specific, measurable, attainable,

 

761

00:52:30,042 –> 00:52:34,561

relevant, and time framed goal setting.

It’s very effective.

 

762

00:52:34,561 –> 00:52:38,857

Frequent feedback or short check

insurance are essential.

 

763

00:52:38,857 –> 00:52:44,190

They help employees know whether they’re

on the right track and provide

 

764

00:52:44,230 –> 00:52:49,710

opportunities to adjust or clarify before

small issues turn into bigger problems.

 

765

00:52:50,870 –> 00:52:54,332

Wherever possible,

offering flexible working hours can make

 

766

00:52:54,332 –> 00:52:57,795

a big difference.

Some people are great in the mornings and

 

767

00:52:57,795 –> 00:53:01,316

not so good in the evenings.

Having flexibility around that,

 

768

00:53:01,316 –> 00:53:05,471

if possible does make a difference.

I have that I’m very much a morning

 

769

00:53:05,471 –> 00:53:07,030

person, so I like to get up

 

770

00:53:07,310 –> 00:53:10,429

you know, before the sun,

even in the winter and start work and

 

771

00:53:10,429 –> 00:53:14,085

then finish a little bit earlier because

come five o’clock. I’m exhausted.

 

772

00:53:14,085 –> 00:53:16,230

I’m drained and I’m not working at my

best.

 

773

00:53:18,110 –> 00:53:21,240

Using AI.

AI now is coming through and in my

 

774

00:53:21,240 –> 00:53:26,388

opinion it is levelling the playing field

for those who are neurodiverse.

 

775

00:53:26,388 –> 00:53:30,214

I use AI all the time for for my grammR.

i’M dyslexic,

 

776

00:53:30,214 –> 00:53:34,110

so I often get things backwards.

Spelling is atrocious.

 

777

00:53:35,270 –> 00:53:38,948

Yeah, AI is brilliant.

There’s so many different apps and things

 

778

00:53:38,948 –> 00:53:43,589

you can use and it’s I think in some ways

it’s it’s intimidating for neurotypical

 

779

00:53:43,589 –> 00:53:47,437

people because now you’ve got where there

were difficulties before,

 

780

00:53:47,437 –> 00:53:50,323

AI is to like I said,

level in that playing field.

 

781

00:53:50,323 –> 00:53:52,870

So you’re seeing people coming out of of

the

 

782

00:53:53,350 –> 00:53:56,736

What do they call them?

The way the racehorse comes out of really

 

783

00:53:56,736 –> 00:53:59,918

fast. There you go.

That’s a mind blank there and that can be

 

784

00:53:59,918 –> 00:54:01,150

exciting, very exciting.

 

785

00:54:03,190 –> 00:54:07,635

Also, and finally, if possible,

having workplace adjustments in place for

 

786

00:54:07,635 –> 00:54:11,781

employees with ADHD and all

neurodiversity, regardless of diagnosis,

 

787

00:54:11,781 –> 00:54:14,605

I must say,

can make a significant difference,

 

788

00:54:14,605 –> 00:54:18,390

not just performance,

but to well-being and retention of staff

 

789

00:54:18,910 –> 00:54:24,186

And less sickness days. alongside this,

organisations can benefit from having a

 

790

00:54:24,186 –> 00:54:29,001

nominated Neurodiversity workplace

advocate who is trained of of contact

 

791

00:54:29,001 –> 00:54:32,893

within the team,

who is a trained point of contact, sorry,

 

792

00:54:32,893 –> 00:54:37,510

within the team who understands ADHD and

other neurodiverse profiles.

 

793

00:54:38,030 –> 00:54:42,445

This is a practical and accessible way

for workplaces to offer early support,

 

794

00:54:42,445 –> 00:54:46,804

reduce stigma and make sure people aren’t

navigating these challenges alone.

 

795

00:54:46,804 –> 00:54:49,691

None of these adjustments require major

resources.

 

796

00:54:49,691 –> 00:54:53,993

What they do is create an environment

where neurodiverse employees can work

 

797

00:54:53,993 –> 00:54:57,390

with their strengths rather than

constantly pushing against

 

798

00:54:57,430 –> 00:54:59,310

barriers that are completely avoidable.

 

799

00:55:00,590 –> 00:55:04,378

OK, so we’ve got some apps here,

just there’s loads out there,

 

800

00:55:04,378 –> 00:55:09,430

loads and loads. If you put in ADHD apps,

there’s there’s many out there and it’s a

 

801

00:55:09,430 –> 00:55:14,060

case of trial and error with things as

well. So some apps will work for you,

 

802

00:55:14,060 –> 00:55:18,030

others won’t. You might like ChatGPT,

you might like Claude, it’s

 

803

00:55:21,430 –> 00:55:26,964

play with some. That’s what I say.

Play with them and see what you like.

 

804

00:55:26,964 –> 00:55:32,802

So we got apps like Asana Todoist,

distraction blockers like ColdTurkey that

 

805

00:55:32,802 –> 00:55:38,640

prevents you from being interrupted from

things like social media and online

 

806

00:55:38,640 –> 00:55:39,550

temptations.

 

807

00:55:40,270 –> 00:55:45,130

So it’s a case of figuring out where your

barriers are looking at the AI and apps

 

808

00:55:45,130 –> 00:55:49,338

available to help you with that,

and then having to play with ones and

 

809

00:55:49,338 –> 00:55:49,990

what suits.

 

810

00:55:52,150 –> 00:55:56,910

Just a little note on what good

management looks like, in my opinion.

 

811

00:55:59,430 –> 00:56:02,650

Regular one-to-one check insurance are

essential.

 

812

00:56:02,650 –> 00:56:08,060

These allow managers to provide guidance,

answer questions and clarify expectations

 

813

00:56:08,060 –> 00:56:11,216

in a private focused space.

They can be regular,

 

814

00:56:11,216 –> 00:56:14,630

as regular as weekly or fortnightly or

even monthly.

 

815

00:56:15,270 –> 00:56:18,325

Depending on what the employee prefers or

feels they need.

 

816

00:56:18,325 –> 00:56:21,485

This can shift as well and it goes back

to this flexibility.

 

817

00:56:21,485 –> 00:56:25,265

If you’ve got an employee who’s gone

through a big project, for example,

 

818

00:56:25,265 –> 00:56:28,373

you could say okay,

we can have weekly for two months while

 

819

00:56:28,373 –> 00:56:31,325

this project is on,

and then after that they could go to

 

820

00:56:31,325 –> 00:56:33,190

monthly because the pressure is off.

 

821

00:56:33,670 –> 00:56:37,257

So you you can play with that as well,

a little bit,

 

822

00:56:37,257 –> 00:56:41,454

I think that’s important to do.

Constructive feedback is key.

 

823

00:56:41,454 –> 00:56:46,734

Feedback should always be specific and

actionable and delivered in a way that

 

824

00:56:46,734 –> 00:56:50,796

encourages growth,

rather than inadvertently creating shame

 

825

00:56:50,796 –> 00:56:53,030

or anxiety. So I like to say lets

 

826

00:56:53,150 –> 00:56:56,910

give a feedback sandwich so strengths,

 

827

00:56:58,230 –> 00:57:01,746

where the outcomes aren’t what you would

like them to be,

 

828

00:57:01,746 –> 00:57:04,838

where the challenge is and end on

strengths again.

 

829

00:57:04,838 –> 00:57:09,688

So the person walks away and feels good

and we’re going to find out exactly why

 

830

00:57:09,688 –> 00:57:14,659

that is as well. In the upcoming slides.

It’s also important to focus on outcomes

 

831

00:57:14,659 –> 00:57:17,630

rather than processes.

So if you’re neurotypical

 

832

00:57:18,670 –> 00:57:24,991

and you’re working with somebody who has

ADHD or autism or dyslexia, or dyspraxia,

 

833

00:57:24,991 –> 00:57:29,865

their process to get to the outcome may

seem really odd to you,

 

834

00:57:29,865 –> 00:57:33,750

but be flexible in your thinking and your

approach

 

835

00:57:34,110 –> 00:57:37,528

and focus on their outcomes,

not the process. Finally,

 

836

00:57:37,528 –> 00:57:40,759

strength based leadership is crucial in

my opinion.

 

837

00:57:40,759 –> 00:57:45,669

Identify each individual’s talents and

match tasks to their strengths wherever

 

838

00:57:45,669 –> 00:57:48,652

possible.

Employees are positioned to use their

 

839

00:57:48,652 –> 00:57:52,070

natural abilities, engagement, motivation,

performance

 

840

00:57:52,390 –> 00:57:56,921

all greatly improved. In short,

supportive management is consistent,

 

841

00:57:56,921 –> 00:58:02,240

it’s clear and it’s tailored to leverage

the individual strengths while reducing

 

842

00:58:02,240 –> 00:58:07,494

friction from ADHD-related challenges,

or any newer devised related challenges.

 

843

00:58:07,494 –> 00:58:09,990

So just a little bit on women as well,

 

844

00:58:10,470 –> 00:58:14,928

if I may.

Before we move on to our real world

 

845

00:58:14,928 –> 00:58:19,290

example that we’re going to hear from

Rhian,

 

846

00:58:19,290 –> 00:58:24,620

I just want to say a little bit about

women with ADHD.

 

847

00:58:24,620 –> 00:58:28,110

So women with ADHD in the workplace.

 

848

00:58:28,990 –> 00:58:33,746

It can often show up as a very different

picture. Historically,

 

849

00:58:33,746 –> 00:58:39,096

women were not diagnosed because the

original ADHD research was almost,

 

850

00:58:39,096 –> 00:58:44,150

like most of our research in health,

entirely based on boys or men.

 

851

00:58:44,750 –> 00:58:47,982

Specifically,

boys who showed obvious hyperactivity.

 

852

00:58:47,982 –> 00:58:51,337

The diagnostic criteria was built around

that pattern,

 

853

00:58:51,337 –> 00:58:55,911

and so girls were presented differently,

who presented differently, sorry,

 

854

00:58:55,911 –> 00:58:59,937

were simply just missed.

Girls were more likely to be labelled as

 

855

00:58:59,937 –> 00:59:02,804

quiet, shy,

sensitive or daydreamy rather than

 

856

00:59:02,804 –> 00:59:04,390

recognised as having ADHD.

 

857

00:59:04,470 –> 00:59:10,448

And this is specifically the inattentive

ADHD which you see in more women than you

 

858

00:59:10,448 –> 00:59:14,050

do men.

That has created a backlog that we’re now

 

859

00:59:14,050 –> 00:59:17,940

seeing today,

which is unprecedented numbers of adult

 

860

00:59:17,940 –> 00:59:21,253

women,

particularly over the age of 30 and 40

 

861

00:59:21,253 –> 00:59:22,550

suddenly realising

 

862

00:59:23,150 –> 00:59:27,064

they have their whole life,

they’ve been struggling with ADHD.

 

863

00:59:27,064 –> 00:59:31,848

Many have spent decades coping without

support and they’re reaching burnout,

 

864

00:59:31,848 –> 00:59:36,198

especially in demanding professional

roles. In terms of presentation,

 

865

00:59:36,198 –> 00:59:38,870

women tend to internalise ADHD rather

than

 

866

00:59:39,630 –> 00:59:43,041

externalise it in in outward obvious

behaviours.

 

867

00:59:43,041 –> 00:59:48,751

The signs are often far more subtle and

and there’s also a strong mask with women

 

868

00:59:48,751 –> 00:59:52,163

as well,

and overcompensating over perfectionism

 

869

00:59:52,163 –> 00:59:56,550

and essentially overworking to cover

their their difficulties.

 

870

00:59:57,430 –> 01:00:03,684

So they carry a high emotional load,

which leads to great depths of anxiety,

 

871

01:00:03,684 –> 01:00:09,370

fear of mistake, chronic exhaustion,

compassion, fatigue and burnout.

 

872

01:00:09,370 –> 01:00:13,350

Difficulties with memory,

planning and overwhelm

 

873

01:00:13,830 –> 01:00:16,833

can often be hidden and not invisible

with women.

 

874

01:00:16,833 –> 01:00:21,397

Because of this internal presentation,

women often go unnoticed at work and

 

875

01:00:21,397 –> 01:00:26,082

often unnoticed at school even today,

until they hit a point where they can’t

 

876

01:00:26,082 –> 01:00:28,725

sustain the task, the mask. sorry,

anymore.

 

877

01:00:28,725 –> 01:00:33,590

There are also some controversies to be

aware of. One is the debate over whether

 

878

01:00:33,670 –> 01:00:37,051

they’re not truly more likely to have

inattentive type ADHD,

 

879

01:00:37,051 –> 01:00:41,374

or whether they were only diagnosed that

way because professionals missed the

 

880

01:00:41,374 –> 01:00:45,587

hyperactive and impulsive traits.

Another is where the hormonal fluctuation

 

881

01:00:45,587 –> 01:00:49,190

in women, not just gender alone,

is what makes ADHD more complex

 

882

01:00:50,030 –> 01:00:53,369

for women,

I personally think the truth is they they

 

883

01:00:53,369 –> 01:00:56,142

both play a huge role,

especially hormones.

 

884

01:00:56,142 –> 01:00:59,922

Hormones absolutely influence how ADHD

shows up. For women,

 

885

01:00:59,922 –> 01:01:04,018

oestrogen supports dopamine and so it and

executive functioning.

 

886

01:01:04,018 –> 01:01:08,618

So when oestrogen dips naturally,

your dopamine is going to dip and that

 

887

01:01:08,618 –> 01:01:09,110

will

 

888

01:01:09,110 –> 01:01:13,820

greatly affect motivation and energy.

You can see this across the female

 

889

01:01:13,820 –> 01:01:17,046

lifespan, so premenstrual phase,

lower tolerance,

 

890

01:01:17,046 –> 01:01:21,046

reduced focus and increased emotional

sensitivity. Pregnancy.

 

891

01:01:21,046 –> 01:01:23,950

You have to think of that for women as

well.

 

892

01:01:24,390 –> 01:01:30,031

There’s mixed experiences with pregnancy.

Some women will will thrive and others

 

893

01:01:30,031 –> 01:01:34,558

struggle more and again depends on what

that oestrogen is doing.

 

894

01:01:34,558 –> 01:01:38,737

Post natal period.

Lower oestrogen and sleep disruption can

 

895

01:01:38,737 –> 01:01:40,270

make ADHD much harder.

 

896

01:01:41,190 –> 01:01:45,272

Perimenopause and menopause,

often a major point where ADHD symptoms

 

897

01:01:45,272 –> 01:01:48,349

intensify,

leading many women to seek diagnosis for

 

898

01:01:48,349 –> 01:01:51,366

the first time,

which is what we see a lot of now.

 

899

01:01:51,366 –> 01:01:55,390

Women are finding they just can’t mask

anymore the the menopause is

 

900

01:01:55,750 –> 01:01:59,218

really I’m highlighting it.

In the workplace this can look like

 

901

01:01:59,218 –> 01:02:03,065

suddenly becoming more forgetful,

overwhelmed or emotionally reactive,

 

902

01:02:03,065 –> 01:02:06,858

even if they’ve managed well for years.

Another key piece to remember

 

903

01:02:06,858 –> 01:02:09,947

specifically for women,

although men do experience this,

 

904

01:02:09,947 –> 01:02:12,711

but it’s more common and more noticeable

in women.

 

905

01:02:12,711 –> 01:02:15,150

It’s called Rejection Sensitivity

Dysphoria.

 

906

01:02:15,350 –> 01:02:18,314

This isn’t an official diagnosis

unfortunately,

 

907

01:02:18,314 –> 01:02:21,217

but it does describe a common ADHD

experience.

 

908

01:02:21,217 –> 01:02:25,911

An intense emotional response to

perceived criticism, rejection or failure.

 

909

01:02:25,911 –> 01:02:30,543

Many women are more vulnerable to this

because they’ve spent years masking

 

910

01:02:30,543 –> 01:02:34,990

people pleasing and working extremely

hard to avoid negative judgement.

 

911

01:02:35,670 –> 01:02:40,100

When they receive feedback,

even mild feedback, by the way,

 

912

01:02:40,100 –> 01:02:44,310

it can feel disproportionately painful or

destabilising.

 

913

01:02:44,310 –> 01:02:50,070

Rejection sensitivity feels like physical

pain, but it’s emotions causing it.

 

914

01:02:50,670 –> 01:02:52,110

It’s very debilitating.

 

915

01:02:53,590 –> 01:02:57,395

In a workplace,

RSD might look like shutting down after

 

916

01:02:57,395 –> 01:03:02,083

feedback over apologising,

avoiding tasks that might draw criticism,

 

917

01:03:02,083 –> 01:03:06,975

being extremely self critical,

misreading neutral comments is negative,

 

918

01:03:06,975 –> 01:03:09,150

So what can workplaces do? Well,

 

919

01:03:09,750 –> 01:03:15,175

A few simple approaches can make a huge

difference. Again, give the clear, fair,

 

920

01:03:15,175 –> 01:03:19,530

predictable feedback using a calm tone.

Avoid drop-in criticism,

 

921

01:03:19,530 –> 01:03:23,549

schedule it privately.

Pair critique with clarity on what’s

 

922

01:03:23,549 –> 01:03:26,429

going well.

Provide written guidance after

 

923

01:03:26,429 –> 01:03:29,310

discussions.

Create a culture where asking

 

924

01:03:29,390 –> 01:03:33,419

for help is normal,

not a sign of weakness and just ensure

 

925

01:03:33,419 –> 01:03:38,813

confidentiality and psychological safety

with compassion and understanding and

 

926

01:03:38,813 –> 01:03:42,979

flexible thinking,

and try to put yourself in other people’s

 

927

01:03:42,979 –> 01:03:44,550

shoes before you react.

 

928

01:03:45,750 –> 01:03:48,547

Just think what must this be like for

them?

 

929

01:03:48,547 –> 01:03:53,190

I think we could do that for everyone,

not just neurpdiverse people. OK,

 

930

01:03:53,190 –> 01:03:58,150

so now I’m going to hand it over to Rhian

and give you a break from my voice.

 

931

01:03:59,830 –> 01:04:03,612

Just quickly, before Rhian comes in.

Sorry guys, we are obviously past 11,

 

932

01:04:03,612 –> 01:04:06,385

but it’s been absolutely fascinating and

in hindsight,

 

933

01:04:06,385 –> 01:04:10,269

it definitely should have been a 90

minute webinar. If you can stay with us,

 

934

01:04:10,269 –> 01:04:13,244

we will continue and we will do some

questions at the end.

 

935

01:04:13,244 –> 01:04:16,825

We haven’t got long to go now, I promise.

And if you do have to leave,

 

936

01:04:16,825 –> 01:04:19,750

obviously just if you could fill in that

evaluation form.

 

937

01:04:19,830 –> 01:04:22,910

It’d be really important.

Thank you both very much, Rhian.

 

938

01:04:25,110 –> 01:04:28,890

Hi. Yeah. Thanks, Aimee. And yeah,

it’s fascinating.

 

939

01:04:28,890 –> 01:04:34,310

So Aimee’s talked about having a real

world life experience to sort of talk

 

940

01:04:34,310 –> 01:04:38,946

about, and this is mine.

So being diagnosed with ADHD in my 50s,

 

941

01:04:38,946 –> 01:04:40,230

it was a surprise.

 

942

01:04:40,590 –> 01:04:44,028

But at the same time, a relief.

So it all started when my two adult

 

943

01:04:44,028 –> 01:04:47,517

children were being assessed.

As I listened to their experiences and

 

944

01:04:47,517 –> 01:04:51,310

the questions they were being asked,

I had a series of light bulb moments.

 

945

01:04:52,670 –> 01:04:57,871

Suddenly so many things from my own life

made sense when I often felt overwhelmed,

 

946

01:04:57,871 –> 01:05:02,822

why I struggled with certain tasks and

why I had to work twice as hard to stay

 

947

01:05:02,822 –> 01:05:06,832

organised and forecast.

So their journey helped me recognise my

 

948

01:05:06,832 –> 01:05:09,464

own,

so getting diagnosed as an emotional

 

949

01:05:09,464 –> 01:05:11,470

experience, it meant that I had,

 

950

01:05:12,230 –> 01:05:16,780

it meant that I had to be well, sorry.

I’ve lost my train of thought. One second.

 

951

01:05:16,780 –> 01:05:19,443

So yeah,

it meant that I had to have some of my

 

952

01:05:19,443 –> 01:05:21,996

family,

they had to be open and honest about,

 

953

01:05:21,996 –> 01:05:26,380

what I was like growing up where I am

like now and what it’s been like to live

 

954

01:05:26,380 –> 01:05:30,153

with me, which hasn’t been challenging,

which has been challenging.

 

955

01:05:30,153 –> 01:05:31,430

You can ask my husband.

 

956

01:05:32,230 –> 01:05:36,568

So however completing the forms and

attending the consultation was absolutely

 

957

01:05:36,568 –> 01:05:39,238

worth it.

We now understand that there’s a real

 

958

01:05:39,238 –> 01:05:42,742

reason for being the way that I am.

So following my diagnosis,

 

959

01:05:42,742 –> 01:05:47,192

I knew I wanted to tell my line manager,

and though I’m very generally a really

 

960

01:05:47,192 –> 01:05:51,030

open person who wears my heart on my

sleeve, I had this really awful

 

961

01:05:51,150 –> 01:05:54,256

sense of dread and what her response is

going to be.

 

962

01:05:54,256 –> 01:05:58,945

So through talking with her and feeling a

sense of calm coming over me straight

 

963

01:05:58,945 –> 01:06:01,582

away,

I knew that I really wanted to then to

 

964

01:06:01,582 –> 01:06:06,330

expand my diagnosis to the whole team.

But it was on my terms, when I was ready.

 

965

01:06:06,330 –> 01:06:09,260

However,

it wasn’t long as it began to play on my

 

966

01:06:09,260 –> 01:06:10,550

mind and I knew I just

 

967

01:06:10,630 –> 01:06:13,619

I just had to get it off my chest so the

team catch up,

 

968

01:06:13,619 –> 01:06:17,142

which just not a monthly meeting and we

general, you know I have,

 

969

01:06:17,142 –> 01:06:20,452

it was just a catch up,

my line manager said that I wanted to

 

970

01:06:20,452 –> 01:06:24,615

come in just to have a little bit of a

talk and then my tummy flipped and the

 

971

01:06:24,615 –> 01:06:25,470

dread came back.

 

972

01:06:25,990 –> 01:06:29,490

So I said he had some news.

It wasn’t sad or terrible. In fact,

 

973

01:06:29,490 –> 01:06:32,388

it was great news.

I then explained what I’d already

 

974

01:06:32,388 –> 01:06:36,927

described to you above and lots of heart

emojis began appearing on the screen with

 

975

01:06:36,927 –> 01:06:40,045

clapping hands,

and I instantly knew that I had done the

 

976

01:06:40,045 –> 01:06:42,943

right thing.

So what has made the biggest difference

 

977

01:06:42,943 –> 01:06:45,350

is how my whole team in work has

responded.

 

978

01:06:45,750 –> 01:06:50,070

Instead of seeing an ADHD as a barrier,

they’ve treated it to something we can

 

979

01:06:50,070 –> 01:06:53,625

work with and not against.

So they’ve all been so supportive and

 

980

01:06:53,625 –> 01:06:58,110

asked what’s the best way for me to work

and what I need and what I require to do

 

981

01:06:58,110 –> 01:07:00,408

this.

So within our organisation we use a

 

982

01:07:00,408 –> 01:07:01,830

workplace health passport.

 

983

01:07:02,670 –> 01:07:06,592

That’s now been invaluable to me.

It’s allowed me to clearly document what

 

984

01:07:06,592 –> 01:07:10,253

helps, what challenges I face,

and how we can work together to create

 

985

01:07:10,253 –> 01:07:14,385

the right conditions for me to thrive.

So flexible working practises have also

 

986

01:07:14,385 –> 01:07:17,627

been transformative,

so having the ability to adjust my hours

 

987

01:07:17,627 –> 01:07:21,550

when concentration is that it’s best I’m

a morning person just like Aimee.

 

988

01:07:22,150 –> 01:07:26,614

Or when it needs that I need to step in

and have a rest in a way which has helped

 

989

01:07:26,614 –> 01:07:29,935

me work more efficiently and feel more in

control of my day.

 

990

01:07:29,935 –> 01:07:32,493

Hybrid workings offer the best of both

worlds.

 

991

01:07:32,493 –> 01:07:36,794

On days when my focus is challenging,

I work from home. It gives me a quieter,

 

992

01:07:36,794 –> 01:07:41,150

more controlled environment and on other

days being in the office helps me stay

 

993

01:07:41,390 –> 01:07:45,268

Connected and energised,

so this balance is really essential to me.

 

994

01:07:45,268 –> 01:07:49,660

Having clear direction of work plans and

what’s required rather than me just

 

995

01:07:49,660 –> 01:07:52,170

pondering and then trying to figure it

out.

 

996

01:07:52,170 –> 01:07:56,790

I’ve learned to chunk my workload down

and making it more manageable for myself.

 

997

01:07:57,750 –> 01:08:01,881

And having access to quiet rooms at work

has been simple but powerful.

 

998

01:08:01,881 –> 01:08:06,421

Being able to step away from noise,

interruptions and sensory overloads means

 

999

01:08:06,421 –> 01:08:08,981

I can get back on track more,

more quickly.

 

1000

01:08:08,981 –> 01:08:13,230

Sometimes it’s just a five minute calm

that can make all the difference.

 

1001

01:08:13,590 –> 01:08:17,447

Other times, a little bit longer.

But one of the most meaningful parts of

 

1002

01:08:17,447 –> 01:08:21,565

this journey has been seen how my life

manager has learned from the experience

 

1003

01:08:21,565 –> 01:08:23,390

too. Sorry, I can’t feel emotional.

 

1004

01:08:28,950 –> 01:08:29,450

OK.

 

1005

01:08:30,270 –> 01:08:31,550

Take your time Rhian. It’s fine.

 

1006

01:08:31,550 –> 01:08:37,412

I know. Thanks.

So they’re taking the time to understand

 

1007

01:08:37,412 –> 01:08:41,630

ADHD,

listening without judgement and to

 

1008

01:08:41,630 –> 01:08:43,070

recognise that

 

1009

01:08:44,870 –> 01:08:47,743

neurodiversity brings strengths through

our challenges.

 

1010

01:08:47,743 –> 01:08:51,899

They’ve become more confident in having

supported conversations not just with me

 

1011

01:08:51,899 –> 01:08:54,414

but with others.

And they’ve learned to check in

 

1012

01:08:54,414 –> 01:08:56,928

differently,

to offer clarity when needed and to

 

1013

01:08:56,928 –> 01:09:00,110

approach adjustments as a shared effort

rather than a favour.

 

1014

01:09:01,670 –> 01:09:05,357

So I’m nearly the end.

So their willingness to learn has not

 

1015

01:09:05,357 –> 01:09:08,802

only supported me,

it’s helped me create a more open and

 

1016

01:09:08,802 –> 01:09:13,456

understanding team culture overall.

And being diagnosed later in life hasn’t

 

1017

01:09:13,456 –> 01:09:16,358

been easy.

It’s given me a new understanding of

 

1018

01:09:16,358 –> 01:09:19,319

myself,

which I’m grateful to work and to put in

 

1019

01:09:19,319 –> 01:09:20,710

place that supports me.

 

1020

01:09:21,150 –> 01:09:23,978

So with the right adjustments and not

just coping,

 

1021

01:09:23,978 –> 01:09:27,750

I’m contributing more comfortably

effectively than ever. Thank you.

 

1022

01:09:33,950 –> 01:09:38,181

Well done, Rhian. Thank you very much.

I know that’s quite an emotional chat,

 

1023

01:09:38,181 –> 01:09:41,761

but there’s lots of people who are

relating with you in the chat.

 

1024

01:09:41,761 –> 01:09:44,798

So thank you.

Even though it was difficult back to you,

 

1025

01:09:44,798 –> 01:09:45,298

Amie.

 

1026

01:09:46,070 –> 01:09:51,352

Thanks, Rhian. I just,

I just have to say Rhian’s emotional

 

1027

01:09:51,352 –> 01:09:57,075

response. There is very,

very typical of of people who have been

 

1028

01:09:57,075 –> 01:10:02,270

assessed in later life.

It’s it’s incredibly emotional and

 

1029

01:10:02,710 –> 01:10:07,521

it’s a huge light bulb moment,

weight lifted off people’s shoulders,

 

1030

01:10:07,521 –> 01:10:11,774

cathartic. You know,

it’s it’s really important to do if you

 

1031

01:10:11,774 –> 01:10:15,399

can, if you can.

I know that’s sometimes difficult,

 

1032

01:10:15,399 –> 01:10:17,910

but it can be incredibly beneficial.

 

1033

01:10:18,870 –> 01:10:21,347

OK.

So just just to end really then I know

 

1034

01:10:21,347 –> 01:10:24,286

we’ve gone over time.

I’m really sorry about that.

 

1035

01:10:24,286 –> 01:10:27,800

I just wanted people to reflect on the

inclusivity in their,

 

1036

01:10:27,800 –> 01:10:31,430

in their workplace at the moment,

whether changes can be made,

 

1037

01:10:31,430 –> 01:10:33,390

how inclusive your workplaces are.

 

1038

01:10:34,070 –> 01:10:39,172

Just take some time to do that.

Is there anything that can be done

 

1039

01:10:39,172 –> 01:10:45,265

differently. And then some key takeaways.

First, remember that ADHD is diverse,

 

1040

01:10:45,265 –> 01:10:48,616

it comes from with both challenges.

I mean,

 

1041

01:10:48,616 –> 01:10:53,110

I I personally like to see neurodiversity

as a superpower.

 

1042

01:10:53,390 –> 01:10:57,399

Some people don’t like to see that that

can be a controversial thing to say,

 

1043

01:10:57,399 –> 01:11:00,627

but I think it is a superpower and it’s

the world that we’ve,

 

1044

01:11:00,627 –> 01:11:04,272

the society that we’ve created,

particularly school environments that

 

1045

01:11:04,272 –> 01:11:08,020

have made us see it as a weakness.

It’s not a weakness when you’re full

 

1046

01:11:08,020 –> 01:11:11,040

awake, fully aware of it,

and you play to your strengths,

 

1047

01:11:11,040 –> 01:11:12,030

it is a superpower.

 

1048

01:11:12,910 –> 01:11:17,714

Second, new diversity isn’t just box tick.

Like I said, it fuels innovation,

 

1049

01:11:17,714 –> 01:11:20,522

different ways of thinking,

problem solving,

 

1050

01:11:20,522 –> 01:11:23,393

and it can really excel your business.

Third,

 

1051

01:11:23,393 –> 01:11:27,449

fostering inclusion is not only the right

thing to do ethically,

 

1052

01:11:27,449 –> 01:11:30,070

it really is strategically smart. Finally.

 

1053

01:11:31,630 –> 01:11:36,280

Just small, thoughtful adjustments,

diagnosis or not, can have a huge impact.

 

1054

01:11:36,280 –> 01:11:41,110

You don’t need to overhaul everything,

even simple challenge. It changes, sorry,

 

1055

01:11:41,110 –> 01:11:46,000

in communication and the environment and

task management can really transform the

 

1056

01:11:46,000 –> 01:11:50,830

workplace and and transform that person’s

life. Because work does really take up

 

1057

01:11:51,230 –> 01:11:55,397

the majority of our lives, doesn’t it?

So it’d be great to have an environment

 

1058

01:11:55,397 –> 01:11:59,511

where you feel like you’re thriving and

contributing and you feel really good

 

1059

01:11:59,511 –> 01:12:02,043

about that.

I think that’s really important and

 

1060

01:12:02,043 –> 01:12:05,630

that’s that’s, that’s that.

And if you want to get in touch with me

 

1061

01:12:06,790 –> 01:12:10,453

here are my details.

I’m happy to answer any questions at all.

 

1062

01:12:10,453 –> 01:12:14,523

I’m happy to receive emails.

Sometimes people don’t want to speak out

 

1063

01:12:14,523 –> 01:12:18,535

in public forums like this,

so if you have any questions or you want

 

1064

01:12:18,535 –> 01:12:21,616

any guidance,

I’m very happy for people to e-mail me

 

1065

01:12:21,616 –> 01:12:23,710

and I’ll I can chat to you that way.

 

1066

01:12:32,470 –> 01:12:35,131

Here we are.

I was all but I was busy answering all

 

1067

01:12:35,131 –> 01:12:38,458

people’s chat. But no, thank you so much.

Aimee and Rhian again.

 

1068

01:12:38,458 –> 01:12:42,605

And I just want to say a massive thank

you to everyone that’s actually joined us

 

1069

01:12:42,605 –> 01:12:46,393

today because it’s it’s hard to be

engaging on a webinar when you haven’t

 

1070

01:12:46,393 –> 01:12:50,641

got your mic on and your camera with such

a large group but it’s been wonderful to

 

1071

01:12:50,641 –> 01:12:51,870

see everyone’s reactions

 

1072

01:12:52,230 –> 01:12:57,148

come up and how people have been able to

relate. Before we go on to questions,

 

1073

01:12:57,148 –> 01:13:01,195

I just wanted to say we’ve got lots of

resources on our website.

 

1074

01:13:01,195 –> 01:13:06,300

You should be able to click the link on

your screen right now with some tools you

 

1075

01:13:06,300 –> 01:13:07,110

can take away

 

1076

01:13:08,310 –> 01:13:13,001

from from today as well,

and a few people have obviously been

 

1077

01:13:13,001 –> 01:13:17,465

talking in the chat about where they can

get more support.

 

1078

01:13:17,465 –> 01:13:22,837

We have recently launched two new

programmes in Healthy Working Wales,

 

1079

01:13:22,837 –> 01:13:27,150

one being a employer survey tool,

which should be the QR

 

1080

01:13:27,230 –> 01:13:31,765

code on the left or right,

because I don’t actually know and another

 

1081

01:13:31,765 –> 01:13:35,249

being the Workplace.

Health Adviser Support service.

 

1082

01:13:35,249 –> 01:13:40,442

You will need to do the survey to access

the Workplace Health Adviser service,

 

1083

01:13:40,442 –> 01:13:45,832

but that will give you the opportunity to

speak to us as advisers including Rhian

 

1084

01:13:47,350 –> 01:13:51,614

and a few others on the call where you

can ask us some questions around this

 

1085

01:13:51,614 –> 01:13:55,823

topic and obviously we can have perhaps

help you with some workplace health

 

1086

01:13:55,823 –> 01:14:00,199

passports, which Rhian was talking about.

So what I am going to do, as I said,

 

1087

01:14:00,199 –> 01:14:03,854

I know we’re over time,

so if you do have to go that’s absolutely fine.

 

1088

01:14:03,854 –> 01:14:06,513

Just if you can fill in that evaluation form

 

1089

01:14:07,470 –> 01:14:11,848

I am going to ask Aimee a couple of

questions that we think quite a few

 

1090

01:14:11,848 –> 01:14:14,524

people will be able to relate to

hopefully.

 

1091

01:14:14,524 –> 01:14:17,990

And if you do have any further questions,

as Aimee said,

 

1092

01:14:17,990 –> 01:14:22,186

you can contact her directly,

which is incredibly kind for her to do

 

1093

01:14:22,186 –> 01:14:23,950

that or pop them in the chat.

 

1094

01:14:24,750 –> 01:14:30,646

So to start us off, Aimee,

are you able to ask for proof of a

 

1095

01:14:30,646 –> 01:14:33,310

diagnosis diagnosis of ADHD?

 

1096

01:14:34,590 –> 01:14:39,312

If the employee states they do have it,

but there could potentially be statements

 

1097

01:14:39,312 –> 01:14:43,516

from other people in the workplace

stating that this may not actually be

 

1098

01:14:43,516 –> 01:14:45,590

true, they may not have a diagnosis.

 

1099

01:14:47,990 –> 01:14:53,508

Yeah, that’s a controversial question,

but it’s, yeah, it’s a difficult one.

 

1100

01:14:53,508 –> 01:14:57,594

You can, as an employer,

you can ask people to prove it.

 

1101

01:14:57,594 –> 01:15:01,894

But they don’t have to prove it.

So under the Equality Act,

 

1102

01:15:01,894 –> 01:15:05,550

they don’t have to have a diagnosis for

reasonable

 

1103

01:15:05,630 –> 01:15:10,502

adjustments to be made so,

but you you can ask for one and it’s

 

1104

01:15:10,502 –> 01:15:16,517

usually best if you’re going to do that

to include HR and occupational health.

 

1105

01:15:16,517 –> 01:15:21,389

I would never recommend it.

I would always follow, like I said,

 

1106

01:15:21,389 –> 01:15:23,750

a workplace assessment process.

 

1107

01:15:24,550 –> 01:15:29,769

Strengths based problem solving.

Let’s let’s work together and and see

 

1108

01:15:29,769 –> 01:15:34,401

where you’re struggling,

rather than asking them to prove that

 

1109

01:15:34,401 –> 01:15:38,297

they’re struggling.

That to me would be the far more

 

1110

01:15:38,297 –> 01:15:43,150

compassionate way to do it.

I think if there’s difficulties there

 

1111

01:15:44,110 –> 01:15:46,951

where you feel that somebody’s being

dishonest,

 

1112

01:15:46,951 –> 01:15:51,212

then I think that’s probably a HR

occupational health responsibility to

 

1113

01:15:51,212 –> 01:15:55,711

give that to them. Or, in my opinion,

always think strength is based always

 

1114

01:15:55,711 –> 01:15:58,552

think.

How can we work together to move forward

 

1115

01:15:58,552 –> 01:16:03,110

workplace assessments and and yeah,

like I said, people don’t have to have a

 

1116

01:16:03,230 –> 01:16:06,390

diagnosis to expect reasonable

adjustments in the workplace.

 

1117

01:16:09,910 –> 01:16:13,540

Fabulous. Thank you for that.

So a second question,

 

1118

01:16:13,540 –> 01:16:18,427

which again I think it’s one that perhaps

a few people can relate to.

 

1119

01:16:18,427 –> 01:16:23,105

Is there an established framework or

recommended approach to guide

 

1120

01:16:23,105 –> 01:16:27,574

conversations between a line manager and

an employee with ADHD,

 

1121

01:16:27,574 –> 01:16:29,110

one that perhaps helps

 

1122

01:16:29,630 –> 01:16:34,793

ensure the right questions are being

asked to identify appropriate workplace

 

1123

01:16:34,793 –> 01:16:37,408

support,

while also reinforcing shared

 

1124

01:16:37,408 –> 01:16:42,437

responsibility and encouraging the

employee to recognise their own role in

 

1125

01:16:42,437 –> 01:16:45,790

managing their needs and personal

accountability.

 

1126

01:16:46,550 –> 01:16:51,861

That’s a big one. No, no, no, it’s fine.

That’s a big one and something I’ve

 

1127

01:16:51,861 –> 01:16:57,241

actually prepared for. So in the UK,

there are some recognised frameworks and

 

1128

01:16:57,241 –> 01:17:02,483

recommended approaches for guiding

conversations between a line manager and

 

1129

01:17:02,483 –> 01:17:06,070

employee.

There’s nothing sort of legal requirement

 

1130

01:17:06,110 –> 01:17:11,012

but there are definitely recommended ones.

There isn’t a single national template

 

1131

01:17:11,012 –> 01:17:15,377

that every organisation must use,

but several established models do work

 

1132

01:17:15,377 –> 01:17:18,725

extremely well.

I’m happy to e-mail this to you, Nikki,

 

1133

01:17:18,725 –> 01:17:22,851

and then people can you can,

you e-mail that out to attendees if you

 

1134

01:17:22,851 –> 01:17:23,351

like.

 

1135

01:17:24,070 –> 01:17:28,014

The ones that are most commonly used are

the workplace needs assessment.

 

1136

01:17:28,014 –> 01:17:31,472

Like I’ve mentioned several times,

it’s conversation framework.

 

1137

01:17:31,472 –> 01:17:34,498

You look at the job demands,

you look at the strengths,

 

1138

01:17:34,498 –> 01:17:38,118

what the employee does well,

you look at what the barriers are and

 

1139

01:17:38,118 –> 01:17:40,550

then you look at the the adjustments

needed.

 

1140

01:17:41,550 –> 01:17:46,030

Then there’s the what, why,

and how very simple to remember what, why,

 

1141

01:17:46,030 –> 01:17:48,932

how framework for ADHD?

Specific discussions.

 

1142

01:17:48,932 –> 01:17:52,908

So what is the challenge?

Why is it difficult? Is it planning?

 

1143

01:17:52,908 –> 01:17:57,830

Is it time management? Is it focus?

Working memory? Overwhelm? Sensory input?

 

1144

01:17:58,310 –> 01:18:03,706

What is the specific difficulty,

why is it difficult there and how can we

 

1145

01:18:03,706 –> 01:18:08,373

remove or reduce that barrier.

This naturally reinforces shared

 

1146

01:18:08,373 –> 01:18:12,457

responsibility,

so the manager focuses on improving the

 

1147

01:18:12,457 –> 01:18:17,270

environment and then it’s the employees

responsibility to reflect

 

1148

01:18:17,830 –> 01:18:22,407

on their own needs and strategies.

So the management under the Equality Act,

 

1149

01:18:22,407 –> 01:18:26,509

the manager is responsible,

or the service is responsible for making

 

1150

01:18:26,509 –> 01:18:30,314

reasonable adjustments,

but at the same time the responsibility

 

1151

01:18:30,314 –> 01:18:33,049

falls on the employee to then implement

them.

 

1152

01:18:33,049 –> 01:18:37,270

So there is a legislation that does

govern the person a responsibility

 

1153

01:18:37,430 –> 01:18:40,862

to then follow through.

You can’t expect reasonable adjustments,

 

1154

01:18:40,862 –> 01:18:44,190

demand them when they’re made,

then you’re not utilising them.

 

1155

01:18:46,870 –> 01:18:47,270

Did that answer that question?

 

1156

01:18:47,270 –> 01:18:51,405

Amazing. Yeah, I think so. Yeah.

If if you want any more information

 

1157

01:18:51,405 –> 01:18:54,582

around that,

just pop it in the chat and we can pick

 

1158

01:18:54,582 –> 01:18:59,137

it up. Thank you very much, Amiee.

This one did actually come in the chat a

 

1159

01:18:59,137 –> 01:19:02,015

bit earlier on at the beginning of the

webinar.

 

1160

01:19:02,015 –> 01:19:06,870

So it’s where employees are struggling

with getting support or external support,

 

1161

01:19:07,430 –> 01:19:12,276

such they’re on a waiting list or very

long list for perhaps medication or

 

1162

01:19:12,276 –> 01:19:17,768

treatment for the neurodiverse conditions.

Is this something we can ask employers to

 

1163

01:19:17,768 –> 01:19:21,322

do to support people until they have

their assessment?

 

1164

01:19:21,322 –> 01:19:25,910

And then they also added on are there

ways to have private assessment.

 

1165

01:19:26,470 –> 01:19:30,790

I know you’ve touched on that about some

companies perhaps not doing assessments

 

1166

01:19:30,790 –> 01:19:33,990

as they should be done.

So I don’t know whether you want to

 

1167

01:19:33,990 –> 01:19:36,230

expand on that and give her a bit of help.

 

1168

01:19:36,950 –> 01:19:41,211

Yeah. okay. So unfortunately,

if you’re on an NHS wait list,

 

1169

01:19:41,211 –> 01:19:45,961

there’s nothing that your employer can do

to to bring that forward.

 

1170

01:19:45,961 –> 01:19:51,828

And with regards to a private assessment,

private assessments are available through

 

1171

01:19:51,828 –> 01:19:55,391

companies.

You must make sure they’re regulated by

 

1172

01:19:55,391 –> 01:19:55,950

the CQC,

 

1173

01:19:55,990 –> 01:20:01,279

otherwise no assessment is is can be

accepted for medication and most of the

 

1174

01:20:01,279 –> 01:20:05,056

big companies,

the big ones that we’re seeing now are.

 

1175

01:20:05,056 –> 01:20:09,246

However, I will say,

doesn’t mean that they are doing a good

 

1176

01:20:09,246 –> 01:20:12,269

job.

So there’s certain things that you can

 

1177

01:20:12,269 –> 01:20:12,769

expect.

 

1178

01:20:13,510 –> 01:20:16,527

If you’re going to go for a private

assessment,

 

1179

01:20:16,527 –> 01:20:21,178

you can expect that assessment to take no

less than two and a half hours.

 

1180

01:20:21,178 –> 01:20:25,892

That’s the National Institute’s NICE

guidelines, so it must not it cannot,

 

1181

01:20:25,892 –> 01:20:30,732

and I can sit here and I can tell you

that I have tried to get an assessment

 

1182

01:20:30,732 –> 01:20:32,430

under two and a half hours.

 

1183

01:20:32,670 –> 01:20:36,171

I cannot do it.

They usually take me three to four hours.

 

1184

01:20:36,171 –> 01:20:41,061

Rhian will tell you that they take four

hours plus, etcetera. There needs to be,

 

1185

01:20:41,061 –> 01:20:44,563

if you’re if a private,

they need to send you up multiple

 

1186

01:20:44,563 –> 01:20:49,634

multiple questionnaires that you have to

fill in. Plus your family have to fill in.

 

1187

01:20:49,634 –> 01:20:52,230

So like I said,

we need to see information

 

1188

01:20:52,670 –> 01:20:56,079

before the age of 12.

Workplace information is really,

 

1189

01:20:56,079 –> 01:21:00,357

really helpful and we have specific

questionnaires for that as well.

 

1190

01:21:00,357 –> 01:21:03,952

So if you can,

if you have a neurodiverse advocate there,

 

1191

01:21:03,952 –> 01:21:08,850

they are trained to be able to complete

these forms, to help you fill them in,

 

1192

01:21:08,850 –> 01:21:11,950

to send them off.

Your manager can do it for you.

 

1193

01:21:12,590 –> 01:21:16,309

All this information is very helpful,

your partner who you live with your

 

1194

01:21:16,309 –> 01:21:19,225

children, if you have them.

The more information we have,

 

1195

01:21:19,225 –> 01:21:22,141

the better these companies should be

asking you for that.

 

1196

01:21:22,141 –> 01:21:25,157

If you get a sense that they’re trying to

rush you through,

 

1197

01:21:25,157 –> 01:21:29,178

they’re not a good company and I suggest

you you walk away and you find someone

 

1198

01:21:29,178 –> 01:21:29,678

else.

 

1199

01:21:31,630 –> 01:21:35,158

In terms of medication,

if that’s what you want and you already

 

1200

01:21:35,158 –> 01:21:39,678

know from the outset that’s what you want,

then you must have a conversation with

 

1201

01:21:39,678 –> 01:21:42,214

your GP.

Some will enter into what’s called a

 

1202

01:21:42,214 –> 01:21:44,860

shared care agreement with the private

company.

 

1203

01:21:44,860 –> 01:21:47,506

So that means if you get a confirmed

diagnosis,

 

1204

01:21:47,506 –> 01:21:49,270

they would expect the company to

 

1205

01:21:49,350 –> 01:21:53,730

Start you off because ADHD medication

takes a lot of tailoring and it can take

 

1206

01:21:53,730 –> 01:21:58,220

months to do that six to eight months to

get you on the right dose and then they

 

1207

01:21:58,220 –> 01:22:01,547

can hand it back to the GP.

But you will still have to have

 

1208

01:22:01,547 –> 01:22:05,816

follow-ups with that private company.

So you will never really get away from

 

1209

01:22:05,816 –> 01:22:06,870

paying for private.

 

1210

01:22:07,230 –> 01:22:11,136

Some GPS or some NHS trusts.

Not all will take a private assessment

 

1211

01:22:11,136 –> 01:22:15,043

and put you on their wait list for

titration. Not all will do that.

 

1212

01:22:15,043 –> 01:22:18,892

So it’s really important to have these

conversations with your GP,

 

1213

01:22:18,892 –> 01:22:23,718

with your mental health trust to see what

options that you have before you start to

 

1214

01:22:23,718 –> 01:22:24,350

go private.

 

1215

01:22:24,790 –> 01:22:29,615

If the if you want medication because we

often see assessments coming through from

 

1216

01:22:29,615 –> 01:22:34,325

private establishments and then sometimes

the assessments aren’t worth the paper

 

1217

01:22:34,325 –> 01:22:38,743

they’re written on and we have to Chuck

them back out and people have spent

 

1218

01:22:38,743 –> 01:22:40,430

sometimes thousands on these.

 

1219

01:22:40,990 –> 01:22:44,775

And we particularly see this with

children as well. So yeah,

 

1220

01:22:44,775 –> 01:22:49,491

just make sure they’re meeting the

standard and that if you want medication

 

1221

01:22:49,491 –> 01:22:54,393

that has all been agreed upon beforehand

and that you can afford to keep going

 

1222

01:22:54,393 –> 01:22:58,117

with it privately,

medication can cost anything between 150

 

1223

01:22:58,117 –> 01:22:59,110

to £300 a month.

 

1224

01:22:59,710 –> 01:23:07,270

So that’s something to to bear in mind as

well. Any did I answer that? Was that OK?

 

1225

01:23:07,670 –> 01:23:11,873

Yeah, that’s great. Thank you, Amy.

And also when we’ve had discussions

 

1226

01:23:11,873 –> 01:23:14,910

before we we’re not aware that this is

really done,

 

1227

01:23:14,910 –> 01:23:19,289

but we kind of looked at supporting

employees perhaps inside the workplace

 

1228

01:23:19,289 –> 01:23:23,551

like we have DSC assessors potentially.

Is there someone like a champion

 

1229

01:23:23,551 –> 01:23:27,230

workplace champion that could have more

knowledge around this?

 

1230

01:23:27,310 –> 01:23:31,646

This topic and be able to support those

individuals whilst in work,

 

1231

01:23:31,646 –> 01:23:36,110

so I’ve got one more question.

I think we’ll leave it at that and but

 

1232

01:23:36,110 –> 01:23:41,402

it’s are there anything I can do prior to

supervision to support a student so they

 

1233

01:23:41,402 –> 01:23:44,910

are in the workplace,

but they’re a student with ADHD.

 

1234

01:23:46,230 –> 01:23:50,067

Yes, prior to supervision,

I would be sending out a template for

 

1235

01:23:50,067 –> 01:23:54,671

that person to take the time to reflect

and write down what she would like to

 

1236

01:23:54,671 –> 01:23:58,154

raise in a supervision rather than being

on the back foot,

 

1237

01:23:58,154 –> 01:24:02,110

getting into the room and forgetting

everything she wanted to say.

 

1238

01:24:02,510 –> 01:24:05,371

What he he wanted to say. So yeah,

give space,

 

1239

01:24:05,371 –> 01:24:08,475

prioritise and say this is pivotal.

You must take,

 

1240

01:24:08,475 –> 01:24:11,702

you know 20 minutes half an hour to go

through this.

 

1241

01:24:11,702 –> 01:24:14,928

This is definitely part of the the

supervision time.

 

1242

01:24:14,928 –> 01:24:19,190

So when that person goes into the room

then they feel fully prepared.

 

1243

01:24:19,630 –> 01:24:22,242

And fully informed what around what they

want to say.

 

1244

01:24:22,242 –> 01:24:23,790

So that would be really helpful.

 

1245

01:24:25,510 –> 01:24:28,621

Amazing, right? Thank you very much.

As I said,

 

1246

01:24:28,621 –> 01:24:31,474

I’ve already gone through this

signposting.

 

1247

01:24:31,474 –> 01:24:36,401

Here are the QR codes again because I

appreciate I took them off the screen

 

1248

01:24:36,401 –> 01:24:40,420

incredibly quickly,

but I did also post the links in the chat

 

1249

01:24:40,420 –> 01:24:44,310

for those who are asking because you’ve

joined the webinar.

 

1250

01:24:44,390 –> 01:24:47,369

We should get this recording after the

webinar.

 

1251

01:24:47,369 –> 01:24:52,334

Once it’s downloaded into your inbox,

so you would be able to share that if you

 

1252

01:24:52,334 –> 01:24:55,872

wish. And yeah,

it just a massive thank you again to Amy

 

1253

01:24:55,872 –> 01:25:00,838

for joining us this morning and for all

of you attending the evaluation link is

 

1254

01:25:00,838 –> 01:25:04,190

in the chat and if any questions

obviously do pop up.

 

1255

01:25:04,870 –> 01:25:10,513

You can e-mail us or Amy. Yes.

Have a lovely rest of your day on this

 

1256

01:25:10,513 –> 01:25:16,559

very cold winter Friday and we look

forward to seeing you on some upcoming

 

1257

01:25:16,559 –> 01:25:20,510

webinars in the new year.

Thanks very much guys.

 

1258

01:25:20,630 –> 01:25:21,150

Thank you.