Personal stories
Helen's employment story
Helen shares her employment story
Helen received her autism diagnosis the week she started a new role. At first, she found sharing the fact she was autistic with her colleagues daunting. But masking was taking its toll on her mental health.
Helen’s colleagues were not only supportive but excited by the potential of creating more neuroinclusive environments. Four years after first sharing her diagnosis with her line manager, she is pioneering neuroinclusion at her workplace. She co-founded a neurodiversity network, helped change policies and practices, and contributed to The Buckland Review of Autism Employment.
Helen's story
Work was always a space where I could put on this act and be somebody else. I found stripping that away and being honest about who I really am incredibly difficult. It felt exposing.
I received my autism diagnosis the week I started a new job in a senior role at Active Oxfordshire. I remember it clearly as it was the week the first COVID-19 lockdown started and schools were closed for the first time, so life in every respect was turned upside down!
In the past, life has been very difficult. Realising I might be autistic was a light bulb life-changing moment. I had always had a strong sense that something wasn't right. I had huge amounts of misdiagnoses, mostly around mental health.
As part of my autism diagnosis, it was strongly recommended that I disclose to my employer as soon as I possibly could. It was clear that the impact of constantly masking was taking its toll on my mental and physical health. I needed to be open and get support. But doing so in a new job felt challenging, as I was coming to terms with something that felt huge.
I learned to mask almost to an expert level so that no one would have known anything was wrong. Work was always a space where I could put on this act and be somebody else. I found stripping that away and being honest about who I really am incredibly difficult. It felt exposing. But having done so, it's been amazing because I've been met with overwhelming support and kindness.
At first, I only shared with my line manager, who was extremely supportive. It was another year and a half into my role that I thought ‘OK. There's an awful lot more that I could do to help myself.’ I slowly became more open with people, speaking to them in stages and finding the adjustments that worked best for me.
A supportive organisation
Often, all that’s needed for employers to support neurodivergent people is small adjustments.
One of the best aspects of the support that Active Oxfordshire has provided is simply recognising that neurodivergent talent is a huge asset and something to be excited about. What neurodivergent brains can achieve in just a few hours is phenomenal. I might need to go and decompress afterwards for half an hour, but there’s a significant overall productivity gain. Plus, all the incredible passion, strategic thinking and empathy that neurodivergent people have. I also feel that many of us have a huge amount of resilience from surviving a world that wasn't built for us.
Often, all that’s needed for employers to support neurodivergent people is small adjustments. It looks different for everybody, but it might be a pair of headphones, better understanding and training to encourage openness or a slightly different working schedule. You're talking tiny adjustments for someone to thrive at work. And I felt my colleagues really understood that. When I shared my diagnosis, they said ‘Wow, imagine what's possible!’ And I love that. That's the narrative shift that I would love to keep pushing forward.
Neuroinclusion makes perfect business sense
I’ve come an awful long way with how relaxed I feel about being very open and honest about being autistic in a relatively short space of time.
When I found out about the NDEI®, I thought ‘Why on earth wouldn't employers jump at the chance to do something like this?’ It makes perfect business sense.
I know we're a long way away from all employers being inclusive in this way, but I love the work that Autistica is doing to move the needle on that dialogue, and I’m proud to have played a small role in that.
Last year, I fed into the Buckland Review of Autism Employment. It was amazing to be part of something at that scale that felt so significant. It’s literally a roadmap of how to make real step change. And it is so possible.
I’ve come an awful long way with how relaxed I feel about being very open and honest about being autistic in a relatively short space of time.
After taking part in the early release of the NDEI®, we set up a neurodiversity peer group for the Active Partnership network. We will shortly be presenting some of the learnings so far to the entire network. A couple of years ago, there's no way I would have been able to talk about something that feels very personal at that scale.
A journey of self discovery
I'm incredibly proud to be autistic and to be neurodivergent, incredibly proud. Being late diagnosed, it's a learning journey and I want to have more time to understand more about it.
Because I was met with a huge amount of support it was much easier to say what I needed and what I struggled with. But, if I'm being honest, I don't always know what I need. I'm still figuring it out. Even now, four years on, I know that headphones and having short breaks throughout the day help, but I wouldn't say I've nailed it.
I think it is a journey to really understand yourself, though. I'd say that I'm probably only 20 per cent of the way to really knowing what I need to thrive. I suppose part of it is feeling confident and secure in myself to keep finding out.
I'm incredibly proud to be autistic and to be neurodivergent, incredibly proud. Being late diagnosed, it's a learning journey and I want to have more time to understand more about it. I’m glad I work somewhere that is supporting me to do this and leading by example for inclusion. I want a future where this is the reality for all neurodivergent people.
Thank you, Helen. You can read more about Helen's experiences of neuroinclusion at work by reading the Active Oxfordshire Case study in the NDEI® Market Report.