Neurodiversity & Neuroinclusion Advocacy

Meet Jess Meredith! Jess is on a mission to shake up how we think about neurodiversity. Founder of @DifferingMinds , Jess brings a fresh, balanced, no-nonsense approach to teaching workplaces, schools, and families how to truly get neuroinclusion. As a neurodivergent parent carer, Jess shares honest insights and practical strategies that make a real difference. She’s worked with amazing organizations like Accenture, the NHS, and Freshfields, and even advised parliament on neurodiversity. Her groundbreaking (free!) neurodiversity lessons for children - backed by Peter Kyle MP - are helping kids embrace their identities and teaching their peers to support them.  From storytelling to simplifying the complicated, Jess connects with people where it matters. Want to know more or bring her in to transform your space? Slide into her DMs or email [email protected]. Let’s make neuroinclusion happen!

🚨 Big news, and I need your help! 🚨 I’m getting Outspoken about the Unspoken. I’ve teamed up with the brilliant Jess Meredith of @differingminds to pitch a fireside chat for @sxswlondon 2025. Our session feels a little... scary if I’m honest! It’s exploring my unspoken challenges of womanhood - premature menopause, divorce, neurodivergence, and SEND parenting - and how they’ve all been a formative part of creating The WomenHood Ltd and my vision of societal change. As Glennon Doyle says, one woman’s story is a million women’s stories. Which is why I so often step out of my comfort zone to share mine. The feedback I often get is that women feel ‘seen and heard’, and is why we’d love to bring to this to a bigger audience. 🗳️ But of course juggling aforemetioned challenges means we have today to get votes! If you wanted to support us, here’s how... 1️⃣ Click the link in my stories or Linktree 2️⃣ Log in (or create a free account). 3️⃣ Vote for us! Your support would mean the world to us 🙏 Thank you for being part of this journey ❤️ #SXSW2025 #TheWomenHood

As with most things, Halloween is complex when it comes to neurodiversity. Let’s talk blue buckets. In recent years, blue Halloween buckets have been used to signify that the person carrying it is autistic. They are intended to ensure people are aware that these children may not make eye contact, say thank you or talk at all, for example, when trick-or-treating. But this shouldn’t be mistaken as a sign of rudeness and this idea of blue buckets is hoping to ensure autistic children aren’t judged unfairly. Sounds great, right? Well, unfortunately it’s not as straightforward as that. 👉🏻 Many argue that identifying these children without their consent is wrong. Society still largely views autism negatively, so children should be able to identify themselves when they are ready. 👉🏻 The blue bucket idea came from Autism Speaks, a US charity criticised by the autistic community. Many see it as a hate group due to its past focus on curing autism and speaking over autistic voices. 👉🏻 The blue colour originated from the fact that autism was wrongly seen as a “boy’s condition,” which has harmed autistic women and non-binary people. So there are pros and cons of the blue buckets. You might say it’s a microcosm of the bigger neurodiversity and neuroinclusion landscape! Want to learn more about neurodiversity? Explore here: https://linktr.ee/DifferingMinds, or click the link in my bio! Image description: Text reads “Halloween is coming up. Let’s talk blue buckets.” It’s set on a photo of Halloween biscuits. #Neurodiversity #AutismAwareness #Neuroinclusion

Here’s why you shouldn’t insist on a diagnosis before offering workplace adjustments 👇🏻 👉🏻 the diagnosis process is inaccessible with huge waiting lists 👉🏻 very few people have access to a private diagnosis 👉🏻 the diagnostic criteria are biased and don’t fit everyone 👉🏻 a lot of people don’t want to have to go through the trauma of reliving experiences in order to get diagnosed If you’re waiting for a diagnosis to support your neurodivergent employees, don’t. Your employees deserve to be supported, included and enabled to thrive regardless. #Neurodiversity #Inclusion #InclusiveWorkplace Image description: Text reads “Don’t wait on a diagnosis to provide adjustments.”It’s on a yellow textbox set on a background of an alarm clock. There is a Differing Minds logo in the corner.

The reality of parenting a child whose needs are not met by society are tough. Professionals make it clear that early intervention is important. But quickly followed is the realisation that there’s barely any therapy available. No speech therapy. No occupational therapy. No play therapy. No sensory integration therapy. There are either ridiculously long waiting lists. Or worst still, no therapists available at all. It’s unbelievably frustrating. Watching your child suffer as the result of lack of resources and funding, and broken systems is soul-destroying. If this is you, you are not alone. We wish we could help. We wish change would come more quickly. But we will not stop talking about this until it does happen. Our children deserve more. What has been your experience in seeking out resources or support for your child’s specific needs? #SENParenting #SupportForSENParents #AccessToCare #sen Image description: Text reads “Our children deserve more.” It’s set over a photo of children playing with toys. There is a Differing Minds logo in the top right corner.

If a neurodivergent employee is underperforming, how do you know whether it’s due to a lack of support and inaccessibility, or a poor role fit? Not everyone is suited to every role. That’s the reality and that’s OK. But everyone deserves a chance to be understood, supported and able to thrive. Too often performance issues arise and managers jump to conclusions about the reason for the poor performance. It’s important that individuals are proactively enabled before performance issues arise. Or if they do arise, you know that you have tried. So how can you enable this to happen? ✅Open Communication - Regularly discuss their needs and preferences to ensure they have the right support and adjustments. ✅Embrace Equity - Recognise and accommodate individual needs rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. ✅Seek Specialist Help - If needed, consult experts to navigate complex situations and determine the best path forward. What would you add? Image description: Image one has text that reads “Underperforming or lack of support?” There is a graphic of two people helping each other up a ladder. On the second, the text reads “Here’s a quick guide”. There are the three points described above. There is a Differing Minds logo in the corner. #neurodiversity #neuroinclusive #dei #diversity #inclusion #equality

Flexible working should not be a workplace perk. Flexible working should not be an employee benefit. Flexible working should be a standard way of working. It’s baffling that some companies are labelling it as a benefit, or a perk. When really it’s fundamental. Especially if you want a workforce that’s productive, content, and diverse. Perks are the added extras. The icing on the cake. The cherries on top. If the cake is horrible, the icing and the cherries are futile. If the cake is great, then those added extras can make it even better. What fundamentals have you seen labelled as perks? #FlexibleWorking #Neurodiversity #Inclusivity Image description: Text reads: flexible working is a fundamental, not a perk. It’s set on a blue background with a graphic of people working. There is a differing minds logo in the corner.

Learning about autism from lived experience as well as academic research is crucial because: 👉🏻 Research is heavily weighted towards boys, with limited inclusion of girls and gender-non-conforming people 👉🏻 There is limited inclusion of participants across marginalised racial and ethnic groups 👉🏻 94% of all published research studies only involve autistic people without learning disabilities 👉🏻 Undiagnosed autistic adults’ experience is missing Research obviously has its place, and is really important. But we can’t solely rely on it. For every person saying social media has ‘caused a rise’ in diagnosis. Yes, that’s absolutely correct. Because now we are starting to see what the full autistic experience truly is. For more than just white boys. #Neurodiversity #Inclusivity #ADHD #Autism #Neurodiversity Image description: Text reads ‘why we can’t solely rely on research for learning about neurodiversity’. It’s set on a yellow background with a graphic of a person with a magnifying glass. There is a differing minds logo in the corner.

Some neurodivergent people find taking unexpected calls extremely challenging. (Some simply can’t - or won’t - do it.) So, here is a simple change you can make to your hiring process 👇 Instead of calling a candidate to arrange an interview, or to give feedback, email them instead. Or, if a call is necessary, let them know via email first. But if you want to do it best, ask them what they prefer in the application process and communicate with them in that way! It’s a small adjustment, but it can make ALL the difference 😊 #Neurodivergent #DiversityEquityInclusion IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Purple and yellow background with black text on blue boxes reading: Take unexpected calls can be extremely challenging. There is a Differing Minds logo in the right-hand corner.

For the start of Season 3, I invited Jess Meredith, a neurodiversity expert, to discuss the essential role of movement in our workplaces and schools. Jess talks about and leads workshops about neuroinclusivity, helping everyone to look at the environments they spend time in and think about changes that can be made to suit the needs of everyone.  Jess shares tools and ways of interacting that help people who are neurodivergent feel safe, concentrate better and meet their bodies needs. We discussed how most of these needs can be met with interventions that would in fact benefit everyone and shared ideas for the future of educational and work environments that benefit all.  We discuss the importance of challenging social norms that are restricting individual’s movement needs and emphasise the importance of normalising movement for everyone to improve productivity, learning, and overall well-being.   I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Jess and could have continued for much longer!  The ‘Make Movement Matter’ podcast: Episode #26. Breaking the mould: challenging movement norms in workplaces and schools for neuroinclusivity, wellness and growth with Jess Meredith To listen to this episode, comment 👇 the word  POD  & I’ll DM you the link to the show to find your platform of choice.  Has this resonated with you? If you enjoy it, please support the show by pressing Follow, Rate & Review on your platform of choice and let us know how you found it in the Comments below.  Wendy & Jess #Neurodiversity #WorkplaceWellness #InclusiveLeadership #MovementMatters #makemovementmatterpodcast

5 simple ways to make your recruitment process more neuro-inclusive: 1️⃣ CLEAR JOB DESCRIPTIONS ↳ Avoid vague terms and unnecessary information. For example, terms like “team player” or “fast-paced environment” are often unclear and add little value to the description. 2️⃣INCLUDE AN EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION STATEMENT ↳ Shows your commitment to creating an inclusive workplace and encourages a broader range of candidates to apply. And make sure it’s followed through! 3️⃣AVOID LENGTHY FORMS ↳ Especially when the forms include questions that are answered in an uploaded CV. 4️⃣OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE ↳ Provide an email address for an applicant to contact, if they need an alternative to the standard process. 5️⃣SEND A CONFIRMATION EMAIL ↳ Send each applicant a confirmation email once they have applied. Include a timeframe for when they’ll hear back from you - and stick to it. 6️⃣RE-THINK YOUR EXPECTATIONS ↳ In the interview, focus on the relevant skills for the job - don’t rely on body language, eye contact, a hand shake, etc. #NeurodiversityAtWork #Neurodivergent IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Blue and Pink background with text reading ‘How to make your recruitment process more neuro-inclusive’ on a yellow background

“We’re all a little bit autistic or ADHD.” “It’s ridiculous that everyone is getting diagnosed with autism or ADHD these days.” We’re confused. 🤪 Which one is it?! 🙄 These statements are contradictory. And both invalidate the experiences of autistic people and ADHDers. When in fact, neither are true. We just don’t understand why people feel so compelled to challenge people’s diagnoses. And dismiss their experiences. These diagnoses are literally saving people’s lives. Just let people be. #Neurodivergent #Neurodiversity (IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Blue background with black text on yellow boxes reading: Diagnoses are literally saving people’s lives…so why are we challenging it? With a Differing Minds Logo in the left hand corner and a woman thinking graphic.)