Specialist Support For Employers and People in Work
Embracing Strengths, Unlocking Potential
With over 15 years of experience in management and leadership, I know firsthand the impact of fostering inclusive and supportive workplaces. As an AuDHD (Autistic and ADHD), queer Speech and Language Therapist, I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to my work with employers, managers and teams.
With dual qualifications as a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and Sensory Integration Practitioner, combined with extensive experience in Clinical Leadership and Operational Management, I have a deep understanding of the challenges and complexities senior leaders face.
As a neurodivergent professional, I also recognise the realities of navigating systems that aren’t built for neurodivergence while balancing the demands of holding down employment and meeting the responsibilities of a job description. I know burnout, sensory and emotional overwhelm and stress.
I’m passionate about helping teams and organisations embrace neurodiversity, not as a challenge to overcome, but as an incredible strength that drives creativity, innovation, and collaboration.
How I Can Help You
1
Workplace Needs and Strengths Profile
Whether it's for an Access to Work referral and Awards assessment, or an employer looking to support their team members through affirming, inclusive leadership and management, I work with Autistic and ADHD individuals to develop a Workplace Needs and Strengths Profile which identifies their communication and sensory processing strengths and support needs.
The resulting profile supports individuals looking to self-advocate in the workplace, e.g., discussions around reasonable adjustments and managers, leaders and HR professionals looking to provide neurodiversity-affirming workplace environments and leadership.
2
Training and Workshops
My workshops and training empower teams to:
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Understand neurodiversity and its value in the workplace.
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Develop inclusive communication and management skills.
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Build cultures where everyone feels respected and valued
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Bridge the empathy gap that occurs between neurodivergent, allistic and neurotypical people.
3
Tailored Workplace Consultations
Every team and organisation is different, which is why I take the time to understand your team and organisations unique needs and goals.
From reviewing policies and workplace accessibility, to addressing team dynamics through consultation, observation, audit and team input, I’ll work with you to create actionable strategies that support neurodivergent employees and strengthen your organisation, informed by evidence based practice (McDowell, Doyle & Kiselevaz, 2023).
4
Coaching for Neurodivergent Teams and Leaders
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Reflective Supervision and Leadership Support
I facilitate reflective supervision groups designed specifically for people in work, managers and leaders who want to develop their neurodiversity-affirming practice.
These sessions provide a space to reflect, grow, and explore strategies to support neurodivergent employees effectively.
Sessions can be delivered online or in person for organisations and people in work living within 45 minutes of EX17. They can be themed, offered singularly or over a series of weeks.
Why Work With Me?
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Experience You Can Trust: With 15 years of management and leadership experience, I understand the pressures and responsibilities leaders face.
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Personal Perspective: My lived experience as an AuDHD professional means I bring empathy, authenticity, and real-world insights to every engagement.
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Inclusive and Practical Approach: My work is rooted in intersectionality and disability justice, ensuring that the solutions we create together are both effective and equitable.
Keeping up to date on research and community feedback is a strong interest of mine, particularly in relation to the workplace. Recent research from McDowell, Doyle & Kiselevaz (2023) demonstrated key areas of focus for organisations to develop neuroinclusive workplaces.
My years of frontline management and leadership experiences combined with my lived experience and dual qualification in Speech and Language Therapy and Sensory Integration hugely complement these areas of focus, uniquely positioning me to support you, your team or organisation.
01
Strategic Leadership and Policy Development
Providing neuroinclusive workplaces requires us to go beyond tokenistic and performative actions. Policies and procedures play an integral role in supporting proactive, neurodiversity-affirming, and intersectionality-focused adjustments to the environment and workplace journey of neurodivergent employees. This includes through staff training, embedding equity principles and designing and implementing neurodiversity-inclusive policies.
02
Team Management and Coaching
Line managers and supervisors can play incredibly supportive roles for neurodivergent team members, in fact, they are referred to as 'first responders' in the McDowell, et al., (2023) research. This can be achieved through leading with a focus on collaboration and inclusivity, mentoring neurodivergent employees, mediating workplace challenges and assessing workplace accessibility.
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Problem-Solving and Communication
Neuroinclusive workplaces understand neurodivergent communication, processing styles, sensory preferences and approach supporting with reasonable adjustments and workplace culture and environmental changes proactively and compassionately.
04
Wellbeing and Psychological Safety
To provide appropriate wellbeing and psychological safety within the workplace, initiatives such as Employee Assistance Programmes and other initiatives must be tailored to the needs of neurodivergent team members. Therefore understanding both communication, processing and sensory needs in the context of workplace and culture change, is key.
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The Importance of Community
Fostering community within an organisation is important for providing relational safety within the workplace, but also for developing initiatives and optimising processes and outcomes for people and the organisation. Community should include both neurodivergent, allistic and neurotypical team members and people externally.
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Retention, Attraction and Improvement
Neuroinclusive workplaces strive to foster long-term meaningful change including the develoopment of and retention of neurodivergent talent and harnessing neurodivergent strengths, such as those which make good leaders and help shape services through feedback mechanisms.
"Kate is a passionate and inspiring leader, always putting the students first. Kate has taught me more about advocating for our service (and myself) than anyone else in my
career so far. Kate has supported me to grow as an ND affirming clinician and (hopefully) a future successful leader. I am excited to see
what Kate will conquer next!"
