Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a chance to highlight that different people interact with the world differently, which, by extension, includes the world of work. It is also an opportunity to challenge stereotypes. We are striving to be an inclusive workplace and firmly believe that our differences make us better.
Dyslexia is one of several alternative thinking styles found under the neurodiversity umbrella alongside ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia. Many people have never been formally diagnosed and there is increasing evidence that many people may have a combination of different ways of thinking.
Our Senior Consultant Sarah Nolasco received a formal diagnosis of dyslexia at the age of 14.
She says, “Having struggled with what others found easier the diagnosis came as a relief to me. It explained why I had struggled to do work and why homework had taken me longer to do than friends. However, once I entered the world of work, I felt it was something I needed to hide – I didn’t want people to think that it was a weakness that would stop me from progressing in my career. But over the past few years, I’ve learnt that I needed to ‘own’ my dyslexia and potential other neurodiverse traits and how it helps me to understand how it supports me to see things differently from others.
“For example, at times I find it challenging to get things written down quickly enough when someone is speaking to me, or I can’t remember things when I am flicking between two documents, and there are days when my brain is overloaded and tired by the extra effort it takes to process things in a neurotypical world.
“Working at Baxendale has given me the flexibility to manage my time to mitigate these challenges. Our home-based working allows me to have an office set up I need with two screens and provides me with the environment where I can concentrate and do my best work. Best of all, my role means that I can use all of my ‘dyslexic thinking’ skills daily, which include being curious and exploring ideas, crafting clear and engaging messages, understanding patterns and evaluation possibilities.
“I’m so lucky to have found a role and organisation where I can maximise the use of my dyslexic thinking to support positive outcomes for our clients!”
As an employee-owned company, at Baxendale we focus on making diversity and inclusion an integral part of our organisational culture and there is a lot of emphasis on how we work together and removing barriers so everyone can contribute meaningfully. Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your story.
