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March 17th-23rd is Neurodiversity Celebration Week. The week aims to understand, value and celebrate the talents of neurodiverse minds. This is a worldwide initiative that is working to challenge the stereotypes and misconceptions around neurological differences. Neurodiversity and me My journey began with dyslexia when I was diagnosed at secondary school after my parents took me for an assessment. Throughout my education and early career, I struggled with the condition, which made it difficult for me to communicate on paper. This often led to frustration and anxiety and, for many years, I kept my dyslexia a secret, fearing it would be seen as a disability, when I felt strongly that it was just my brain working differently. It was also because I was told at school I was slow at reading, I couldn’t spell, I couldn’t
string a list of numbers together, I was lazy, I should do better, why couldn’t I memorise my times table when everyone else could do it? Expectations were not high. However, that helped me to build resilience and a determination to do better. Throughout my working life if people have asked me “Are you dyslexic?”, I’ve said yes, I am, but unless they asked me, I didn’t mention it… but then that changed. My decision to publicly share my dyslexia story was driven by a desire to raise awareness and support others facing similar challenges. I believe that neurodivergent conditions such as dyslexia should not be seen as a limitation but as a different way of thinking that can bring valuable skills and diverse perspectives to the workplace. I recognise that while disclosure is helpful for some people, for others, it may not be. Despite the challenges dyslexia brought, I developed innovative coping strategies and leveraged my strengths in creative thinking and problem-solving. I found working in teams extremely helpful and embraced this fully. These skills have been invaluable in my career, allowing me to excel. Last year I was asked to be involved in the ACCA report on neurodiversity, which emphasises the need
March 17th-23rd is Neurodiversity Celebration Week. The week aims to understand, value and celebrate the talents of neurodiverse minds. This is a worldwide initiative that is working to challenge the stereotypes and misconceptions around neurological differences.
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GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE ISSUE 9
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