What is your role at Specialisterne Australia, and what do your day-to-day responsibilities look like?
I am a Neurodiversity Coach at Specialisterne Australia.
Specialisterne Australia partners with employers to provide workplace support to their employees and to the employee’s managers. Sometimes it's via a Neurodiverse Hiring program where we work with an organisation to provide a specified amount of post-placement workplace support to the employee and their manager – consisting of weekly, fortnightly and then monthly coaching support. Other times I provide workplace coaching and support via consultancy work, whereby I mainly work with the employee and perhaps the manager if the employee would like them involved.
When I am supporting someone who is going through one of our programs, my support starts at the onboarding phase before the start of employment. In the onboarding phase, my support consists of getting to know the employee, and organising some documents / materials for them to complete, and then I provide more intensive support from the start of employment.
One of these documents is called an Employee Success Plan. This is essentially a reference document or tool for them to look at their strengths, the way they best communicate and process information, what makes them feel overwhelmed and how they manage stress in the workplace, how they manage their time, transition between tasks and how they best work or can contribute when working in teams. As a Neurodiversity Coach, I help them articulate some challenges they may have and together we discuss ways and strategies that could be implemented to help them overcome those challenges.
The Employee Success Plan is a document that we can provide to their manager (provided the individual gives permission) to help support the manager to in turn, support the employee in the workplace, particularly when starting in a new role. This document is a dynamic working document as the individual’s needs can change over time. It is filled with strategies and recommendations to help the employee and the manager feel supported, where over time, together they build their own working relationship.
Our team has recently completed a Mental Health First Aid Certificate. This is very exciting as it means no matter what led us to Specialisterne, we, as Coaches, feel better equipped to identify neurodivergent individuals who may also have mental health needs, which is where we would encourage them to seek help with the other condition/s from a mental health professional. Support and self-care are crucial.
I absolutely love my job and it is always such a privilege to be a small part of the journey of the individuals I support, and to see them thrive when they find their passion and/or the right job-fit!
2. What was your background before coming to Specialisterne Australia?
I have a real love of learning so prior to joining Specialisterne Australia in February 2018 I did a lot of various studies and had ongoing casual jobs.
In terms of my qualifications, I have a Masters in Clinical Counselling, a Graduate Diploma of Psychology, a Bachelor of Business, a Diploma of Community Services (Alcohol & Other Drugs / Mental Health), a Certificate IV in Training & Assessment and I have completed a Youth Mental Health First Aid Certificate. I am also trained as an Animal-Assisted Counsellor where my Toy Cavoodle Millie and I can work together as a Human-Canine Team to help individuals overcome their trauma and/or anxiety.
My interest in working with neurodivergent individuals started in 2016 when I completed a student counselling placement at a Primary School in Melbourne where I came across many children who were on the autism spectrum. I was privileged enough to see how therapeutic it can be to incorporate Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and activities with some of the children dealing with trauma, anxiety and/or learning difficulties. Millie and I were able to help several children on the spectrum to regulate their emotions and anxiety responses simply by stroking Millie’s ears and back, as well as improving their reading and comprehension awareness when some of them read Millie a story and wanted to teach Millie how to construct sentences!
Whether I work with adults, children or families, I have a true passion for helping people overcome their fears, doubts and anxieties.
I am enthusiastic to help neurodivergent adults to identify and recognise their own strengths and capabilities. I absolutely love to help these amazing individuals to discover their unique skill sets in order for them to find employment in their interested field, feel valued and find a way to contribute in a way that is meaningful to them.
3. Why are you passionate about Specialisterne’s mission to enable 1 million autistic and neurodivergent people to have careers?
I have had the privilege of knowing and supporting countless neurodivergent individuals and their managers over the last 6.5 years. It has been amazing to watch as they learn about the new roles, new tasks and most importantly how they best communicate and interact with others.
I have seen some individuals struggle initially, take accountability, persist, problem solve, seek support and try again. Most importantly, I have seen such incredible resilience, tenacity and compassion - resulting in not only flourishing in the workplace but also thriving in their personal lives. I have also worked with many kind, supportive, and understanding managers who realise what an asset these neurodivergent employees are and can be in the future!
I have been lucky enough to support these remarkable individuals. It has been wonderful to see them be able to showcase their skillsets, find new roles to suit their development as well as create lasting friendships and/or relationships, some have even purchased their own homes! I have been inspired and learnt a lot from each and every one of them. It has been an honour to be a part of their journey. In life, everyone deserves nothing short of happiness and success in whatever they set their mind to!
4. What are your tips for employers who are looking to hire and retain autistic and neurodivergent people in the workforce?
Context, clarity and open communication are three of the biggest building blocks an employer can do to ensure their employee is feeling valued, supported and seen! I am in awe of some of the incredible skill sets a neurodivergent individual can achieve when these supports are implemented!
5. What are your tips for autistic and neurodivergent jobseekers who want to thrive in their careers?
I would say the same as above but also ensuring the individual works toward taking accountability for their needs and actions. Being able to ask for support is a very important life skill to be able to develop. Being able to articulate their own needs is crucial as they are the author of their own journey. I would also encourage a neurodivergent jobseeker to find someone who can support them emotionally and help them to feel safe, connected and valued in life.
Knowing their own strengths and challenges can help to narrow down the right job fit. Once these are known, I would encourage the individual to have their own version of a mini self-advocacy script. This script is similar to an “elevator pitch”, helping them to explain their individual support needs.
Most importantly, I believe that taking the time to reflect upon their life journey and their individual needs will help them to recognise their potential capacity to develop new skills. We all want to feel we have made our mark in life, in some shape or form. Open communication and self-reflection are the starting points to achieving this!
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