Once upon a time

 Once upon a time I thought I would leave school, go to a good university, choose a career and either stay in one job working my way up the ladder or move between companies as I climbed the ladder. After all, that’s what the school careers service told me everyone from that school did.

School was structured. Home life was even more structured with constant after school activities. I knew I didn’t have friends. I knew I got bullied for being different. I knew I couldn’t work out what I was doing wrong. But I knew how to succeed in lessons, learning and structured clubs. I won drama prizes, school prizes, music awards. I got a place at Oxford.

And then it fell apart.

No structured social interaction, largely self-directed learning. Cue mental health difficulties and under-performance.

I scraped a lower second. I watched others ace career interviews while I floundered.

I am now 57. My life has had impact. But I have never achieved in the sense that others achieve and I was expected to achieve. I have not had a solid career. However much I can explain that in terms of parenting and health – well, those are the socially acceptable explanations rather than my truth. My truth is I have never felt I fit in, never felt adequate, never understood how to play the games needed to build a career.

Age 57, I had an autism diagnosis. How different life might have been if that had been known when I was 17. I have an inkling of how different life might have been as I watch my daughter benefit from a self-understanding I never had, a phased transition from the structure of school to the free-fall of university, and a love for herself as she is.

It is too late for me to benefit from current awareness of neurodivergence and changes in the workplace. There is still time for me to support the daughters of today so they can benefit from self-understanding and awareness that the workplace is not the only option. For many, like me, entrepreneurship or being their own boss will be the way forward. Through the work of PinkGold Ltd, I look forward to opening doors and helping them on their way.

Big news

Autistic young people and adults can access tailored support for employment, but many of us are better suited to self-employment (being our own boss) or entrepreneurship (creative solutions to gaps or problems we see around us). Sadly, tailored support for this has been sadly lacking.

I am in the process of working with others on three inter-connected organisations designed to provide at least some of that support. They all come under the banner of NeuDICE – NeuroDivergent and Inclusive Community of Entrepreneurs.

All three are underpinned by PinkGold Ltd, my personal business - the one that puts food on my table as I work voluntarily with other volunteers to get NeuDICE established.

·        INDIE (Institute for NeuroDivergent and Inclusive Entrepreneurship) will drive the knowledge creation and spreading of knowledge about ‘what works’.

·        NeuDICE-community will provide an international virtual community for us along with local networks.

·        NeuDICE-services will deal with some of the infrastructure challenges such as:

ð  lack of suitable co-working spaces (trying starting a business at the kitchen table if you have ADHD or in a co-working space if you get sensory overload!)

ð  business support and professional services designed only for neurotypical minds

ð  the unrecognised need for exec assistants (people who are part PA, part executive function support, part life-coach).

If you might want to be part of this, drop me an email at info@neudice.org