Helen Todd is the founder of Impact People Consulting, which is the perfect way to combine Helen's personal experience and professional expertise.
Helen's career in HR has been incredibly varied. Helen relishes the "buzz of talent acquisition" and gets "real joy from seeing people learn and develop", adding "I truly see the value of diversity, equity and inclusion for organisations."
Helen is a huge advocate for neuroinclusivity and the benefits it has for everyone. Here, Helen pens her views on the importance of neuro-inclusivity in the workplace exclusively for SYNC NI, and explores why an inclusive work environment brings benefits for everyone:
An often-overlooked aspect of a diverse workforce is that of neuro-diversity. This umbrella term describes all the ways in which people think, learn and behave.
Creating a neuro-inclusive work environment can bring benefits for everyone in the workforce as it drives creativity, innovation and problem-solving. Companies that value these are better positioned to capitalise on opportunities, navigate challenges, and achieve sustainable growth.
Creating a neuroinclusive environment: a strategic imperative
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Neuroinclusion at Work Report 2024 highlights that “a neuro-inclusive workplace is one which consciously and actively includes all types of information processing, learning and communication styles."
The report also provided further interesting insights, including the fact that small businesses (from two up to 249 employees) were least likely to say neuroinclusion is an area of focus for their business (45 per cent compared with 65 per cent of organisations with 250–999 employees and 75 per cent of those with 1,000+ employees).
READ MORE: Rob McConnell, Head of Expleo NI, on staff engagement and 'finding the right balance'
Meanwhile, just over half of people surveyed felt their organisation (53 per cent) or their team (54 per cent) had an 'open and supportive climate where employees were able to talk about neuro-diversity.' Just 38 per cent thought their organisation provided meaningful support to neurodivergent individuals.
Figures from The Northern Ireland Inter-Departmental Business Register show that the majority of businesses (89 per cent) in Northern Ireland were micro businesses (less than 10 employees) and just over two per cent of businesses had 50 or more employees.
So if we know Northern Ireland is a country of micro and small businesses, and we also know that having a neurodiverse workforce can lead to increased business success, lead by example and gain that competitive advantage by adopting an inclusive working environment.
But creating a neuro-inclusive environment doesn’t just happen.
Greater awareness and support are crucial. Employers need to recognise the unique strengths and challenges of neuro-divergent individuals. Implementing strategies to support diverse learning and communication styles can lead to a more inclusive and productive work environment.
The neurodivergent advantage
I first discovered I was neuro-divergent when I was 14 and my maths teacher told my parents I had Dyscalculia at a parent teacher consultation.
It was the mid-90's however, and there was very little research into this neuro-divergence, so I just carried on knowing that maths and I did not get on, but also hiding the pure panic and confusion I felt when confronted with anything to do with numbers.
I knew that to be able to achieve the career I wanted, I needed to develop techniques and mechanisms to remove that confusion. I passed my Maths GCSE and Economics A-Level, and I then went on to get a 2:1 in my Hospitality Management degree (there are a lot of numbers in hospitality)!
My Dyscalculia was never discussed at any stage past that parent teacher consultation, so it was up to me to figure out how to learn in a neuro-exclusive environment.
However, I’m always able to find the positive from every experience, and this set me up rightly for the neuroexclusive world of work.
In August 2023 when I started my HR consultancy, I decided to tell people that I had Dyscalculia. This was monumental step for me. I had always seen my Dyscalculia as a weakness, and had hidden it, but I realised that my neuro-divergence had actually given me some other amazing skills.
I love problem solving. When you’ve spent your life developing techniques to make sense of your environment, problem solving just happens. I visualise the situation, consider the different perspectives and scenarios, then through a process of elimination figure out the best course of action. This approach has been invaluable throughout my career.
I’m a practical person, and while I love researching and gathering information, I need to see the knowledge in action. I learn by doing. I also really like a process, because that brings consistency , and it’s tangible.
Combine my love of practicality, and process and procedure, alongside my people-centric approach and you’ve got this amazing synergy that has proven to be really useful!
What is Dyscalculia?
Dyscalculia is a condition that affects the ability to acquire mathematical skills. Dyscalculic learners may have a difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct answer or use a correct method, they may do so mechanically and without confidence.
If we think about the tasks we complete every day, we are using maths and numbers often without realising it.
We use them when we set our alarms and tell the time. We use them to work out our commute or plan how long we have to eat our breakfast before logging in. If you are actively having to think about all this, life can become exhausting and overwhelm can easily set in.
Research into Dyscalculia is around 30 years behind that of Dyslexia (British Dyslexia Association), and about 6 per cent of the population have this specific learning difficulty (Dyscalculia Network).
You can learn more about it by visiting: (Dyscalculia Association UK)
Subscribe to Sync NI newsletter for the latest technology news, jobs and upcoming events in N.I.
Read the magazine online for free here.
You can follow Sync NI online and across our socials on Twitter/'X', LinkedIn, and Facebook.
