Theo Smith and Amanda Kirby - Neurodiversity at Work: Drive Innovation, Performance and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce

A book that will enable you to think differently about people who think differently. An incredibly insightful read that perfectly brings together why organizations should value neurodiverse talent and how they can best provide an environment for that talent to shine. It takes you on an incredible journey from understanding why neurodiversity is important, all the way to the successes that organizations can hope for stopping off on the way to deliver impactful, practical and real-life advice for anyone whose role it is to hire, develop or retain talent.

Alan Walker, Co-founder, Udder, and Co-founder and Editor-in-chief, ChatTalent

The book is packed with great case studies, examples and important messaging to take away, plus insights and explanations of the spiky profiles we all have (some more than others). In the authors words, True change requires commitment sustained and anticipatory. This book will help any reader on that journey its one of the most detailed texts I have encountered on the subject.

Jean Hewitt, Senior Inclusive Design Consultant, BuroHappold Engineering

A compelling look into how we can leverage neurodiversity strengths into our workplace. It is truly a must-read for all as it provides practical ways for inclusivity of neurodiversity to drive innovation and growth!

Christine Ramsay, CDP (Certified Diversity Professional), Global Senior Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Engagement Leader, Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Neurodiversity is an important area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) that has only really come into our consciences over the last few years. We know it impacts a wide range of people either in the workforce or finding insurmountable challenges to enter it. I applaud both authors for their honesty in sharing their own lived experience of work, and for collecting so many stories to share. This is a real almanac for making difference. Reading over, let the hard work start.

Bill Boorman, strategic HR tech adviser and Founder, #tru

Neurodiversity is one of the most important and untapped opportunities in business today. This book clearly explains the issue and honours the necessity to pay close attention to every employees individual needs and leverage everyones extra-special capabilities in unique and powerful ways.

Josh Bersin, Principal and Founder, Bersin by Deloitte

I want to give huge credit to Amanda Kirby and Theo Smith who have brought their whole selves, personal and professional, to create an up-to-date guide on neurodiversity in the workplace. They provide a comprehensive review the current perspectives of the neurodiversity paradigm, good practice in the workplace and real-world examples of innovative programmes and strategies. There is no such thing as a degree in Neurodiversity for HR and D&I professionals, but for anyone looking to expand their knowledge in this field, this book is as close as you are going to get to it!

Aidan Healy, Chief Executive Officer, Lexxic

Drive innovation, performance and productivity with a neurodiverse workforce

Theo Smith

Amanda Kirby

We have written this book through a global pandemic, for our families, children, and all those who each and every day get up and swim against the tide.

This book is for you. May you no longer have to swim so hard so often, with so little support and recognition for how truly brilliant you are. Together, we shall overcome...

Theo Smith

Theo has worn many hats in his life, from fairground operator to actor, from salesperson to poet and from failure to success many times over.

More recently he has been a Talent Acquisition leader and a member of the Resourcing Leaders 100, working with other recruitment leaders to improve the in-house recruitment industry for all, and of course a passionate advocate for the neurodiversity movement.

Theo led recruitment strategy at NICE: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. He is also neurodiverse; dyslexic, personally associates with ADHD, and has a child and relatives who also identify as neurodiverse.

Theo didnt find out he was dyslexic until he attended university with no formal qualifications as a mature student at the age of 21. He often found himself either on the wrong side of trouble as a boy or being revered for an outstanding performance, or obscure piece of work; sometimes he fell between the two.

In primary school in Barry Town, South Wales, he was on one of many occasions caught not concentrating in class, or at least not concentrating on what the teacher expected him to be focused on.

When the teacher challenged him on why he wasnt listening, he replied, because Ive been watching those girls practising that welsh poem Y Lein Ddillad (Welsh for the washing line) in the other partition.

Theo then went on to say, and now I can recite it too!

The teacher, thinking he was being clever, asked him to recite it there and then.

And so he did.

When Theos parents got the call to explain their son hadnt been concentrating in class, they didnt expect to be told, but whilst not listening in class hes learned a poem that hell be reciting to the whole school during assembly tomorrow morning.

So it is with some irony that it has taken him over 15 years of work experience within recruitment and the birth of his son and daughter for Theo to realize that he also identifies as ADHD and who knows what else! The brain is after all, unique.

It is no surprise then that Theo is highly creative and adaptive to change and loves the challenge life has thrown at him.

It was with this new-found knowledge and energy that he explored what information and support was available on the subject of neurodiversity at work. Unfortunately he couldnt find enough information and guidance as a point of reference to help him on his journey.

Thats why Theo set out on a mission to influence the world of work to make the required changes to support the inclusion of those who think and act differently and do not fit the current rigid paradigm of the education and employment system.

He now produces a podcast Neurodiversity: Eliminating Kryptonite and Enabling Superheroes and also writes regularly for various publications and is often invited to speak with global in-house recruitment teams on the subject of neurodiversity in the workplace.

He also felt impassioned to create a legacy for his kids and for the children of all the parents who have struggled, like he has, to connect the dots between their childrens incredible abilities versus whats being asked of them and expected of them throughout academia and into employment.

The real change must start here; it must start now. If not for the sake of our own sanity, for the sake of future generations, wholl hopefully love and lead the new world to becoming a more inclusive place for all.

Professor Amanda Kirby

Professor Amanda Kirby is unusual, as she is a GP, experienced researcher, clinician and most importantly has many family members who are neurodivergent. This provides her with an understanding of neurodiversity and co-occurrence from differing perspectives and a drive to raise awareness and champion best practices.