Events

We've received a request to discuss neuro-inclusive recruitment and so asked our members to see if anyone had something to say.  This is when we discovered that Rosie has an international membership, and our next speaker resides in the USA.    Dr. Liam McDermott is a physics education research postdoctoral fellow at the University of Connecticut - Avery Point.  Liam is a neurodivergent physics education researcher who studies neurodivergent physics education. His research primarily focuses on investigating how neurodivergent students engage in physics problem-solving. Perhaps the most important thing to do when conducting research with and about neurodiverse populations is to include neurodivergent people at all stages of research - from design to dissemination and everything in between. It is critical, therefore, that researchers recruit participants (both research subjects and members of the research team) in a neuro-inclusive way. Recruiting neuro-inclusively and developing neuro-inclusive best practices is a dynamic process - one that involves learning from failures and successes and keeping in conversation with neurodiverse populations. In this talk, Liam will discuss his own successes and failures in recruitment of neurodivergents, trends in neurodiverse data collection, and share what he has learned from the research process. Liam will be presenting remotely.  We'll have the meeting room in Quad Two as usual if you want to meet other humans in person, otherwise join remotely.

In today’s fast-paced STEM environments, diverse thinking isn’t just a bonus — it’s essential for innovation and success. Neurodiverse teams bring unique strengths, skills, and talents to the workplace, from deep focus and creativity to pattern recognition and problem-solving. Yet, many neurodivergent individuals find traditional work environments challenging due to sensory overload, unclear communication, and one-size-fits-all expectations. These barriers can lead to burnout, disengagement, and untapped potential. This 60-minute interactive workshop is designed to recognize and celebrate neurodivergent strengths while providing practical strategies to build more inclusive, productive and healthier teams.  Through engaging conversations and easy-to-use tools, we will explore how to boost performance, foster connection, and enhance wellbeing within your team.  Join us to harness diverse minds and ignite team brilliance. Transform difference into your team’s greatest advantage — and turbocharge your team. Olga Zilberberg is our speaker.   She is a trained Cognitive Behavioural Therapsit and Neuro Linguistic Prorgamming practitioner with a focus on neuro-affirming practices.  She is the founder of https://themissinglink.org.uk/, an organization that partners with businesses to prioritize employee wellbeing and mental health while increasing satisfaction, retention, and productivity through inclusive workplace strategies. With a decade of experience designing and delivering bespoke training programs, Olga has trained hundreds of individuals across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. Her passion for creating neuro-inclusive environments stems from her own lived experience as an autistic ADHDer navigating a neurotypical world. Having faced challenges fitting in, she is dedicated to challenging the status quo, raising awareness of neurodivergent strengths and struggles, and driving societal change to create better opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. In addition to her professional work, Olga volunteers with Neurodiversity in Business – The Neurodiversity Charity, holding the position of Corporate Members Events Lead. Her mission is to make the world more understanding, accepting, and inclusive—ensuring that all individuals feel a true sense of belonging and are celebrated.  Find her on LinkedIn here:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgazilberbergthemissinglink/ If you're attending remotely, use this meeting invite: 

Excelling in Industrial and Academic Environments. Industry and academia. Two separate worlds. Are they though? Can the skills of an academic be valued in the money-driven world of business? Can industrial scientists find solace in the embrace of a university? What helps to excel in either of these environments for both neurodivergent and neurotypical candidates? The talk will answer these and more questions about university-industry and industry-university career transitions." Krzysztof Herdzik earned his PhD in Optoelectronics from the University of Southampton in 2020. He then spent five years at TRUMPF in Warwickshire, where he developed components for high-power laser systems. Since January of this year, he has been with WIKA Optical Sensing, focusing on pressure and temperature sensing technologies for harsh and demanding environments. Remote meeting link: https://calendar.app.google/KJXAn65k7dNNKcbZ6

The scrum team management framework is a structured approach to organising teams to deliver technically challenging work.  There are a number of facets about scrum that may make it particularly suitable for neurodiverse teams. In this talk by Jolyon Tidmarsh, he'll be summarising the scrum framework and suggesting where it might be particularly useful for the neurodiverse.   We anticipate some lively debate with the audience. There will be free food!  The excellent people at Harwell Campus are providing pizza - bring your appetite! Video call link: https://meet.google.com/spp-eqqn-nvm 

We'd all like suggestions for reasonable workplace adjustments that would make our working lives better.  This meetup is an opportunity for you to:  - bring something that you have tried, or have an idea for, and share it with others  - share an issue that you'd like some ideas for.  We'll work in small groups to swap relevant best practice and Rosie will help present the summary to the session.

Laura Callahan is an independent HR consultant based in South Oxfordshire.  She'll be informing us about the obligations of employers, and what support is reasonable to ask for. You can find out more about Laura here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-callahan-565a981b/ We're in the Launchpad meeting room.  Starts at 12:30 and aim to finish at 1330, but you can hang around longer for extra chats if you want to.