07 Feb In conversation with…Will Wheeler

Posted at 00:36h in Uncategorized by

Image description: A photo of Will who is white with dark brown hair and a beard. Will is standing against a vibrant pink background.

I have come across many inspiring proudly neurodivergent people. Our conversations are stimulating, educational and inspiring.


Will Wheeler and I were introduced virtually in 2021 and we’ve since had the chance to meet in person on several occasions to share our thoughts and ideas about neuroinclusivity.
 
Will knew he was dyslexic in late primary school (10 years old). His ADHD was confirmed much later in life. At school Will struggled with reading. Little was openly discussed in the late 1990s so there was minimal support for students like Will. It wasn’t until his mid-20s that he was self-motivated to teach himself to read.


Will talks openly about the lack of confidence that held him back as a young adult and how he built his confidence back up slowly through entering the workforce and taking learnings from each of his jobs. He reflects on how different things may have been had he had the right support, including how assistive technology could have benefitted his learning had it been available when he was in school. He also believes he could have worked to his strengths earlier in his career had there been a better understanding of his neurotype.

Over time, Will has learned to create processes that help him work to his best.
 
Will talks publicly about navigating the rigidity of the education system as a dyslexic ADHDer and the multiple pathways to achieving success. He describes his strength as the ability to make connections and build relationships. He is a verbal communicator and enjoys presenting his story in an authentic, animated and relatable way that drives home the importance of continuing the neurodiversity dialogue.

Through his organisation, Neurodiversity Academy, Will is raising awareness within organisations with a goal to reduce the barriers that neurodivergent people face in education and employment. He is a coach to neurodivergent employees and a keynote speaker.
 
I asked Will what he thought were the most important factors for leaders when supporting their neurodivergent employees. Will’s advice:

  • start with neurodiversity education
  • coaching plays an important role but there are other organisational processes that need to be in place to support employees to perform at their best
  • assistive technology needs to match the person and the purpose of their role
  • there are many low-cost accommodations that benefit everyone (e.g. speech to text)
  • ask your neurodivergent employees what they need – each person is different and is the expert when it comes to their learning and processing styles.
     

And yes we did talk briefly about ChatGPT and how it can benefit neurodivergent thinkers, but that’s content for another post!
 
#NeurodiversityAtWork #Neurodiversity #BelongingAtWork #ChangeManagement