91AV

I experienced some really bad bullying within the workplace and broke down, but my NHS therapist was amazing. Within five minutes, he said, “When did you get diagnosed with autism?” Nobody had ever even suggested it before, so then he took me through it.

It was a transformative experience – all my ducks were suddenly in a line and my thoughts and behaviour then made so much sense. It's an emotional time, but it was also very freeing – it made everything so much better getting that working diagnosis.

How has your neurodivergence affected your studying and while you have been working? What would you say are the biggest positive traits, too?

It's a double-edged sword because I happen to be a very routine-bound neurodivergent person so I loved the structure of school and I love learning, but I was also very anxious and I do burn out a lot.

It's been hard adjusting into the workplace, too. I tend to prefer to work somewhat independently – I will interact socially but significantly less than others because I don't have the same bandwidth for it – and you do have to adjust yourself. Everyone modifies themselves a bit but it’s a huge, huge change when you're neurodivergent.

When I was younger, the way I would talk to people was like Sheldon Cooper [from ‘The Big Bang Theory’] because my brain is direct and honest to my detriment, but now I spend a lot of energy each day adapting to other people’s behaviours, which is really mentally taxing.

Ultimately, we [neurodivergent people] are quite likely to think differently. In some ways, that can be negative, but also it means that we're more likely to come up with something that other people have not already thought of or we can take a different approach, and we can remain focused for a long time.

I would say my neurodivergence makes me very good at experiments and developing methodologies because I know exactly what I can change or need to keep consistent and I can plan my time so well! We're very detail-oriented and might have our little niche that we love and learn it to death. There are lots of really good things [about being neurodivergent] and they can actually be the reason that a lot of people end up in science, because they all go hand in hand.

The 91AV recently published a report on neurodiversity and you were involved with the production of that as an observer attending Inclusion and Diversity Committee meetings. What was that experience like for you seeing the work that went into producing this?

I was part of Broadening Horizons and really enjoyed that so when I was invited to join the Inclusion and Diversity Committee as an observer, it was just amazing.

In the meetings, I was able to and was encouraged to share my thoughts. I still can’t get over Helen Pain pulling me aside and thanking me for speaking up – things like that make you feel valued and seen, and I just can’t get over how much everyone cares, from the bottom all the way up to the top. As soon as I become a member, I'll definitely apply to be on the committee.

A lot of organisations want to engage but don't know how, so I think they will get in touch, and that means things are only going to get better.

I think for me and my peers and anyone who is struggling, being seen and heard and a bit more understood is a massive win. Getting neurodivergent people into science and retaining them can be really hard and I certainly think this is going to help.

• Visit the 'Neurodiversity in the chemical sciences' webpage now to learn about the resources and support available to individuals and what organisations can do to help make workplaces more accommodating.