Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Practice Director, Jemma Pritchard-Smith shares her story with dyslexia

In light of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, which takes place from 13^th-19^th March we sat down with Jemma Pritchard-Smith, Practice Director at Grayce, who spoke candidly about her experience with dyslexia in a new Grayce podcast.

It may come as a surprise for you to learn that 15-20% of people are neurodivergent in some form according to a 2020 report. The term neurodiversity refers to the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways, there is no one ‘right’ way of thinking, learning and behaving and differences are not viewed as deficits.

Diversity of thought is critical to an innovative workforce. The neurodivergent represents a spectrum of different styles of thinking and it is time to recognise the many strengths and talents that are a result from perceiving the world differently. Jemma states in the podcast: “Neurodivergent should be seen as a skillset rather than a challenge. The term dyslexic thinking is now in the dictionary as a skillset and therefore, should be recognized as one in both the workplace and education.” A diverse workforce can always benefit from different thinkers. The more we talk about neurodiversity and embracing the positives the more progress we can make. Jemma highlights a brilliant analogy which she uses to help others visualise her thinking process as someone with dyslexia. She says: “Many people go from point A-B on autopilot similar to a motorway, but with a dyslexic mind you take the scenic route. It may take longer but on that route you see and experience many things that help you see the bigger picture and enables you to see things from everyone’s perspective. This has strengthened my reasoning skills, which is particularly useful in leadership discussions today.”

Monday 13^th March, kicks off Neurodivergent Celebration Week, a worldwide initiative that challenges misconceptions and stereotypes of those with neurological differences whilst providing the opportunity to celebrate their skills and advantages of being neurodivergent.

Here at Grayce, we would like to thank Jemma for her time discussing her journey with dyslexia. You can listen to the full podcast below. If you want to learn more about how you can get involved in the Neurodiversity Celebration Week, you can find out more here.