The Neurodivergent Coach
About Samantha Nuttall - Founder & Coach
From missed diagnosis to life mission...my story...
I was late diagnosed as neurodivergent (or identified, depending on your viewpoint!) in 2018 in my 40's. For me, diagnosis was life changing. Finally! An explanation for my ever present sense of difference and unease in the 'normal' ways of doing things.
Despite the positive sense of neurodivergent identity, my late diagnosis and the diagnosis of my two children, prompted a total "Life Redesign" including the reassessment of my life/career goals AND the need for me to discover new ways of working that reduced my overwhelm and burnout.
I was lucky; my unique experience as a Careers Coach for the University of Sydney Business School, as an Early Years Recruiter and Talent Development Manager at Deloitte and experience as an Access and Inclusion Consultant for the Australian Disability Network provided much of the specific knowledge and skills necessary to make the positive changes I needed.
However, my professional experience also highlighted the significant disadvantages Neurodivergent people face in the workplace. I realised I had to become a change maker in this space for other neurodivergent people...and so my mission began!
In addition to my postgraduate qualification in Coaching Psychology from University of Sydney, I am also an accredited Stanford 'Designing Your Life' Coach. I utilise innovative design thinking based career coaching to empower those I work with to think differently about their lives, identify and remove their barriers to thriving and gain clarity on how to move forward.
Podcasts
Hear me speak to Lou Kuchel about the employment of neurodivergent people and my lived experience as a neurodivergent mum to two neurodivergent children on the Square Peg Round Whole Podcast.
You can also hear me talk about the benefits of and strategies for hiring for Neurodiversity in Graduate Recruitment processes for the Strivin' podcast series. Listen to me talk with Sophie Zdenkowski‘ about my tips for Graduate Recruiters as an experienced Graduate Recruitment Manager and how small changes can make a BIG difference to the success of neurodivergent grads.
Thought Leadership and Articles
I enjoy partnering with organisations who champion Neuro-inclusive practice at every stage of the employee life cycle.
I have enjoyed partnering with GradConnection to support large Graduate Employers understand how to ensure their Graduate Recruitment processes are inclusive and how Neurodivergent Graduates can ensure they confidently navigate Graduate Recruitment processes.
The Neurodivergent Coach Giving Back Program
I am determined to ensure that we reduce the impact of unsupported neurodivergence on people's lives and in particular on the lives of those already facing significant disadvantage. Missed diagnosis particularly impacts children who belong to another disadvantaged group e.g. in out of home care. I have specifically designed my business in ways that enable me to contribute to this goal by donating 10% of the profit from the work I do to the screening of disadvantaged early school years children via the charity SAVED.
Around 15% of the Australian population are Neurodivergent. However, in Australia, the majority of us are not identified or diagnosed as young children. For example, according to a 2020 study by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, “Only one in every five children meeting criteria for ADHD at age 7 already has a diagnosis.”
Missed diagnosis/identification is associated with a number of negative life outcomes including poor educational performance, lower rates of employment, lower life satisfaction and higher rates of mental illness including depression and anxiety, imprisonment, poverty and suicide.
The charity 'SAVED’ is championing the provision of free, screening of attentional, learning, emotional, and behavioural differences for primary school children with the ultimate goal of radically improving the life and educational outcomes for children who might otherwise go undiagnosed and unsupported. You can donate to SAVED here.