Unlocking Potential: Access to Work for ADHD, Dyslexia, AuDHD, Autism and CFS / ME

Why is Access to Work important for ADHD, Dyslexia, AuDHD, Autism and CFS / ME?

In an era that champions diversity and inclusivity, the importance of providing equal access to work for individuals with ADHD, AuDHD, dyslexia, autism, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) cannot be overstated. Access to Work helps support you whether you are employed or self-employed. Its main aim is to pay for practical support with your work to enable you to keep working and overcome struggles you are facing in the workplace. It is important to apply so that you can ensure you have all the help you need to create a working environment that will nurture and support you.

As a person with ADHD, Dyslexia, AuDHD, Autism and CFS / ME, this post will help guide you on some of the things you can be awarded that may help you.

You can apply if you are employed or self-employed.

What can you get funded through Access to Work for my neurodivergence, mental health or chronic illness?

1. Workplace Strategy Coaching: Workplace Strategy Coaching specifically focuses on helping navigate the workplace environment effectively. Coaching is tailored to the specific needs and challenges faced by each individual, helping you to navigate, asking for reasonable adjustments and empowering you to maximise your potential and succeed in your professional endeavours. You can find out more here.

2. Workplace Neurodiversity / Disability Training: Training for your manager(s) and colleagues to better understand inclusion and how to support individuals with neurodiverse conditions or disabilities in the workplace.

3. Work Aide: Admin support assistants to body double you, help you with tasks you can’t do alone, or take on the work you cannot do on certain days (such as when you have a flare-up). Think about all the different ways you spend your time, not just the obvious tasks. Then consider how a support worker could help you - do you need someone there with you physically, i.e. to help you move around or carry things, to help you stay calm, organised, and focused, or to support you to carry out the task in person? Do you want to have someone support you remotely, over a video call to support you through tasks you avoid due to concentration issues or anxiety? Consider how your work could be made easier for you.

4. Reasonable Adjustments: Access to Work ensures that reasonable adjustments are made to accommodate the specific needs of individuals with ADHD, AuDHD, dyslexia, autism, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). This may involve flexible working hours, longer or more frequent breaks, working from home, adapted workspaces, noise reduction measures, or strategies to minimise distractions. Creating a conducive work environment lets you focus on your tasks, unleash your creativity, and improve productivity.

5. Supportive Office Equipment: e.g. Office chairs that support your neck for chronic fatigue, a standing desk for ADHD to allow you to move about, or a rocking footstool to allow you to stim whilst you work.

6. Assistive Technologies and Hardware: e.g. Noise-cancelling Headphones to improve concentration, a dictaphone for meeting notes, a ‘Remarkable 2’ or iPad and pen for notetaking and to help you organise all your notes in one place.

7. Taxis to Work: if you struggle with fatigue and cannot drive yourself or use public transport but cannot work at home.

8. Computer programs and apps: Access to Work provides access to a range of assistive technologies that can be game-changers for individuals with ADHD, AuDHD, dyslexia, autism, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). These tools can assist with organising tasks, managing time effectively, and minimising distractions. Productivity apps and specialised software can help individuals with ADHD maintain focus, stay organised, and enhance their overall efficiency. Some examples of software that my clients have been awarded through Access to Work are:

   • Global Tasks, Notion, or Todoist (to help with your task organisation)

   • Motion or Morgen (to help with calendar organisation)

   • Dragon or TalkType (speech-to-text software to help with fatigue or dyslexia)

   • Read&Write (a program that reads aloud text to help with dyslexia, fatigue management, concentration, etc.)

   • Glean or CaptionEd (note-taking apps that are great for ADHD and dyslexia)

   • Grammarly (grammar and writing tool that aids dyslexia, concentration, and fatigue management)

   • Routine Flow (an app to help with ADHD distractibility)

   • Flow Club or Flown (to provide online body-doubling)

   • Brain in Hand (an app to help with anxiety and autistic overwhelm)

   • MindView (mind-mapping software to help with dyslexia and ADHD)

How to apply for Access to Work:

1. Initial Inquiry: Start by visiting their official website which provides you with the necessary information and guidance to proceed. You will need to fill out a short online form with information on your health conditions, neurodiversity and needs. Focus on how your conditions affect you, and feel free to add in things you feel will help you, such as things from the list above or anything else you can think of.

2. Preparing for your Assessment: This assessment is a chat with you about your needs, and this is your chance to give examples of how your conditions affect you. Usually, it takes several months for Access to Work to contact you to book your assessment, so there are a few things you can do, meanwhile, to prepare for the assessment. It is a good idea to record examples of past and present situations where you have struggled at work and how you feel certain types of help would have enabled you to do your job better. You can also take this time to get quotes for work aides and coaching by looking online and booking discovery calls. If you are interested in pursuing Earth Coaching with me, this would be a good time to book a discovery session with me.

3. Workplace Needs Assessment: Access to Work allocates you a case manager who contacts you with a date for a workplace assessment with an assessor. Access to Work will arrange a needs assessment, typically conducted either over video call or in person. During the assessment, you will discuss your specific challenges related to your health conditions and/or neurodivergence and how they impact your work. The assessor will evaluate your needs and recommend appropriate support and adjustments.
   
   

4. Application Review: Access to Work will review your application and assess the recommended support you have requested. They may contact you or your employer for further clarification if needed.

5. Funding Decision: Once the review process is complete, Access to Work will inform you of their funding decision. If approved, they will provide details regarding the support and funding you will receive. Once you have your award, your manager or work aide can remind you to reapply and help you with the application, when it comes to renewing your award. Awards usually last several years and can be renewed 12 weeks before their end date.

6. Support Implementation: Following approval, Access to Work will work with you and your employer to implement the recommended support and adjustments. This may involve coordinating the provision of assistive technologies, organising workplace adaptations, booking coaching, hiring a work aide and arranging workplace neurodiversity or disability training for colleagues.

Remember, the application process may vary slightly depending on the region in which you are applying for Access to Work. It is essential to stay in close communication with the Access to Work representatives throughout the process to ensure a smooth and successful application experience, as often they are delayed and do need chasing up.

What you can expect from me as an Access to Work Coach

Once you have booked your discovery session, we meet via video call to discuss what you hope to achieve as a result of doing the coaching, how you would like your life to be different and your future goals. Discovery sessions can happen before you apply, before your assessment, or once your funding has been approved.

I will then provide a quotation for you to take to your case manager, who will process your request. Once your workplace makes payment, we then book our coaching sessions. You can book in one or two at a time or book several months at a time. It is entirely up to you.

Usually, clients are awarded between 12 and 24 sessions to allow them to have two hours of coaching a month (either 2 x 1-hour sessions or a two-hour session monthly) for 6-12 months. The kinds of things clients explore in sessions include, by are not limited to:

1. strategies for making difficult tasks in their role easier

2. re-organising and decluttering their workspace

3. organising email and online file storage systems

4. planning their workload and managing their calendar and task list

5. carrying out admin and invoicing

6. managing workplace relationships

7. deciding on workplace adjustments they wish to ask for that haven’t yet been considered and having the confidence to ask for what they need

8. deciding how to use support from other people that they have, such as work aides, support workers or PAs

9. strategising how to use the other Access to Work assistive technologies, apps and support

10. being able to separate their work and home life effectively whilst continuing to work from home

11. having accountability for tasks that they find difficult to get done or especially time-consuming due their neurodiversity or chronic illness

12. improving confidence, self-esteem and self-belief by supporting them to achieve goals they are currently struggling to achieve.

13. using a creative approach to plan and organise their future goals

14. changing their mindset around feeling stuck, overwhelmed, disorganised or stressed

15. learning to create accountability in themselves for tasks that do not involve other people.

16. having a greater sense of their purpose in life and the positive impact their work has more widely

17. having a long-term plan for growing their business, if you are self-employed

18. support with self-care, managing their health and energy level, pacing and adaptations

19. coming to terms with their diagnosis or how family, friends and colleagues have reacted to their diagnosis

20. having support and a sounding board to discuss coping mechanisms and difficult topics to reduce isolation

I work holistically, so nothing is off-limits in our sessions!

Access to Work is vital in empowering individuals by providing tailored support, reasonable adjustments, assistive technologies, expert guidance, and reducing stigma. If you would like to know more about Access to Work Earth Coaching, want to book a discovery session or get a quote, please get in touch!