The Middletown Centre for Autism Podcast

Autism Advocate-Niamh Biddulph

Share episode

In latest Middletown Podcast, we chat to autistic advocate Niamh Biddulph. Niamh has been an advocate for many issues faced by the community, including inclusive employment.  We talk about how she’s navigated anxiety to achieve so much.  

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to the Middletown Podcast. I'm Kat Hughes, I'm a research hero Middletown, and I'm also autistic. In this episode, I chat to autism advocate Neve Biddleff. We sat down just before Christmas to talk about all of Neve's achievements. She started in a short independent film. She'll be appearing as a presenter on the TV show The Assembly. She's been on the Scientific Committee for Autism Europe, and she's advocated for autism rights and education. She's also done lots of advocacy around access to employment for autistic people. Neve has worked for almost six years as a HOR administrator at ONPOST, where she's navigated changes in systems, changes in her team, and all of the changes that the pandemic brought about. As you'll be able to tell from this episode, I think Neve is brilliant and I'm always delighted to have a chance to chat with her. I started by asking her about the route that she took to find her role.

SPEAKER_00:

I was a graduate from the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities. So I found that as part of my graduate inter journey, I went through a series of internships. So I started off first with the Bank of Ireland, and then I went on to do an internship with AL Goodbody, and then I did another internship with the Bank of Ireland at a different office. And then in January of 2020, I started my internship with Onpulse Bulch. And before I did my internship, I had a meeting with two employees in the GPO in Dublin to sort of talk about the whole purpose of what my job was going to be while I was doing my internship. I had Marie Deffitt, who's the Pathways Coordinator in Trinity College, with me for that meeting. And so I was given a piece of paper that had detailed information as to the sort of jobs that I would be doing when I was starting working in the GPO. And at that time I wasn't aware that there was a pandemic happening. So a lot of my work was done in the office. There wasn't such a thing as working from home by that stage. But then once the pandemic had hit, there was certainly a lot of change, and that was where I w ended up working from home in February of 2021 after the restrictions had been in implemented and then had been lifted into soon after. And so I found working from home actually was quite a new experience because I didn't think it was possible to be doing your job while in your bedroom or even in your kitchen in your own home. So this was some some adjustment that I had to it sort of deal with is a little bit, but um I found that um the fact that I was able to do continue on with my internship with my team in non-pulse brand then actually was really amazing, and like we had the series of team meetings that we called our hodl meetings to sort of see how everyone was doing and if we had any queries about certain IT issues that we were having and that. And then I found that it was a really great experience that I was able to get really good support from my team in that process, and that they actually gave me opportunities to sort of have build up on my confidence when I was going through the training, even though I was only working from home. And we had Marie Deffitt in that meeting. We also had had another HR team member in Whistles who was is kind of of giving us the whole idea as to how the whole internship was going. At that stage, I was in a good spot, I felt like I was in a good place, and I didn't in I didn't think it mattered what happened with my contract, I just felt like I was happy with whatever the outcome was going to be. So so so my colleague starts off the meeting in and was and then eventually she tells me the news that I've been given a permanent part-time contract. And I just found that I was feeling such joy and excitement at such good news that I end up running down to the kitchen, popped my head out of the back door to uh call for my mom because I wanted her to sort of uh hear about the good news as well. And if like all their team niching backgrounds were set to like party balloons to celebrate the permanent part-time contract that I got. And I cried tears of joy, not once but twice, because firstly, getting a permanent part-time in job or even getting any kind of job where you have a familiar routine, had been such a life-changing moment for me that it meant that I actually am now independent enough to be able to sort of do my own work and that I am able to sort of go about my own business and have a purpose for waking up every morning. And then secondly, it was interesting joy that my family got to see that I was doing my job really well and my colleagues were really happy with the progress that I was making, and it meant that it was giving me a load more confidence with my working environment. And now we've now gone on to from that to being back in the office, changed headquarters, and then we had the change of systems to it being all online, and that's all happened within my first five years of working, and it was quite a big amount of change, especially for the five-year periods that I'm in so far. But um, it's been really well worth it, especially considering that the team that I've been with in that time have been very supportive and have always been there to sort of have helped me whenever I had struggled with something, or they would often um be including me on breaks whenever they were going to get coffees and that. And so I found that the whole vibe with myself and my team has been really amazing, and I can't thank them enough for uh allowing me to be a part of OMPulse in this whole journey that we've been on together, and I just look forward to working with them for many more years that are left to come.

SPEAKER_01:

Brilliant. And I'm sure they're so grateful to you as well for the work that you're doing. So I'm definitely equal. Um and did you find that there was a sort of a difficult transition or a strange transition from when you were a student to then when you were working? Was there was that a difficult switch to make?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh I well before I did my graduate internships, I was doing a student work placement because as part of my second year course in the arts science and the cursive applied practice, we had to do uh two months worth of of internship work placements to sort of like get familiar with our work environment because we were kind of sort of starting to learn that there was two options that we could to choose for transitioning from when we finished up with college. One was to either go back into education and do more learning, that you could try and apply for another course once you finished up in Trinity, or you could finish up in your college course that you're doing, and but then go on to sort of find an employment for yourself. And I chose the lasher because the one thing that I was really wanting more than anything was to find myself a job that could keep me stable and also sort of give me the independence and confidence I needed, sort of like be able to go out and about and sort of meet up with new people. And I actually don't think I would change anything of that sort because the journey that I've had has actually been pretty a pretty good one. The colleagues that I have met over the years since I've done the work placement have been really amazing. They've given me the tools that I needed to sort of prepare myself for going into the next job in Nash. And so I found that the transitions itself were pretty good once I had been given the concrete information I needed. And so it was it's pretty amazing to sort of see the growth that I've had from when I was a student to now I'm like a good a permanent part-time employee in Onpulse and being with the team that sees me as a valuable asset to them. And it has been a really a great pleasure to sort of put my skills to great usage, and it'd be really interesting to see what comes of ish.

SPEAKER_01:

Definitely. And are there any adaptations that you make to how you work or to your day to kind of make things a little bit more comfortable for you?

SPEAKER_00:

So um, in light of the pandemic, what has happened then on post is that we have been given the option to either work remotely or we can do hybrid working, which would mean that we would be spending one or two days a week working from home, or we can spend the up to three days working in the office. And whatever days we are in the office and working from home, we can sort of differ to sort of cater to our own needs. And I I've still do hybrid working to this day, so I found that with this year in particular, I've used to be working four days in the office and one day working from home to sort of facilitate that I had been doing driving lessons and that sort of thing. But then with when I had the likes of the Awesome Year Congress coming up, and then I was is doing some other work, like I was actually a part of the a group of interviewers as part of a TV series that will be released on Virgin Media in the new years, so that that's been very exciting. But um with all of that happening, I found that I wanted to sort of work from home for two days a week instead of the one because I wanted to sort of give myself the break I needed for more commuting that I had been doing. And when you are a person who is living in counties outside of Dublin, it can be quite difficult to sort of get up early in the mornings, make your daily commute into the city for it being college or for working that. And I really found that, especially when I had such a busy calendar over the last few months. So I had to quick chat with my supervisor one day before I was making that decision to change my working in times to facilitate working from home. And she was absolutely fine with me working from home for the two days, and so since then I'm now working the Mondays and Fridays from home, and I'm in the office but from Tuesday to Thursday, and it's really sort of helped me to sort of if give myself more time to sort of if regulate myself while I'm working from home before I go about my daily commutes for the three days, and I think it's really a sort of a welcoming change that I needed for myself because um there's there are some changes that happen that you're not sure about, and you're not sure as to whether you're going to get the information in time before those changes happen, and I sometimes find that there's a lot of anxiety when there is so much uncertainty. But um I know that I after I had had spoken to my supervisor about the whole working from home scenario, and that it had gotten the approval, it was actually what really sort of helped me to work out this was a necessary change that I needed for me, but it it didn't stop me from doing the work that I was doing. And so it was really good that I actually was able to give myself that chance to be able to sort of work from home a little more and be in the office at the same time. So um, and then as well, when it came to my hours, I'm only working in the mornings from like halftime to half one Monday to Friday because I know for me, I only can work a maximum of 20 hours a week without affecting my social welfare payments. And I find that I like having that flexibility that I can work in the mornings, and then by the time lunchtime comes around, I have the afternoon to sort of make up my own plans for what I wanted to do. And I really like that I've got that sort of routine. Like I've I think it's actually is worthwhile sort of giving yourself that option. Like I find that working part-time is what is more flexible for me. So um that's pretty much all the adaptations that myself and my e-work colleagues have managed to handle, and we've been doing really amazing with that so far.

SPEAKER_01:

So it's it's fantastic that you have the chance to kind of explore that and that they're they're open to sort of working with you to figure out what works best for you, which I think is really important that employers do that. Would you have any advice for employers who want to make the workplace more comfortable for autistic employees?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, so um in our new on-post headquarters, we have what's called a reflection room. And with that reflection room, you've got time to sort of like take a breather from looking at commute computer screens. You also have time to sort of like work out how you're feeling and like kind of like sort of like give yourself the time to sort of dust yourself off and and put a new spring into your step, as I would call it. So for any employers who are looking at hiring autistic employees, my number one advice to them would be make sure they are aware that there is a reflection room of sorts in the office, because a lot of autistic people might like to have somewhere where they can sort of regulate themselves and give them the option to do hybrid working if that is being offered to them. Because I found that from my experience, working from home and being in the office has actually been pretty good as a hybrid working system, and it's been very beneficial for me and many other colleagues, and so I would highly recommend adapting a hybrid working sort of policy, and as well, if you're looking at doing like an interview with the employees or setting up a meeting with them, just make sure that the room has got as much space as possible and that there is time for the employees to ask as many questions as they want to, because they might not exactly be familiar with what is expected for them when they are in the working environment. So giving them the chance to sort of learn to adapt to those working environments and give them the tools to sort of learn how to be familiar in those environments would be very beneficial for them. And I think it would be really good to see all that happening in many other institutions or businesses that are partners with the likes of the TCPID and that. And so I look forward to seeing more autistic employees being hired to work in the likes of Fumpels.

SPEAKER_01:

That's definitely brilliant advice. And then I suppose on the the other side of that, would you have any advice for autistic young people who are sort of about to sort of head out into the workplace?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, so for any autistic employee who might be looking to find work and that sort of thing, the first thing I would say to them is if you are comfortable with disclosing your disability, you have the space to do that. Do not be afraid to say if you're comfortable or not comfortable because employers won't know if you're not comfortable if you don't say. As well, I think it is very important to recognize that being able to find a job that you really like is what can give you the sort of tools you need to be more independent, and also will give you more self-confidence in yourself. And it's better to sort of like like look at what are the main things that you really like, and would you see that in a working environment? What kind of uh skills would you see about utilizing when you're accessing jobs and that? Because I think that there are a lot of of people who might not necessarily like working in an office like I am, and so and so if they don't want a job where it requires for them to go into an office, then they need to look uh at something that is more tailored to them. And I think that's something that we sort of need to recognize, and like a lot of of other people might have other skills they want to utilize for being in the office. So if they can bring that into the table, then that is really good for them. And as well, if they have any questions they want to ask when in an interview, or if they're looking at getting more information as to what's going to happen with the particular job they're applying for, then they should be able to have the sort of communications where they can sort of ask those questions, be able to sort of ask, do you have an update in relation to this job I was applying for, and that sort of thing. So um it'd be really good for a lot of autistic people to sort of be more uh comfortable with what they like as strengths and use that for when applying jobs and that. And I think they will go a really long way.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I agree. And I think it's it's important to take that time, isn't it, to sort of figure out what sort of environment you're comfortable in and the sort of thing you like doing. Because I think we can sort of almost be like we're on a conveyor belt from school into work and we don't even have a chance to think about what it is that we want to do and how what makes us happy. So yeah, I think you're right to take the time to to figure that out. Is really important. Um then I wanted to ask you because I've known you probably for I think about two and a half years now. You have achieved so much. So you you were on the the scientific panel with me for Autism Europe and you were invaluable on that. As you say, you mentioned that you've been a TV presenter, you've been an actor, you've you've been an advocate, you've done so many things in the time that I've known you. So I wanted to ask do you ever feel any anxiety about trying those sorts of new things? And if you do, how do you overcome that anxiety?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I'll definitely start by saying that um when I was younger, there was a time where I was not very confident in myself and that a lot of the things that I've done in the two and a half years that I have known and worked with you, I had absolutely no idea if I would actually be open to trying those new things. Considering that a lot in that in the past when I was very unsure of myself, I would have often said no to a lot of those things, but now I find that now I'm finding that if there's an opportunity for me to sort of speak up and voice about what I think needs to be done, I will say yes and I will make sure to address it. Um with the likes of doing like like the acting and doing the movie with my friend, doing the interviewing for a TV series that is yet to be released in the new year, and then doing the Awesome Year Congress, as well as having given a speech recently at an Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission event last week, I find that I find I am so much more comfortable with the environments that I'm in that once I've got the tools that I need to prepare myself for that, I know that I can come in there with confidence. And it that's a complete huge turnaround for me on a personal note compared to what I would have been like probably 10 years ago. So it has been really amazing to have been on that sort of journey, and I wouldn't be the person that I am if it wasn't for the support from my loving family, and I think that has to be acknowledged that my family from day one have always been there to support me, no matter what I was doing, whether it be about my work or about something else entirely, they would always be there going and good luck, Nave, you're gonna give it some socks and that sort of thing. So um I it was and I I find that um now I don't really feel as anxious about those new things, like there might be one or two things I'd be more anxious about, like with regards to the driving. I find I get so much anxiety from that. Like I had done my driving test for the first time in October of this year, and um I found I was very nervous going into it because I even with the practice, I still found that I was very anxious as about a lot of things possibly going wrong during the driving test, and I was kind of like mentally preparing myself for what could possibly happen, though I didn't really want to say much about it because um I didn't want to give away the fact that I was feeling very stressed about the driving test. Um what didn't exactly help was that in my driving test that I did, I had not one but two examiners in the car with me when I was doing my driving test. So you can imagine the surprise that I felt when I had went from doing the three parts of my driving test to then find out I was getting two examiners in the car because the person who was testing my driving was being tested himself. So knowing that that was quite an unpro unpredictable thing I had to adjust to, it was a bit of a surprise. But then I think the fact that I was able to get through that driving test without any issues, and that I actually managed to do that without feeling so much stress was actually I give myself a pat on the back for that because it's not easy having to go through something like that. And like dri I find driving is not easy when it's especially when you have so many things going on with like heavy traffic and a sort of thing. I sometimes wonder how my family don't get stressed from all the driving that they do.

unknown:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

Um but I think it just goes to show that um even with the some of the confidence that I've got, I there are still one or two things that I do worry about. And sometimes I'm fine, I'm not sure as to whether I want to go ahead with something, especially if I don't feel comfortable or confident enough in that idea. So for me, it was kind of it's pretty much until I get information I need to sort of try that that new thing, whatever it may be, I probably wouldn't know exactly what to expect. And so I find I like if I am being offered to do something, whether it be for work or if it's for something on a social level, I find I don't really make crash decisions on those until I've got the information that I need to sort of make an informed decision, especially considering that some of these decisions could easily impact on what could it mean for my future in that. And so I so I have to be so aware of that, and I think it's very important that for a lot of people that they are aware that if there is something you're not sure about, make sure you do your research, make sure you get the information that you want before you come to any sort of conclusions and make your choice. And then well, I I find that um when it comes to the something new, if it's like trying out new foods, I find that I have been a lot more open to that. Like I don't get as anxious, but I find that I get a bit more annoyed if I find that if I want to try something new, but then there's some some ingredient in there that I don't want is already in there, I'm kind of like, no, it's put me off from trying Ash. So it's it's kind of difficult to try sort of try new things if you're it still don't if you find that you still have certain things that you don't like in Nash. And so I I think it it's worth noting that if there is something that you really want to try, but you are not sure as to how to approach it, that's where it's important you would need to do your research, get the information that you want. If there is something that you really want to try, but you're not sure if you want to do that on your own, make sure that you can talk to somebody that you know that you really trust, because then they might support you into be able to sort of give you that opportunity to show them that if this is something you want to try, that you can go ahead and do that. Because if you're trying to advocate for yourself in the matter of speaking at conferences in that, if you're not sure as to whether you want to be on a panel discussion, or if you're not sure if you want to be a speaker at a particular event, then you need to sort of flag it to somebody and say, I'm not sure if this is what I want to do. Could you please give me more information so that I can prepare myself better? So I think that's kind of like the the main inky that I would sort of point out that when trying something new, make sure that you have got the support and the information that you need to sort of get you to try that new thing. And I say once you've done that, you'll feel a lot better afterwards.

SPEAKER_01:

Definitely. I think that's brilliant advice because I think so often we can go on instinct and sort of immediately go, Oh no, I don't want to do that, or oh yes, I do doing something. But as you say, doing that bit of research and really finding out about it and asking people about it is so so helpful and can make a huge difference. You're you're completely right with that. And of all of the things that you've achieved, is there one in particular that you're you're particularly proud of?

SPEAKER_00:

I say I don't exactly have one, but I've got like a a small number of moments I'd say I'd be most proud of. And so I would like to start that off and say that the one there is one thing I'm most proud of, first of all, is the fact that I was able to give a speech at the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission last week where I had that speech had such a powerful impact on the people who were in attendance at the event, because the event was basically about the launching of the report in relation to consent and sex education for autistic people, and there was a need and something in there that needed to be addressed, and that was where we had that launch, and I was invited to give a speech to sort of give my insight on the perspective of what consent was like for me and what my experience of consent was in the sex education that I received when I was in school in that. And so I found that a speech that I had typed up and then did small changes to, I found it was the first time I actually ever had done a speech where it was so personal to me that it's actually given me a lot more empowerment and a lot more confidence for me to sort of say this is something that I would want to see addressed, and I'm going to use my voice to sort of advocate to that, and so it has been really amazing to sort of see the significant change that I had, and I now see myself more as an advocate in that sense, and I think that was kind of like a really big thing for me. Another thing I'm most proud of as well was the fact that I was is doing in a series of interviews for this new TV series called The Assembly. Um we have finished a production which just is have to wait until February in the new year before it's all live on TV. So I found that going into that I was really sort of excited at this opportunity because it's not often in you have a chance to interview celebrities, let alone being very famous, regardless of what area they're famous for. So I found that I actually got to do that with some of my friends that I actually got to be in a movie with, and that actually had been a really amazing experience, not only for my friends, but for me as well. And it was one of those things where we were kind of like ticking off a few people from our pocket list, if you know what I mean. It was cool, it was one of those big bucket list moments that you really don't get uh to actually take. And that the fact that I got to do that with with my friends and that we all had a really amazing time from it as a result meant that we were able to sort of make the TV series as authentic as it is, and I really hope that a lot of people get the chance to see that when it's on the TV in February. And then also to note that the driving test that I did in October, and the fact that I was mostly proud about how I was able to handle the unpredictability of what was going to happen during the driving test, especially with the fact that I had two examiners in the car with me, meant that I wasn't really at all phased by it, and that meant that I could pretty much handle anything that was being given to me, regardless of what the outcome was going to be. I know I didn't pass the driving test on that occasion because I was too nervous going into it, so I had too many grade two faults. But the fact that I still did a good job with my driving under the circumstances I was in meant that I was actually able to sort of keep my composure and know that whatever I need to work on, I can improve on when the time is right in that, and I think that's what I was most proud of in that sense. And then and then the other two things that I was most proud of, one was being part of the Aussie Mirv Congress and the Scientific Committee. I was really honored to actually be a part of that committee and to be a part of such a big Congress as the Awesome Mirv Congress, because when they came to conferences I've spoken at previously, it was mostly relating to what's happening with autism services and like how employers could benefit from hiring autistic employees like myself, etc. But with this Congress that we had at the RDS in September, it was a completely different way of how conferences were being held. And I found that it really gave me so much to think about in terms of like how I perceive myself, in terms of how my family and friends see me, if if I ever find I have a moment where I do a little stim here and there. It also sort of gave me a really good opportunity to sort of showcase what I could actually do in terms of like my abilities, in terms of speaking at conferences, as well as being part of committees that organise them. And so this was a really great thing to add to my CV, and so it's been a really great pressure to be a part of that. And finally, um the one and the last thing that I am most proud of was that um a few years ago, um my friends and I got to do a movie of our own where we were kind of like doing our own script writing, we did our own in casting of who was going to be playing which characters. We created our own storylines, we created in our own scenes with our own equipment and that sort of showcase is what kind of talents that we had. Some of us got the chance to sort of showcase our talents with our own makeup artistry, because like I had my own makeup with me, so I could do a bit of makeup before going on set and that. And I found that it was a really amazing experience to actually do that with my friends and showing my family in this movie as well meant that they got to really see how much I have grown over the last few years and and the fact that they see that I have become this is confident, independent woman, and is still is looking for more things to sort of catch myself with is kind of what's made them very proud in in a way as well. And and I I think that it'd be really great now to see what other opportunities come my way. And like I find that I'm really excited about the the whole idea of of my family watching me being on TV because they'll have no idea as to what could possibly happen. Although I find that life is it's like a quote from the Forrest Gump movie Life's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. And I you know what I I would love to do this interview in another year and ask you what you're most proud of, because I feel like it will be a whole other massive list of achievements. Yeah, yeah. Well then my my very last question for you is if you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, is there any advice that you give Little Neve?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, no, that's uh quite a good question because uh with so many things I've gone on, I kind of unsure as to what I would say to answer that. But um if there was one thing I would say for definite that would be sort of to essay to my younger self, is that not to be so hard on yourself because I think in in in in the past I used to be quite hard on myself, especially if there was mistakes that I had made, I would be getting mad at myself over that. But then but now as I reflect on and everything that's been happening so far, I kind of am like, why have was I so hard on myself in all those years? Because I could have easily have done something different to sort of give myself a better chance to sort of if like you know make more friends or even get more opportunities to sort of showcase my potential and that sort of thing. And so I found that if anyone was looking to reflect on themselves, like for me, my number one thing would be not to be so hard on yourself and like if there was somewhere in which you could sort of if see about for out forgiving yourself, be open to forgiving yourself, and like you I mean multi-7 doesn't exactly define a person. I know that certainly has not defined me. In fact, it's it sort of has invigorated me to sort of be a better version of myself, and I think that my family have really seen that, and I think my friends have seen that in me as well, and like the fact that I've got huge support from my friends, my family, and my work colleagues especially has meant the world to me because it means that whatever I do, regardless of whether it is about my job or if it's about another conference I might be invited to, or something in social, I can and go in there with confidence and know that I have a lot of people's support and that they are wishing me every success with whatever I do. And I think that if you are someone who is looking to strive for success in whatever aspect of your life, go for it. Life is too short to be asking what if. So I I find that if if if you have things that you really want to do in the future that you're not sure about doing, give yourself the time to sort uh if go for it. It's kind of like you're kind of exploring yourself in a way that you kind of are allowing yourself to sort of see where this direction is going to take you. And I and I think I've really found that the direction that I have gone into has sort of turned me into this very empowering advocate who has really a kind of found the love for living life to the fullest. And I know that have been there to sort of do that with my family, my friends, and my work colleagues is actually been a very amazing journey to be on. And I I really hope that that continues for me for many years to come. And like I'm really looking forward to how how much more growth I could see in myself if by continuing in that process. And I really hope that many other people can actually aspire to that and I hope that they are comfortable in doing that and that they have gone in there with the confidence and independence that they need to be able to do that. And so I I'm I'll before I finish up, I'll just say that huge thank you to all my family, my friends and my work colleagues for your amazing support to me for for so many years. I cannot wait for you guys to see what I have done with with regards to my advocacy work and with the TV still five beating in the New Years. And um I really hope that you guys get to see me thrive in being this confident independent autistic woman that you now see today.

SPEAKER_01:

Amazing that is perfect and I know we will all be cheering you on Leave I can't wait to see all of the millions of things that you achieve over the next little while. Amazing thank you so much for taking the time to chat thanks so much for listening to the podcast. This is a conversation based interview designed to stimulate thinking and hopefully support the development practice. It's not intended to be medical or psychological advice. The views expressed in these chats may not always be the view of Middletown Centre. If you'd like to know more about Middletown you can find us on X at Autism Centre on Facebook and Instagram at Middletown Center for Autism. Go easy until next time.