As a part of Norwich School’s support of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, the neurodiversity group are interviewing Neurodiversity Champions at Norwich School. We caught up with Partnerships Officer, Suzannah Thomas...

What does Neurodiversity Awareness week mean to you personally?

I was only given a diagnosis very recently (at the ripe age of 32!) so I am still learning about the condition and how it affects me, but had I been aware of what ADHD looks like (which isn't necessarily the stereotypical "naughty" boy at school) I'm sure I would have understood my brain a lot better a lot earlier!

There is so much diversity amongst how people feel, act and react to the world and all of them have their place and worth.

Do you have any Neurodiverse Role Models?

So many famous actors, directors, business people, entrepreneurs, world leaders and successful people have ADHD, which shows how much of a benefit it can be. It quite often means someone is good at having lots of ideas, pursuing an interest and being able to absorb lots of projects all at once. 

I think the greatest gymnast of all time Simone Biles is a great example of someone with ADHD who is absolutely dedicated to their sport, but also a good role model for noticing and acting on her own mental health when she knew she was struggling [Biles withdrew from parts of the Tokyo Olympics to focus on keeping her mind healthy at a time of extreme stress]. Both acts, to get to the top and to recognise the importance of keeping well, are huge achievements.

And Dave Grohl because, well, Dave Grohl.

What do you want people to know about Neurodiversity?

I think that in society there are so many assumptions and beliefs around how we should think, how we should study,  how we should look and how we should act which can definitely feel incredibly intense, especially while we're going through adolescence. More so now these are being amplified by social media. But the reality is that we very much aren't all the same or living the same experience. To know that neurodiversity exists and can often create people who do break the mould, who are incredibly successful and who are able to celebrate and understand who they are, can be a very powerful tool in working out who you are in the world. 

If you feel the world looks different to you than it does to everyone around you, perhaps there might be something like neurodiversity at play. Seek help to overcome your challenges, but understand that it might come with a lot of positive outcomes.

What is your favourite thing about being Neurodiverse?

For me it means that I find the whole world genuinely fascinating. I could describe myself as a gardener, a printmaker,  a cyclist, a swimmer, a scientist, a geologist, a rock climber, a baker. It's really helpful in my job working with other schools and running events because it means I can take a genuine interest in lots of different topics and ideas very quickly and become quite passionate about them! It makes it easy to find common ground with other people when you can take an interest in what they love too. Each year at the end of our University Summer School, having sat in on some of the lectures, I always want to go back to university and study every single degree I hear about!