15. S2, Ep3: Autism and work culture: masking, socialising and finding the right work

Sophie Longley is an English teacher and reading specialist. She was diagnosed autistic in 2020, aged 28 and is based in Singapore, where she works with children with reading difficulties. She has spent the last four years living and working in Asia, after suffering from severe burnout from a corporate career in London.

Her recent Autism diagnosis and the ongoing struggles she has faced being autistic in the workplace have prompted her to change careers to become a clinical psychologist. She will be pursuing a Master's in Experimental psychology at the University of Sussex in 2021, with a goal to improve how clinicians diagnose autistic women.

She has a special interest in researching autistic women's experiences in the workplace.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ What it was like getting a diagnosis in Singapore

➡ Her experiences of working in corporate job roles, including losing a series of jobs due to her undiagnosed autism, masking in interviews, and the pressure to be social at work

➡ The challenges of being autistic at work

➡ Achieving diversity in the workplace

➡ What it's like being autistic in the classroom - for teachers and students

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

Sophie's blog: https://sophielongley.medium.com/

Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophlongley28/

Books mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed for You, Jenara Nerenburg

Born on a Blue Day, Daniel Tammet

Quiet, Susan Cain

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/

Support Squarepeg on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast