IWD event: Uncovering and Celebrating ADHD & Autism in Women

Target Audience: All staff (Academic and Professional Services) While this event is aimed at those who were assigned female at birth, it is inclusive of a diverse range of people including those who are gender-queer/non-binary individuals, trans men, and allies.

The theme of International Women's Day on 8 March 2024 is to Inspire Inclusion and so the Athena Swan teams across several schools (LPS, LifeSci, Engineering & BSMS) have come together with Organisational Development to offer ‘Celebrating ADHD and Autism in Women’.

We are delighted to welcome back Jess Rad, from The Womanhood, to talk about how Autism and ADHD presents in Women and the different ways these traits manifest. This event aims to help foster a sense of belonging to support Sussex's commitment to Athena Swan and wider EDI work.

Gender bias has had a huge impact on the identification and presentation of neurodivergent traits in women. As a result, many women only discover their identification with ADHD/Autism relatively later on in life and many wish they had greater support in understanding their neurobiology.

Find out how to support such individuals and to celebrate and connect women affected by these traits.

This workshop will cover:

• Increase awareness of how Autism and ADHD presents in Women.
• Destigmatise and celebrate Autism and ADHD via an introduction of the neurodiversity paradigm
• Reduce the potential loneliness felt by those neuro-curious / currently unidentified through the sharing of Unspoken Women’s Stories

Please register using your Sussex or BSMS email address (e.g. ab123@sussex/ab123@bsms.ac.uk). A link to join the session will be emailed to you the day before the event. Anyone who registers without an @sussex.ac.uk email address will be checked to see if they are a Sussex member of staff and not be sent the details if they aren't.

Late cancellations that leave places empty have considerable cost implications for the University and take away the opportunity for other staff members who might wish to attend. Given this, a late cancellation fee of £50 will be charged to your School or Division if you cancel your booking within three days of the course start date. Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel your place by emailing od@sussex.ac.uk.

Exceptions may be made for illness, evidenced by your line manager or doctor's note, or a family emergency. We are happy for you to substitute your place if you notify us before the course commences.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you have any specific requirements regarding this staff development activity (e.g., hearing/visual impairment) so that we can do our very best to accommodate your needs.

Your opinion matters! You will be asked to complete a short feedback form either at the end of the session or after the session. We appreciate you taking the time to do this, as your feedback helps us to know what works and what doesn’t, allowing us to create a better and more relevant learning experience for everyone.