Our guest today is Toni, a neurodiversity coach based in Northampton, Massachusetts. She spent most of her life in the social service sector working with oppressed individuals and populations including people with developmental disabilities. She realized her love for coaching and started coaching neurodivergent individuals. Neurodiversity was a term coined because many of the deficits were under neurological minorities, and the term was a way to destigmatize individuals with such deficits. Autism and ADHD are typical examples of diagnoses that Toni works with, helping the her clients navigate work challenges.
Research shows that there are specific coaching techniques that are beneficial to neurodiverse people. An example is asking the person to define two SMART goals they want to work on, and evaluate their progress every eight weeks. Part of Toni's training is understanding the symptoms of different forms of neurodiversity.
Sarah observed that coming to terms with her neurodiversity made life easier as she didn't have to mask the condition anymore, which is something a lot of neurodiverse people still do. This can be so exhausting that it causes burnout. Individuals are so traumatized by their employment history because they have repeatedly lost their jobs. Those who have their diagnosis early in life start to believe that it will be impossible for them to get a good job because of it. Others who have not been diagnosed do not understand why they lose their jobs and may just see themselves as a failure.
For a new client starting with Toni, the first step would be a discovery call to determine if trust can be established, and to explain what coaching entails. Following this, they would get help with setting goals towards self-improvement to be the best version of themselves while also learning in-depth about their neurodiversity.
Neurodiverse people have many major qualities that can easily be overlooked or, in some cases, misjudged. They can be very intelligent, passionate, caring, loyal, empathetic to a point of sensory overload, and have a lot of integrity that does not give room for much diplomacy. However, they can be reluctant to get other points of view which gets them stuck.
Toni has also struggled with chronic depression, anxiety, and alcohol addictions. Based on this, she can relate to the typical challenges of neurodiverse individuals. These challenges can result in burnout which can tilt the individuals towards complete isolation to avoid interacting with others. Toni has been coaching neurodivergent individuals since 2017.
Resources Mentioned
● “Rain Man” movie on Amazon
● Connect with Toni on her website: www.tonibator.com
● Connect with Toni on LinkedIn & Facebook
● Watch this clip of Rainman on YouTube
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Producer & Host: Sarah
Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky