Autism Acceptance Month: Lizzi’s journey

At Brooke Weston Trust, we believe that our greatest strength lies in the diversity of our people.

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and to mark this, we’re sharing Lizzi’s story to better understand a neurodivergent experience in the workplace.

For People Business Partner, Lizzi, autism isn’t just a label. It’s a lens through which she experiences the world. “It influences how I sense, think, and interact,” she explains.

How autism can feel in the workplace

In a fast-paced environment, autism can present hurdles that aren’t always obvious to others. Lizzi highlights three key areas where her experience might feel different:

• Sensory differences: “I’m highly sensitive to sound, smell, and light, which can make some environments overwhelming.”
• Social and communication differences: “I think literally, prefer written communication, and often avoid small talk, reciprocal conversation or eye contact. Building relationships can be difficult because my natural communication style doesn’t always align with common workplace expectations.”
• Need for structure and predictability: “I rely on routines and clear processes to function. Even small changes can feel disproportionately difficult to manage. Big changes can create reactions that can last weeks or months.”

The cost of ‘masking’

Like many others with neurodivergent minds, Lizzi has spent years ‘masking’ – mimicking neurotypical social behaviours to ‘fit in’.

While this might help feel a temporary sense of security, it’s exhausting.

Lizzi explains: “Growing up, I preferred to be the quiet observer, and I learned to copy others to fit in. In the workplace, I’ve always felt pressure to appear more ‘typical’. Masking may help me blend in, but it leads to poor mental health, an awful fear of rejection, feeling disconnected from myself. I also ended up feeling physical reactions such as persistent fatigue and headaches.”

A culture of support at BWT

Since joining Brooke Weston Trust last year, Lizzi has found a space where she doesn’t need to weak a mask. Through clear communication, patience, and small environmental adjustments, she feels valued for her authentic self, not how people expect her to be:

“I’ve been genuinely grateful for the understanding and accommodations provided by my manager and colleagues. While being Autistic naturally comes with its challenges in the workplace, some of these can be managed with the right supports in place But, most. importantly being autistic can bring strengths that compliment your work.”

Acceptance isn’t about managing challenges; it’s about recognising neurodivergent strengths, and Lizzi’s perspective brings invaluable assets to our team, including:

• Logical and structured thinking
• Incredible attention to detail
• A deep-seated passion for equality and inclusion

This month, we invite everyone at BWT to look for those possibilities and continue building a workplace where every mind can thrive.

It’s adapting the world around us, not asking people to change who they are just to blend in.

"Different minds see different possibilities."