17-23 March 2025 is Neurodiversity Celebration Week, a global initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences while celebrating the unique strengths and talents of neurodivergent individuals.
At Ashfords, our neurodiversity group is running a series of events for our people throughout the week, exploring the value of neurodiversity in the workplace and how we can all contribute to a more inclusive environment. By fostering greater awareness and understanding, we aim to create a culture where all minds are empowered to thrive.
As part of this, Philippa Deemer, a trainee solicitor at Ashfords, has kindly shared her personal journey with neurodiversity, including her experience of starting her career in law, and the support she has received since joining Ashfords.
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My name is Philippa Deemer and I am a second seat trainee here at Ashfords. My first seat was with the marine team and my second seat is in residential conveyancing.
When I started at Ashfords I was asked if I would like to join the neurodiversity campaign group as a neurodiverse colleague. I am passionate about advocating for education around neurodiversity and supporting neurodiverse individuals in other aspects of my life and was keen to accept the invitation. It is in this capacity that I am writing this blog for Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
My neurodiversity journey began when two close friends were diagnosed with ADHD, one in 2014, the other in 2018. My response to everything they told me about their experience was 'but that’s normal!' I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2019. Having a diagnosis and being put on medication felt like the whole world falling into place - there were so many 'ooh, that’s why this is hard for me' moments and it allowed me to give myself grace and compassion for things which I had previously given myself a lot of grief. My chronically messy bedroom was no longer a moral failing, but rather a symptom!
Unfortunately many people, whether through prejudice or simply not being informed, still view symptoms of ADHD as moral or personality failings. Too many times when I have previously described myself as having a disability that affects my working memory, causes an auditory processing delay and disrupts my dopamine regulation, I am taken seriously until I mention that this disability is ADHD, at which point I am dismissed with 'we’re all a bit ADHD!' We may all experience low blood sugar; we are not all a little bit diabetic. ADHD is much the same, while neurotypical individuals may share some experiences with people with ADHD this isn't to the extent where intervention or medication is needed, and there is a consistent impact on their lives. Comments like this, even if well intended, are dismissive and invalidate genuine experiences of disability.
I have also learned that, whilst undiagnosed, I display many traits of autism that were previously masked by my ADHD but are more obvious now that I'm medicated. I have been informed by my psychiatrist, who made the initial observation, that this is a common occurrence, particularly in women. This again allowed me to show myself compassion when I become overstimulated and my brain ‘short circuits’ making me non-verbal or when I leave a social situation utterly baffled because no-one is speaking directly.
This training contract is my first full time job, and after finding balancing part time work and education quite hard I was anxious about how my neurodiversity would impact my ability to perform well and be happy at Ashfords. It was a hard adjustment, as change is for anyone who struggles with transitions, but I have received such effective non-judgemental support that now, going into my second trainee seat, it's hard to relate to the overwhelmed first day trainee I was just six months ago.
Listening to my autistic and ADHD friends discussing their struggles in fields that are typically seen as more flexible has really highlighted to me Ashfords' progressive attitude and how employers working with neurodivergence, not just managing the 'hard bits' but embracing neurodiversity as a part of diversity and creating an environment of acceptance with clear accountability, allows neurodiverse employees to relax into being a real asset to their workplaces.
By supporting me to feel comfortable and helping me to understand what I have dubbed ‘corporate nuance’ in a time when a lot of employers would have been questioning whether they had made the right recruitment choice, Ashfords gave me the grace to settle in then to thrive in my role and showcase that I am an asset to the firm.
Prior to commencing my training contract I reached out to Ashfords for guidance because I was feeling very anxious and frankly intimidated about not only the role I was going into, but also being completely surrounded by people I didn’t know for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19. Straight off the bat I received not only reassurance and support but also compassion, empathy and kindness. I was invited to visit the office the week before starting to make sure I knew the way to the office, where my desk was going to be and to meet people so I could have some familiar faces. I remember everyone I met being open and friendly, and being so reassured that it was all going to be okay.
I tend to disclose my neurodiversity very early on because it provides context on my brain and how I process information - I have found context allows for compassion and a bit more grace if I unwittingly do something that is perceived as a bit odd. This particularly helps in stressful situations as my verbal abilities are affected when I feel overwhelmed and I may not be able to articulately communicate that I need a moment of solitary silence to recalibrate my brain.
When, in the initial week of trainee induction, I referenced my ADHD in response to a question I was approached after the session and thanked for openly disclosing and invited to join the neurodiversity campaign group. This was an incredible way to show me that my brain was welcome - not only as diversity tokenism but as an asset for finding different ways of thinking and approaching problem solving. I still found it hard, overstimulating, overwhelming and sometimes frankly baffling, but with the support of the colleagues around me and the HR team I was able to find my feet and overcome the feelings around not having landed upon them.
Now, six months later I am thriving at Ashfords. I still receive support when I need it, but this is much less often and I'm sure will reduce further with time. Knowing support is there and having complete trust in those providing it makes Ashfords feel safe, and like most neurodivergent people, perceived safety opens the doors to creativity, innovation and productivity. Being a part of the neurodiversity campaign group has given me the opportunity to give my insight and different perspective beyond my immediate team and I have felt genuinely valued for my contribution.
Day by day my confidence has grown to where it is now - not always in a completely linear fashion but I got here. The me six months ago would have probably cried in her car, completely overwhelmed at just the thought of attending the strategy meeting with our wonderful CEO, Louise Workman, but now, comfortable and happy, I freely chose to attend and contribute at that meeting. We discussed Ashfords’ culture and how it is hard to define a culture without reducing or spoiling it but that it was our people, how they champion each other and the dedication to balanced lives that bring us together as a great team.
For me, Ashfords' culture feels like a real sense of everyone, lawyers and non-lawyers alike, being valued and in turn feeling empowered to be valuable. I feel so privileged to work somewhere I trust to react to my disclosure with support not discrimination, and I am proud to say I work at Ashfords and we are leading the way forward.
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