WHERE OUR NEURODIVERSITY JOURNEY STARTED
When we set up Aim Forward, we were building on 10+ years of experience helping thousands of individuals with a neurodivergence or mental health condition. We supported them with tools and strategies to help them excel in their everyday lives, whether that be working or studying.
We started our journey supporting students studying at university, via a government-funded Disabled Students Allowance. Over time we expanded into helping individuals in the workplace and at school.. Government changes to the fund, and our passion to ensure that every individual is treated as unique meant it was no longer the right space for us.
We have learnt a lot about what works and what doesn’t when helping an individual to excel.These are the core principles of our success, and what you can expect when you work with us.
YES, WE BRING EXPERTISE IN NEURODIVERGENCE, BUT SO DO YOU
We pride ourselves on our expertise in neurodivergence and mental health, and our knowledge of the strategies that work.
But no-one knows you better than you know yourself. No matter how many thousands of neurodivergent individuals we have assessed, or how many different mental and physical health conditions we have worked with, we always learn something new from each person we work with.
We bring all of our expertise and a genuine curiosity about you into all of our assessments. Learning about how your neurodivergence or mental health condition impacts you helps us do a better job. All of your strategies will be co-created together with your assessor. We believe that this balance of expertise and genuine interest is at the core of why we have been so successful with so many different individuals.
WE HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND YOURSELF AND YOUR NEURODIVERGENCE
When you receive a diagnostic assessment, it comes with a thorough 20-30 page report. Some people find their report difficult to understand. It can be a lot to take in and to apply to your daily life.
How can a needs assessment with Aim Forward help?
A needs assessment can help to bring your diagnosis to life. We’ll take the complex science behind your diagnosis, and translate it into simple language. This will help you understand why you work and learn in the way you do, and help you thrive. When you’re neurodivergent or have always lived with a diagnosis, it can be difficult to realise that some of your experiences are a result of your neurodivergence or mental health condition.
There are many traits that are common for people with a particular diagnosis to experience, but it is important to remember that each person has their own unique experience with their neurodivergence or mental health condition. For example, one person with ADHD may experience difficulty sitting still, while another will not. .
This extends to strategies to help the individual. One person will find one strategy helpful and the other won’t. For example:
- Some people will find speech-to-text software helpful, as they’re not restricted to sitting at a desk when working on a laptop.
- Others may find fidget toys helpful to provide an outlet for restlessness whilst focusing on other tasks.
When discussing the impact of a diagnosis and looking at strategies to help, we consider all of this. We will help you put strategies and solutions in place that are relevant to your needs, and you are comfortable implementing.
WE HELP YOU UNDERSTAND ANY CO-OCCURRING CONDITIONS
Our needs assessors hold a variety of disability-specific qualifications, alongside decades of experience working with neurodivergence, mental health conditions and other disabilities including lived experience. This puts us in a unique position to provide you with a needs assessment that recognises co-occurring conditions (where you experience more than one condition at the same time).
Over 20% of our needs assessment clients have two or more formally diagnosed conditions, but many more experience undiagnosed traits or symptoms of a neurodivergence or mental health condition. For example, you may have a diagnosis of ADHD, but also be experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our needs assessments take a holistic approach to you and your unique needs.
WE GIVE YOU CREDIT – YOU’RE ALREADY MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN YOU THINK
Being neurodiverse in a world tailored to neurotypical minds can be hard. It is common to see people beating themselves up about what they are not doing well. The art of the assessment is acknowledging the strategies you will have put in place to help yourself up to this point. Whether you realise it or not, there will be strategies you have implemented over the years and it is important to recognise and celebrate this.
You will have strengths in the way you think and process information that will benefit your work, education, and overall life. It can be easy to forget these strengths, especially during difficult times. Treating yourself with compassion and kindness helps you to realise your value, even in times of struggle. During your needs assessment, we’ll spend time identifying your unique strengths and highlighting their positive impacts.
The journey to your assessment may not have been easy. You may come into your needs assessment feeling like you need to change, but that is not how we want you to leave it. Our goal is not to change you, but to build upon strategies you have already put in place, and help you build new strategies for success.
WE DON’T TRY TO CHANGE TOO MUCH TOO QUICKLY
We have always been inspired by how much the little changes all add up and impact day-to-day life. We’ll help you put changes in place that you’re comfortable with. . These don’t need to be large lifestyle changes, unless this is what you’d prefer.
In your needs assessment, we’ll spend time listening to what has and hasn’t worked for you and explore why this has been the case. We’ll find new and evolved strategies that will build upon what is already working.
Making small easy changes can help enable you to make larger ones. We have seen such a positive impact from these simple steps.
Of course, if you’re raring to go and want a full programme of change,we can cater for that too.
WE MAKE CHANGE EXCITING – YOU WILL LEAVE INSPIRED BY POSSIBILITIES
We understand that to be inspired to put the work in to make change happen, you have to be excited by the strategies. You have to feel they are relevant to you and could make a difference in how you work, study and go about your day-to-day life.
When you tell us about your barriers during your needs assessment, we’re committed to understanding you so we can identify strategies that will make a difference. We are passionate about bringing to life the little things that can grab your attention and inspire new ways of working. For example:
- If you like making to-do lists but struggle to complete those tasks, we can look at mind-mapping software to bring those lists to life.
- This method can build on your current habits of list making, but allow you to expand each task, rapid fire ideas and attach materials, so that you are not starting from a blank canvas with each task.
- This strategy can help to increase productivity. You can see what you have achieved and the tasks that are outstanding, reducing the impact of procrastination and stress associated with postponing tasks and projects.
We introduce these strategies organically throughout the session so they don’t feel overwhelming. This allows you to see what is possible, giving you the confidence to go away and try new things.
We are passionate about what we do
We’re proud of our team and all the incredible work they do every day helping those who learn and work differently to excel. For more than 10 years we’ve seen individuals soar when they have their stories heard and represented in the plans we create with them. We are very passionate about what we do.
You can read more about clients who have benefited from our unique approach to needs assessments here.
If you’re looking to find solutions to shape your future get in touch to find out how a needs assessment can help you today.