Proud to be different, a neurodiversity celebration week story from Ysgol Tŷ Monmouth

Neurodiversity Celebration Week gives us time to listen to lived experience and reflect on how inclusion feels in real life. This year, we are proud to share the story of Chloe, a Teaching Assistant at Ysgol Tŷ Monmouth, whose honesty with Pupils has sparked thoughtful conversations and deeper understanding across the School community.

A classroom conversation that mattered

Chloe recently spoke with Pupils about being autistic and having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. She did not plan a formal lesson. She simply answered their questions with openness and warmth.

At first, Pupils were hesitant. Then Charlie, Speech and Language Therapy, coordinating the session, asked a question that opened the conversation, and more followed. Pupils wanted to know:

 

  • How long it took Chloe to be diagnosed
  • Why she had not been assessed in childhood
  • What daily life feels like
  • Why she eats the same foods most days

 

Chloe noticed how engaged they became, especially when topics felt familiar to their own experiences. She reassured them they could ask anything at any time. That simple reassurance helped Pupils feel safe to be curious.

For Chloe, being able to talk about her autism and ADHD at work felt powerful. She said she loved being able to talk about herself in a way that felt accepted in her job. She felt proud to share her identity with Pupils and Team Members.

The long journey to diagnosis

Chloe always felt different growing up. Her mum tried to get help when she was young, but when she asked about ADHD she was told girls did not have it.

Years later, Chloe still felt she did not fit in. She struggled to keep jobs and keep up with daily tasks. At 22, she began researching autism and ADHD more seriously and started private therapy. Her therapist encouraged her to seek an assessment.

When Chloe finally received an autism diagnosis, she felt relief but also fear. She worried it might not be believed. Later, a joint assessment confirmed both autism and ADHD. When she heard the result, she felt she could finally breathe.

She realised she was not broken, her brain simply worked differently.

Alongside relief, she felt anger about how long it had taken. She wondered what might have been different if someone had listened to her mum years earlier. Still, she was grateful to finally have answers.

What Chloe wants others to know about assessment

Chloe expected assessments to be tests designed to catch her out. Instead, they were conversations about her life.

Her advice for other Team Members is clear:

 

  • Trust your instincts if you feel something is different
  • Keep asking for help if you are dismissed
  • Take someone with you who knows you well
  • Be honest about your experiences

 

She shared how having her mum there helped answer questions about childhood and reduced pressure. Her message is simple: You deserve support and understanding.

Finding acceptance at Phoenix

Chloe describes her role at Ysgol Tŷ Monmouth as the best job she has ever had. It is also the longest she has stayed in one place.

In previous roles, she worked hard to hide her struggles. She masked her needs, pushed herself too far, and eventually burned out.

Here, when she spoke honestly with her manager about feeling overwhelmed, the response was kind and practical, how can we support you.

Adjustments were made. Team Members listened. After a family loss, she was welcomed back with understanding and no pressure.

Small everyday practices helped her feel safe:

 

  • Co-regulation with Pupils
  • Using fidget tools openly
  • Taking movement breaks
  • Sharing excitement without feeling judged

 

She said it is normal to experience joy at work. When she gets excited about small things, Team Members celebrate with her rather than making her feel silly.

That acceptance has changed her confidence and well-being.

Challenging myths about autism

During her session, one Pupil asked if autistic people can have jobs. Chloe realised how important it is to challenge stereotypes early.

Autistic people are not abnormal. Their brains work differently.

She also spoke about the idea of neurodiversity as a superpower. Some strengths are real, such as hyper focus and creativity. But challenges are real too, such as forgetting to eat, feeling overwhelmed, or struggling to start tasks.

Understanding both sides helps create realistic and compassionate support.

Strengths Chloe brings to Pupils

Since joining Phoenix, Chloe has started to see her neurodivergence as a strength.

She brings:

 

  • Deep empathy for Pupils who feel overwhelmed
  • Passion and a strong sense of fairness
  • Insight from lived experience
  • Honest conversations about avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, ARFID

 

When Pupils offer her food, she talks about being nervous to try new things but proud when she does. That honesty helps Pupils feel less alone and more understood.

Representation matters. Seeing an adult who shares similar experiences can help Pupils feel hopeful about their future.

Why stories like Chloe’s matter

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is not just about awareness days. It is about creating cultures where Team Members can be themselves, and Pupils can see their own strengths reflected back at them.

Chloe’s courage in sharing her story has helped Pupils ask questions, feel understood, and see possibility. It has also reminded us that acceptance in the workplace changes lives.

We are proud of Chloe and grateful for the care, honesty, and empathy she brings to Ysgol Ty Monmouth every day. Her story shows what happens when people feel safe to be themselves, when curiosity is welcomed, and when belonging is real.