Three stories, one purpose: supporting neurodiversity at British Antarctic Survey

17 March, 2025

This Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Claudette Lopez, Natalia Ford and Lou Robinson share their experiences as neurodiverse people working in a supportive, positive environment.

“Making our spaces inclusive, and introducing things like flexible working, makes everyone’s jobs better, whether you’re neurodiverse or not,” says Lou, a former teacher and apprentice project manager for British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

Her colleagues, Claudette, a marine geospatial data assistant, and Natalia, a sustainability manager agree that BAS is providing a supportive place for neurodiverse employees, with flexible working being especially useful.

Claudette, who has ADHD, has found BAS to be significantly more accommodating than previous jobs. For her, flexible working hours alleviate the stress of rigid schedules: “We don’t have to clock in and, like many people with ADHD, this was always very difficult for me – I find it very stressful to get in at exactly the same time every day. This privilege unburdens previous debilitating anxieties over timeliness and instead encourages me to focus on my work more efficiently .”

Her line manager, Alex Tate, a senior data and system architect, provides flexible deadlines and checks in frequently, which reduces the overwhelming nature of the big projects she works on. For example, she is successfully leading a major data recovery project that requires diligent financial and physical organisation.

“I didn’t think I could do complicated jobs like this – I come from an academic classical archaeology background – so this is very different for me, but it’s good to work somewhere that can accommodate everyone’s different work styles,” says Claudette.

“I’m very grateful for the fact that we have flexible working arrangements because I’ve definitely worked in companies in the past where this would not have been deemed acceptable,” Natalia adds. “Currently, I’m seeking a formal diagnosis, which is difficult, but BAS is giving me the space to work out what I need.”

“The flexibility is amazing – I’m a dual diagnosis, as I have autism and ADHD, and I find travelling by bus or train in rush hour pretty horrendous,” says Lou. “I can start early or leave late, so I can avoid those busy times when it’s too crowded and noisy for me.”

The Neurodiversity Staff Network (NDN), is relatively new to BAS, but Claudette, Natalia and Lou are all finding it extremely valuable. Claudette explained that an anonymous survey has been conducted to find out exactly what NDN members want from the network.

“This will help us work out what the network should look like,” Claudette explains. “It might be advocacy, or training for line managers, or raising awareness, or just providing a safe space for support – or a combination of these things.”

“As I pursue a diagnosis, the neurodiversity network that we’ve set up has been really supportive, especially with Claudette and Lou being there for me,” says Natalia. “They do a lot of the guiding and I’m really grateful to have that support around me to not just run the network, but to learn how to exist with all of the challenges that come with being neurodiverse.”

Via the network, Lou has been sharing a lot of information and experience from working in a neurodiversity network in her previous job. She has been able to bring resources from other workplaces and now she is looking forward to getting involved with this month’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week, especially as this is when the survey feedback will be shared.

“It is important to share with our colleagues how to create inclusive workplaces because so many neurodiversity accommodations benefit everyone,” says Lou. “Genuine allyship means that we can make changes that are effective and address people’s real needs, rather than efforts that might be well-intentioned, but are not the priority.”

Claudette, meanwhile, has been busy with Neurodiversity Celebration Week planning; “With the support of BAS EDI, we’re going to have a coffee morning with cupcakes and information for people to pick up, we’re making a poster, plus I’m designing stickers with the help of Lou, Natalia and Gemma, who’s our health and wellness manager – she’s dyslexic, so she’s providing helpful feedback to make sure they’re visually inclusive.”

Natalia sums up her hopes for Neurodiversity Celebration Week: “I hope the week makes people a bit more aware of what our challenges are, how they can be supportive, how they can be allies, and how maybe some policies could potentially be tweaked to support us.”

Interested in taking part in Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025?

Check out the schedule of events – all events are free of charge and open to all.