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Neurodiversity support

Research shows a greater incidence of neurodiversity in engineers. If you believe you may be neurodivergent, we can offer support to help you get a diagnosis, understand your condition, and thrive in work and life.

You may not have considered this, but everyone is neurodiverse. We all have our own individual ways of experiencing, interpreting and interacting with the world around us.

There is no ‘normal’ or ‘correct’ way the brain functions, but some of us think, learn and process information in similar ways that can be defined by specific shared characteristics. In fact, around 1 in 7 of us have a neurodevelopmental condition which is considered to be neurodiverse, such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia or Tourette’s Syndrome. However, this doesn’t include people who haven’t been diagnosed.

Whilst being neurodiverse brings a variety of strengths and unique capabilities, it can also present challenges which can prevent neurodiverse people from taking advantage of opportunities that others take for granted. They might miss out on opportunities for promotion, drop out of their university course, or fail to secure a job because they don’t do things the way they’re usually done. These challenges can also wider-ranging effects on neurodiverse people’s mental health.

That’s why we provide a range of neurodiversity support, to ensure that every member of the engineering community can thrive – no matter their circumstances.

Engineering Neurodiverse Futures programme

Our Engineering Neurodiverse Futures programme is designed to support engineering students and apprentices who believe they may be neurodiverse, to access fully funded, tailored support so that they can kick-start their career with confidence.

Neurodiverse people can find it really difficult to get a diagnosis, with long waiting lists and the extortionate cost of private assessments. By accessing this programme, you can get a fast-tracked diagnosis of a neurodiverse condition, and if you’re diagnosed, you can access financial support, counselling support, and careers coaching and mentoring to help you make your studies work for you.

Apply for the programme here.

Differently Wired Hub

Our free Differently Wired Hub is available to everyone in the engineering community who is interested in learning more about a range of neurodiverse conditions. Developed by experts in neurodiversity, it has free advice, information and resources to help you understand what different conditions mean for you and those around you.

Sign up here.

Adult neurodiversity support

We can consider funding for adult members of the engineering community to access a diagnosis of a neurodiverse condition. If you believe you may be neurodiverse but you're struggling to get a diagnosis, get in touch with us today.

Your stories

emma autism support story
Foothold saved me from anxiety and from falling into depression. To anyone needing support I would say: make the call. You’ll receive wonderful support from fantastic, trained staff who really listen to your concerns. View story
Engineer and coach Lorraine West

Human engineering: How I learned to be the best version of myself – and you can too

Engineer and coach Lorraine West reveals how human engineering helped her learn how to thrive – no matter the challenges she faces in life.

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Michael Hargreaves, author of How Foothold’s new Engineering Neurodiverse Futures programme can support you to achieve your career goals

How our Engineering Neurodiverse Futures programme can support students and apprentices to achieve their career goals

In this blog, we explore how we can support engineering students and apprentices through our Engineering Neurodiverse Futures programme.

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Laura Norton of the IET, author of: My story of improving neurodiversity awareness in engineering

My story of improving neurodiversity awareness in engineering

Laura Norton of the IET joins us to discuss why our Engineering Neurodiverse Futures programme is vital for the whole engineering community.

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