Episode #26. Breaking the mould: challenging movement norms in workplaces and schools for neuro-inclusivity, wellness and growth with Jess Meredith
For the start of Season 3, I invited Jess Meredith, a neuro-diversity expert, to discuss the essential role of movement in our workplaces and schools. Jess talks and leads workshops about neuro-inclusivity and helping everyone to look at the environments they spend time in and think about changes that can be made to suit the needs of everyone.
Jess shares tools and ways of interacting that help people who are neurodivergent feel safe, concentrate better and meet their bodies needs. We discussed how most of these needs can be met with interventions that would in fact benefit everyone and we shared ideas for the future of educational and work environments that benefit all.
We discuss the importance of challenging social norms that are restricting individual’s movement needs and emphasise the importance of normalising movement for everyone to improve productivity, learning, and overall well-being.
I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Jess and could have continued for much longer!
Chapters:
00:00 Description of Neurodiversity and Neurodivergence
03:36 Barriers to Movement in Workplaces
11:18 Supporting Neurodivergent Individuals in Workplaces
18:11 The Role of Leaders in Creating Neuro-Inclusive Environments
23:48 Incorporating Movement in Workplaces
27:59 Examples of Successful Movement Interventions
35:06 Challenges in the Education System
43:24 Changing the Culture Around Movement and Play
About this week’s guests:
Jess Meredith
Jess Meredith is a renowned and dynamic neurodiversity speaker, known for her unique perspectives that captivate and inspire audiences, and ignite transformative conversations. She is also a leading advocate for neuroinclusion, sought-after facilitator and social entrepreneur; championing social justice, with a particular interest in inclusion.
Jess founded Differing Minds CIC through sheer frustration of the mainstream narrative around neurodiversity. She felt compelled to share what she was learning as she navigated the complexity of parenting children in the neurominority and successfully reframed her own thinking. She shares an enlightening, neuroaffirmative approach and specialises in simplifying complexity through interactivity and storytelling. Through her work with Differing Minds, she is celebrated for pioneering neuroinclusion strategies in workplaces, schools and within families, and trusted by the likes of Accenture, Freshfields, The Adecco Group and the NHS.
Fuelled by her passion to teach all children about neurodiversity, Jess is the creator of groundbreaking neurodiversity lessons for schools, endorsed by Peter Kyle MP. These lessons transform how neurodivergent children embrace their identities and how their peers understand and support them. They are truly game changing for schools, teachers, pupils and most importantly, the future of our society. Whilst advising parliament - Matt Hancock MP - on the proposed Neurodiversity Screening Bill, Jess emphasised the need to teach children about neurodiversity for true neuroinclusion and neurodivergent empowerment, which was widely agreed.
Prior to neuroinclusion advocacy, Jess’ career spanned data, marketing, consulting, technology and more, from start ups to global corporations. Alongside generating new revenue streams and running multi-million dollar cost saving initiatives, Jess always found time for inclusion projects. Driven by her longstanding interest in embracing difference, she mobilised and accelerated inclusion networks and teams in every organisation she worked in.
Jess is a parent carer to neurodiverse children and an adult-identified neurodivergent herself, committed to raising a family with a neuroaffirmative approach. Jess lives with stress, depression and PTSD, and feels passionately about improving society’s understanding of the link between neurodivergence and mental health.
Jess is a nominee of a National Diversity Award for Positive Role Model for Disability and is wholeheartedly driven by her mission to make everyone, and everywhere, neuroinclusive.
Connect here:
Website: https://differingminds.co.uk
Instagram: https://instagram.com/@differingminds
LinkedIn: https://jess meredith neurodiversity services
More about your host, Wendy
Wendy (49) founded Reclaim Movement after a running injury at 40 turned into 4 years of chronic pain. In her search for answers and to reclaim her own movement again she discovered natural movement. The philosophy of training real life practical movements to be able to keep using them as we age, coupled with the benefit of using strengthening and mobilising whole-body movement patterns that are underused in today’s modern world made her realise she had found a way to move for life.
Wendy’s aim is to help people embrace a movement-rich life, at any age, to improve mobility, strength and confidence to keep moving well and doing the things they love for as long as they want.
MovNat Level 1 certified & Functional Range Conditioning certified, she coaches online group classes live & by replay in the Reclaim Movement membership as well as online and in-person private coaching in Oxford.
Find out more about Reclaim Movement:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/reclaim.movement
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@reclaim.movement
Facebook: https://facebook.com/reclaim.movement
FREE E-BOOK - 'Making the Ground your Friend for Life!'
NEWSLETTER: Sign up for the monthly(ish) newsletter, 'Just.Move'
RECLAIM MOVEMENT MEMBERSHIP - FREE 7-DAY TRIAL or £9.99 for 3-DAY Full Access: includes LIVE (& by replay) natural movement classes, all replays, mini movement videos, tutorials, community support, movement prompts, and regular motivation. Take a sneak peek at what's inside.
