In this episode Patricia welcomes David Smith, founder of Employ For Ability.  David is an Autism and Neurodiversity employment specialist and advocate. Since 2016, David has been focused on helping organisations become more inclusive by hiring Neurodiverse staff to gain competitive advantage. A leader in his field, he brings many years of experience, education and knowledge to our employment series! We dive into the following ideas: the value of following your purpose; the main barriers to gaining and then maintaining employment for our neurodiverse people; the misnomer of functioning labels; the double empathy problem; masking and autistic burnout; societal changes we can make to increase accessibility; a key policy change required in education to allow access to work experience for all our young people; and opening ourselves up to choosing a non-traditional path when it comes to educational and employment options. Access more of David's wisdom and opportunities to work with his organisation here: https://employforability.com.au/ You can also connect with Employ For Ability on Facebook or LinkedIn. . Join Patricia Falcetta (Social Living Solutions) and Sammy Anne (Map the Maze) as they discuss Nurturing Neurodiversity; all the ways we can create a truly inclusive society. Our passion lies in supporting whole families to navigate the challenges and revel in the joys of their neurodiverse children. A big part of this support entails advocating for changes within our systems and society, to ensure our children grow up knowing and loving who they are. No matter our ability, race, gender, sexuality, beliefs – we all deserve to be loved and appreciated. We aim to educate, connect and inspire. We do this by sharing with you our stories, experiences and relevant research, along with neurodiverse voices through interviews and quotes with permission. We open dialogue on what we can all do to create positive social change. With backgrounds in the education and allied health industries, as well as experience working directly with families, we work within AND continually challenge the existing systems we all operate under. We wholeheartedly believe that if we can all open our minds and our hearts, share the message of love and equity for all, that we will be part of creating a truly inclusive world for generations to come. We hope you will join us on our journey. Want to share your story? Have a guest you’d love us to interview? Questions you’d like us to answer? Get in touch with us via your preferred means below! :) . Patricia Falcetta: www.sociallivingsolutions.com.au Email: [email protected] Facebook | Instagram . Sammy Anne: www.sammyanne.com Email: [email protected] Facebook | Instagram