From Public-Speaking Anxiety to Sharing Neurodivergent Knowledge: Speaking, Training, and Collaboration in Neurodiversity

6 days ago

3 min read

Public speaking used to make me feel physically sick.

My palms would sweat, my heart would race, and every part of me wanted to escape. Standing in front of an audience did not feel natural or comfortable; it felt exposing and overwhelming. That reaction is not surprising; I mean, show of hands from all the autistic people who hate to feel perceived.

I practice what I preach; I still become nervous before I speak. The difference is that I now understand that nervousness does not mean I should stop. It means what I am about to do matters to me; this is very ACT- and OT-coded!

Highlights from past events

Attending and speaking at the Neurodiversity Show in Liverpool and Wigan, and launching the Dyspraxia Centre of Excellence, provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with neurodivergent people, families, professionals, and organisations.

Conference collage with J.B.O.T. UK-Ltd, packed audience, slides on screen, and a National Neurodiversity banner.

Events like these matter because they create space for conversations that are too often separated. Sensory processing, mental health, physical health, hormones, executive functioning, coordination and participation do not exist in isolation. They interact with one another and influence how a person manages everyday life.

As a highly specialist occupational therapist, sensory integration practitioner and neurodiversity consultant, I am particularly interested in the aspects of neurodivergent experience that may remain hidden from view.

A person may attend work, complete an assignment, participate in an activity or appear to cope socially. What others may not see is the physical effort, sensory filtering, anxiety, pain, fatigue, masking or recovery time involved.

Visible performance does not always tell us whether participation is accessible, healthy or sustainable.

Speaking from professional and lived experience

My work is informed by clinical knowledge, professional experience and lived experience.

Being neurodivergent myself has shaped the questions I ask. It has also reinforced the importance of listening carefully to people whose experiences may have previously been misunderstood, minimised or viewed only through a deficit-based lens.

When I speak, I want people to leave with more than a list of diagnostic characteristics. I want them to understand what neurodivergence can mean within real daily occupations: getting dressed, eating, learning, working, parenting, socialising, resting and doing the activities that give life meaning.

Most importantly, I want people to recognise that difficulty does not sit solely within an individual. The environment, expectations, sensory demands, available support and attitudes of others can either reduce barriers or intensify them.

Why I continue to speak

Public speaking remains outside my natural comfort zone, but it has become an important and meaningful part of my work.

I love sharing knowledge and experience. I enjoy making complex clinical ideas understandable and connecting theory to the realities of everyday life. I also value the conversations that happen afterwards, when someone feels seen, reconsiders an assumption or identifies a practical change they can make.

You do not have to eliminate anxiety before doing something meaningful. Sometimes confidence develops because we act alongside the anxiety, with the right preparation, support and purpose.

“Readiness is not always a feeling; sometimes it is a choice.”

My journey with public speaking has not been about becoming fearless. It has been about finding a reason to continue even when fear is present.

Storyhouse poster for Storytime with Jacqui Brett, 27.10.26, showing the Storyhouse building and a penguin book cover.

Coming to Storyhouse Chester

My next speaking event will be at Storyhouse Chester on 27 October 2026, where I will be sharing Penguins and Pigeons: A Bird’s Tale.

The story uses accessible characters and storytelling to explore difference, belonging and understanding. It offers a gentle way to begin important conversations with children and families about neurodiversity and the value of recognising different ways of experiencing the world.