Rachel Loftus - People Business Partner at TGB
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Rachel Loftus and I work as a People Business Partner at TGB.
When did you join TGB?
22nd April 2014 – just before my daughter’s 8th birthday.
When were you diagnosed?
I was diagnosed as Autistic in 2020, during lockdown, about 5 months after my son was also diagnosed.
What have you learnt about your diagnosis?
I’ve done a lot of learning since my diagnosis and have discovered that the stereotype about women is very outdated because the research was done on boys with learning disabilities.
My brain isn’t broken, or wrong; it’s different. I think in 100 years’ time we’ll see neurodivergence in the same way as we see being left-handed now.
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How has TGB supported you?
First and foremost, by enabling me to be authentically me. My colleagues have been really keen to learn more about autism and neurodivergence. The diagnosis hasn’t really changed how I work, but it’s changed how I ask for help, and the level of pressure I put on myself.
How has your manager supported you?
By being open, curious, supportive, and just generally being a lovely human being. I’ve never been made to feel “different” because of my diagnosis; rather I’ve felt that my manager wants to make sure they’re meeting me halfway, so we both get what we need from our working relationship.
What advice would you give to someone going through a diagnosis right now?
What’s the biggest myth you want to bust about neurodiversity?
That the Spectrum goes from Neurotypical to Neurodivergent. It doesn’t. You’re either on it or not. If you’re on it, you might have one or more of the many neurodivergent brain types or traits – you’ll likely have a “spiky” profile.
Also, that there are more boys than girls – it’s just not properly and consistently diagnosed in girls and looks different!