The Hidden 20%

Dr Ann Ozsivadjian, Clinical Psychologist specialising in autism, joins Ben to unpack the reality of mental health in neurodivergent children and adults - and why so much of it is misunderstood.

Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Ann explains how anxiety, depression and low self-esteem often sit on top of something deeper: emotional dysregulation, unmet needs and environments that don’t fit.

Together, they explore how this shows up in children and the long-term impact of being misunderstood early on.

They also break down the difference between meltdowns and shutdowns - what’s really happening beneath the surface, and how to respond with understanding, not judgment.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Dr Ann Ozsivadjian www.drannozsivadjian.co.uk

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warda Farah, an autistic Independent Researcher and Speech & Language Therapist, joins Ben for a powerful conversation about identity, language and what happens when the systems designed to support you don’t see you properly.

Drawing on both lived experience and clinical insight, Warda reflects on leaving the NHS after recognising how standardised assessments were failing marginalised children - and why ideas of “normal” can exclude more than they help.

Together, they explore intersectionality, internalised ableism and the role language plays in shaping how we understand ourselves.

If you’ve ever felt unseen by systems, misunderstood by language, or caught between identities - this episode is for you.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Warda Farah linkedin.com/in/warda-farah-210235129

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content creators Lori-Jade and Max Siegel join Ben for an honest, deeply human conversation about late diagnosis, identity and what it means to build a life together as a neurodivergent couple.

Both diagnosed with AuDHD in adulthood, they reflect on being missed for decades - from masking and misdiagnosis to the quiet grief of realising how different things could have been.

They explore how gender, queerness and hormones shape their neurodivergent experience, and what happens when both partners are navigating sensory needs, communication and regulation in real time.

If you’re navigating late diagnosis, identity or relationships as a neurodivergent adult, this episode is for you.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

00:00 Introduction
01:52 Late Autism Diagnosis & Where It All Begins
05:57 Early ND Experiences & Feeling Different
11:38 Self-Awareness & ADHD Masking
16:21 Life Before Diagnosis
23:59 Recognition & Getting Assessed For ADHD
27:45 Understanding Yourself After Autism Diagnosis
37:56 ND Communication Differences Explained
43:13 Discomfort, Boundaries & Misunderstandings
48:22 Trust, Relationships & Being Honest
52:09 Daily Life, Challenges & Coping
56:22 Gratitude & Positive Reflections
1:00:55 Identity, Background & Personal History
1:09:10 Shared ND Experiences & Validation
1:18:43 Overstimulation & Sensory Struggles
1:23:38 Secondary Impacts Of ND
1:28:59 Lori & Max's Green Dot of Light

The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Max Siegel @maxsiegel_
Lori-Jade Siegel @midlifeinvintage

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Ben is joined by Dr Tony Lloyd, former CEO of the ADHD Foundation, for a conversation that steps back and looks at the bigger picture of neurodiversity at a moment when the landscape is rapidly changing.

Now retired, Tony reflects on decades at the forefront of ADHD and neurodiversity advocacy, and why we’re still asking the wrong questions.

They explore why more people are recognising themselves than ever before, and the tension between medical models and the idea of thinking differently.

From SEND systems and long waiting lists to public narratives and stigma, Tony shares what he believes still isn’t working and where real progress is happening.

This is a conversation about where we are now, what needs to change, and why the future of neurodiversity may look very different to its past.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

00:00 Introduction
1:03 The Current Neurodiversity Landscape: ADHD, Autism & Society
3:50 The Global Neurodiversity Identity Crisis Explained
5:50 “We Are Everywhere”: The Rise of Neurodivergent Voices
9:44 The Future of Neurodiversity: Why People Are No Longer Hiding
20:02 Medical Model vs Neurodiversity: Disorder or Difference?
27:00 SEND System & ADHD/Autism Reports: What’s Broken?
32:10 Why Neurodiversity Should Be Seen as Opportunity, Not Deficit
42:03 De-stigmatising ADHD & Autism: What Gives Tony Hope
48:06 ADHD & Autism Waitlists: Advice for Those Still Waiting
50:18 The Role of Neurodivergent Public Figures & Advocacy
55:16 Regressive Narratives vs Being Yourself: Courage & Kindness
1:02:22 Dr Tony Lloyd’s Green Dot Badge

The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Tony Lloyd

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Ben is joined by Kelly and Hester Grainger, the married co-founders of Perfectly Autistic.

Together they work with major organisations to build workplaces that actually work for neurodivergent people but as Kelly (AuDHD) and Hester (ADHD) explain, inclusion isn’t about a single training session or a handful of adjustments.

They reflect on careers shaped by masking, burnout and trying to fit systems that weren’t designed with neurodivergent people in mind. Together they unpack why so many workplaces unintentionally exclude ND employees, what genuinely neuroinclusive organisations do differently, and why awareness has to go beyond a one-off training session.

They also share the more personal side: exploring their own careers, why Hester once had over 30 jobs, and what it’s like running a business together as a neurodivergent couple.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted by work environments that don’t quite fit your brain, this episode will help you see why - and what could change.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

00:00 Introduction
1:26 Neurodiversity at Work | Hester & Kelly Grainger on ADHD, Autism & Corporate Consulting
2:19 The #1 Thing Employers Need to Understand About Neurodiversity in the Workplace
3:50 Supporting Neurodivergent Employees at Scale: What Actually Works
7:26 Which Companies Are Asking for Neurodiversity Support at Work?
8:31 ADHD & Autism at Work: Common Challenges and Simple Workplace Adjustments
19:15 Who Is Responsible for Neurodiversity in the Workplace?
23:37 Why Neurodiversity Training Can’t Be a One-Off Session & The Power Of Listening & Curiosity at Work
26:38 Neurodiversity Labels at Work: Why Language Around Autism & ADHD Matters
33:16 Undiagnosed ADHD or Autism at Work: Your Rights as an Employee
37:40 What Does The Dream Neuroinclusive Employer Look Like?
42:30 Neurodiversity & Recruitment
49:34 Running a Business Together as a Neurodivergent Couple
50:40 Kelly’s AuDHD Diagnosis: Telling Employers About ADHD & Autism
53:48 Creating Safe Conversations About Neurodivergence & Advocating For Yourself
57:43 Neurodivergent Workers Are Everywhere: Why Companies Need to Adapt
59:30 What Do “Best in Class” Neuroinclusive Companies Do Differently?
1:06:06 What Neurodivergent Candidates Should Look for in an Employer
1:08:22 Practical Ways Employers Can Create Neuroinclusive Workplaces
1:09:50 If Hester & Kelly Had a Magic Wand: The One Thing They’d Change About Workplaces
1:19:26 Kelly & Hester’s Green Dot Badge

The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Hester Grainger @hestersvibe linkedin.com/in/hestergrainger
Kelly Grainger linkedin.com/in/kelly-grainger-9601b43
www.perfectlyautistic.co.uk

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.