10 neurodiverse civil engineers breaking barriers in the industry

1.Hannah Speed

Hannah Speed wears many hats in her life: she is a Chartered Civil Engineer, ICE STEM ambassador, mum, and she also happens to be dyslexic.

Leading on Barton Bridge, she showcased this project during her ICE professional review, earning her chartered status.

Civil engineering has proven to be an immensely fulfilling career for Hannah.

Working onsite offers relief from office burnout, or a state of physical and mental exhaustion, while contributing to making projects such as the A553 Expressway more sustainable.

It’s given Hannah a strong sense of purpose.

2. Ayo Sokale

Ayo Sokale has achieved many things. She is a Chartered Civil Engineer, business manager at the Environment Agency, founder and CEO of a technology start-up, CBeebies presenter and keynote speaker.

But did you know she also has autism?

Ayo has first-hand experience of the shame and fear that can be associated with navigating a neurotypical world, with her diagnosis proving both 'liberating and life-affirming'.

She’s been able to express her strong sense of justice in her career as a civil engineer by working on influential programmes such as Team2100, which aims to protect 1.42 million people from flooding.

She now champions embracing the strengths of neurodiversity and living life 'unmasked' in a way that feels safe to her.

3. Richard Lang

Richard Lang honed his craft from an early age, fashioning creations from household odds and ends like VHS cassettes, before progressing to Lego bricks and K’Nex.

Chartered in 2018, Richard is the engineering delivery manager at Babcock International.

Richard recently received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), accompanied by traits of dyspraxia and mild dyslexia.

He promotes civil engineering as an inclusive career path, highlighting how the urgency of engineering projects can engage hyperfocus in those with ADHD — a state of being completely absorbed in a task, to the exclusion of other things around them.

The pattern recognition and analytical skills often seen in people with autism are invaluable in tackling modern infrastructure challenges.

4. Tamsin Robbins-Hill

Tamsin is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist with experience across highways, industrial, and water sectors.

She was also a founding member of Skanska Technology’s Green’s Carbon Consultancy.

Despite facing challenges with ADHD and dyslexia, having a supportive manager who values her unique strengths have been pivotal to her success.

Tamsin has recently been selected as a Rising Star finalist for the SocEnv Awards.

She advises neurotypical colleagues to be inclusive, offer support proactively, and create environments where neurodivergent colleagues feel valued and included.

5. Rachel Killens

Rachel’s particular interest as a child was playing with Lego bricks – an interest shared by many civil engineers!

She now works as a trainee building and civil engineering design engineer at Babcock International.

Rachel was diagnosed before the age of five with autism but found out as an adult that she also has elements of dyspraxia and ADHD.

Living as a neurodivergent person in an environment that isn't designed for them poses its challenges. In Rachel’s experience, being open about having autism has helped break down gender-based stereotypes.

Fostering understanding in the workplace has also encouraged her colleagues to speak out about their unique experiences.

6. Jonathan Fashanu

Jonathan Fashanu followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and became a civil engineer.

He's now the founding director of DASH House Group, an organisation that creates affordable and sustainable housing.

As someone with ADHD and autism, he frequently excelled when it came to complex challenges where he could hyperfocus.

But operating in a neurotypical world sometimes resulted in burnout.

Jonathan has ultimately overcome this challenge by working for himself, which has given him greater autonomy over his working day.

As he emphasises, judging people based on your own working style or expectations is rarely productive.

Everyone's story is unique and shaped by individual life experiences.

7. Anna Preston

Anna’s interest in civil engineering was sparked when she took a career test at school.

The test matched her love for maths, art, model building, and the outdoors with a career in engineering.

She began as an assistant site engineer before transitioning to telecommunications, designing mobile phone base stations.

Now, as a team leader in the product development department at Mabey Hire, she focuses on temporary works.

For Anna, understanding the impact of neurodivergence on mental health and job performance is crucial. By listening and believing in these experiences, colleagues can become more flexible and adaptable.

This encourages a more effective and collaborative team environment.

8. Duncan Johnston

Duncan, a senior engineer for the government of Jersey's highways asset management team, was drawn to a career that leveraged his strong STEM skills while benefitting society.

Throughout his education and career, many have cast doubt on his abilities or been surprised by his achievements due to dyslexia – a clear sign of many people’s misconceptions about the condition.

He's worked on some incredibly impactful projects ranging from the London 2012 Olympics and M25 widening to a scheme he supervised in 2014 that provides safe access to school.

9. William Salter

William Salter, senior engineer at Mott McDonald, boasts experience in water, highways, road designs, and defence.

As the divisional EDI lead and chair of the Advancing Accessibility Network at Mott McDonald, he has supported neurodivergent civil engineers through the professional review process, offering advice and confidence-boosting tips.

Being dyslexic, he has first-hand experience of the challenges of being neurodiverse in the workplace.

Instead of struggling with tasks like report writing, which can be challenging for those with dyslexia, he recommends adding value by sharing thoughts, ideas, and plans.

10. Phoebe Clayson-Lavelle

As a water engineer at WSP, Phoebe specialises in nature-based solutions.

Living with ADHD, she faces time-management challenges, which she tackles through calendar blocking and regular breaks.

Like William, she's proud of her work in the neurodiversity space, chairing a monthly support call for neurodiverse colleagues at WSP.

At ICE Bristol City Club, she promotes diversity and inclusion, recently chairing a webinar on late diagnosis and hormonal impacts on neurodiverse women.

For Phoebe, finding a supportive community has proven key to boosting her confidence.