Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026- A personal note

For context, I had delivered this keynote talk for PwC (my first employer 10 years ago, I joined PwC as an intern in the summer of 2014 and completed my 2 year graduate training in the consulting part of the business from 2015-2017) as part of a collaboration between DAWN and the South Asian network. I had decided to write this letter to be sent to the more than 130+ people who joined in person and virtually to listen to me speak.

Me answering Q&A after my keynote with Sarah Minor-Massy: Head of Inclusion, Engagement and Culture

Me and Yvonne (Manager, Global Assurance Quality - Culture & Behaviour) also head of DAWN at PwC

A Personal Note

Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026

Thank you so much to everyone who was on the call or is reading this.

I realised I did not share a lot about my experiences as an Asian neurodivergent woman, so I wanted to address this here, for the community, and to share a glimpse into my lived experience for those who may find something of themselves in it.

Where I Come From

My parents were Vietnamese refugees, and I grew up in Tower Hamlets, London, one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse places you can grow up in. I grew up as the first daughter of immigrants, and very traumatised parents. That meant I carried the weight of cultural expectations to do well at school, at university, and in life. Sometimes that pressure was crushing. I remember suppressing a lot of my creative tendencies and needs growing up, because they were not respected or given validation at home .

Perhaps because of the ingrained pressure to do well, my neurodiversity was missed throughout school. It wasn't until university, when I could not keep up with my reading at the LSE and was nearly kicked out for plagiarism, that something shifted. Remarkably, a seminar teacher saw me crying and suggested I go to the disability centre. That was a pivotal moment. I got diagnosed with dyslexia, and luckily at LSE I received all the accommodations I needed: 25% extra time, a lot of support, and extended deadlines for my essays.

Even with that support, I remember feeling like I had to work extra hard to catch up with everyone. That is the cultural mindset of many Asian families. We work harder and we do not like asking for help. I have learnt over time that we must work smarter, and not be afraid to ask for adjustments that will help our brains be the best they can be.

The Shame I Carried

I reflect on that experience a lot, because I felt a lot of shame. Shame that I was dyslexic, and that this would inevitably make my life harder. I never told my parents about the diagnosis, and I carried that weight of shame and low self-esteem when I started at PwC, and subsequently when I worked in finance.

That is what happens when an individual does not understand neurodiversity. We harbour shame. Culturally, in many Asian cultures, excellence is expected. Deviance is not. Individuality is not. As an Asian woman, I was always told not to stand out, to fit in. And so being neurodivergent, I felt I had to mask. That masking contributed to severe bouts of burnout and depression.

After my ADHD diagnosis, I gave myself full permission to be myself. I remember telling my mum I was leaving finance to figure things out. There is no word to explain ADHD to my mum in Vietnamese. And in many cultures, there is not yet a word or language to explain that experience. When I coach women, non-binary people, and LGBTQ+ people of colour, they always talk about the shame they feel about being neurodivergent.

I want to let every person know: it is not shameful to be neurodivergent. It is not shameful to deviate from group thinking. Culturally, our backgrounds may not have the words to explain neurodiversity, but we have our communities, online and at work.

For Anyone Navigating This

If I can give one message to all the Asian people navigating a late neurodivergent diagnosis: you have already worked incredibly hard all your life. Give yourself some grace. Give yourself permission to lean into the wonderful natural tendencies of your brain.

Life should not be exhausting. It should be filled with wonder.

I have certainly experienced so much wonder after giving myself full permission after my ADHD diagnosis. I would love to see more people share their stories of neurodiversity to inspire others. I look forward to reading them all.

Please do keep in touch. You can follow me on LinkedIn, and I also write on Medium and on my blog.

Website:   www.ownyourflair.com

LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/kimto1

Medium:   kimto1.medium.com

With gratitude and warmth,

Kim To

Disability & Neurodiversity Consultant

Founder, Own Your Flair LTD