For a long time, tech culture has focused too narrowly on technical skills; this has resulted in a tech community that too often puts companies and code over people. Greater Than Code is a podcast that invites the voices of people who are not heard from enough in tech: women, people of color, trans and/or queer folks, to talk about the human side of software development and technology. Greater Than Code is providing a vital platform for these conversations, and developing new ideas of what it means to be a technologist beyond just the code. Featuring an ongoing panel of racially and gender diverse tech panelists, the majority of podcast guests so far have been women in tech! We’ve covered topics including imposter syndrome, mental illness, sexuality, unconscious bias and social justice. We also have a major focus on skill sets that tech too often devalues, like team-building, hiring, community organizing, mentorship and empathy. Each episode also includes a transcript. We have an active Slack community that members can join by pledging as little as $1 per month via Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/greaterthancode)
124: Navigating Neurodiversity with Helen Needham
01:45 - Helen’s Superpower: Taking Abstract Information Seeing Things Others Don’t See
05:26 - Decoding People: Asking Contextual Questions and Listening For Motivation
11:52 - The Intersection of Empathy and Neurodiversity
15:14 - Being Deliberate as a Survival/Coping Skill
16:41 - Being Different, Understanding Yourself, and Discovering Your Unique Capabilities
23:22 - Interfacing with the Neurodivergent Community and Actively and Openly Talking About Neurodiversity
30:55 - Paying Attention to EQ: Emotional Intelligence
37:01 - Becoming Self-Aware
Helen Needham: My guide to working with me (an autistic adult)
Reflections:
Jamey: Possibly implementing how to work with guides at their workplace.
Jessica: Making a deliberate process out of decoding people.
Avdi: It’s not about changing who you are, it’s about working with the world while you still are who you are.
Janelle: Owning your own special skills and talents and taking in the hurricane.
Helen: The importance of support and understanding. The world needs more silent heroes.
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Special Guest: Helen Needham.