Monotropism, Meltdowns & Managing Change – Building Neuro-Inclusive Workplaces with Marion McLaughlin
In this powerful episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneurs Show, I’m joined by Marion McLaughlin, founder of Aurora – an autistic-led business that supports organisations to better understand and work with autistic and neurodivergent people. After years in the third sector delivering “womb to tomb” services for autistic people, Marion hit burnout trying to juggle passion with an unsustainable workload. Starting a business was never on their to-do list – yet Aurora has become the most aligned, impactful way for them to use their lived and professional experience.
Marion is autistic, non-binary and disabled, and brings a deeply intersectional lens to the conversation. We talk honestly about what it really feels like to be autistic in noisy workplaces, in healthcare systems that often don’t listen, and in a political climate that is challenging for trans and non-binary people. They share how concepts like monotropism(interest-based attention and “flow tunnels”) can be a superpower at work – if leaders understand how to support it.
This episode is full of practical advice for managers and business owners: how to respond when someone discloses they’re autistic, why “can you just pop into my office later?” can trigger panic, and how to manage change in ways that respect people’s sensory needs, energy levels and humanity. Marion also talks about creating Autistic Pride Aberdeen, developing courses like “My Child Is Autistic – What Now?”, and why good allies and “accomplices” are essential if we want a genuinely inclusive world.
If you want your business to be safer and more supportive for autistic, neurodivergent and gender-diverse people – this conversation is a must-listen.
In this episode, we cover:
- Marion’s journey from teacher and third-sector CEO to founder of autistic-led consultancy Aurora
- Marion McLaughlin
- Why disclosing autism at work is an act of bravery – and how managers should respond
- Practical examples of reasonable adjustments: lighting, noise, sensory needs, flexible dress codes and more
- How not to respond when someone says the environment is difficult for them (“nobody else has a problem with it…” vs “thank you for telling me”)
- The impact of big life transitions (moving house, pregnancy, menopause, marriage) on autistic support needs and performance at work
- The brilliant Star Trek analogy: why you can’t expect staff to operate at “Warp 9.9” all the time
- The quote we all need: “If the most I have to give today is 40%, and I give 40%, I’ve still given 100% of what I’ve got.”
- Monotropism explained – attention tunnels, deep focus and why constant task-switching is so costly
- How everyone (not just autistic people) can use monotropism principles to get into flow and do better work
- What businesses get wrong – and right – about supporting non-binary and trans team members
- Why inclusive toilets, policies and explicit support for trans and autistic staff really matter right now
- The story of Autistic Pride Aberdeen, info-dump events, giant bubbles in the park and building joyful autistic community
Marion McLaughlin is the founder of Aurora, an autistic-led organisation providing training, consultancy and one-to-one support around autism and neurodiversity. A former primary school teacher and charity CEO, Marion has supported autistic people of all ages in “womb to tomb” services and now works with businesses, schools, universities, charities and healthcare providers to create more neuro-affirming environments.
Autistic, non-binary and disabled, Marion brings lived experience and deep professional expertise to topics like monotropism, sensory needs, autistic mental health and intersectionality. They also lead Autistic Pride Aberdeen, hosting community events and webinars that centre autistic joy, connection and advocacy.
