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Carly Steel is a neurodiversity consultant, educator and AuDHD professional who is widely recognised for her work supporting autistic and ADHD individuals, particularly girls and women. As the CEO and Founder of Rise As We Are CIC and Founder of Carly Steel Consultancy, Carly combines lived experience with extensive professional expertise to challenge outdated perceptions surrounding neurodivergence. She is hired as a speaker for her honest, research-informed and practical approach to conversations around autism, ADHD, masking, burnout and inclusive practice.
Carly’s career began in education and specialist support roles after gaining a Master’s degree in autism, a PGCE and leadership qualifications, including a Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management. In 2010, she worked as a Further Education SEN Tutor at Homefield College Limited, providing one-to-one and group support for young adults with learning difficulties. She later joined MacIntyre as a Community Learning Facilitator before progressing through several leadership and specialist education roles. Alongside serving as an Autism Specialist Teacher at Birchwood Special School, Carly became Programme Coordinator and later Curriculum Manager at MacIntyre, developing expertise in SEND education, leadership and inclusive learning environments.
Her leadership career expanded further through New Leaf Triangle CIC, where she served as Executive Director and later Head of Education. In 2023, Carly founded Carly Steel Consultancy, specialising in autism and ADHD training, consultancy and advocacy. Two years later, she became CEO and Founder of Rise As We Are CIC, continuing her mission to create safer and more inclusive spaces for neurodivergent people. Carly has also contributed to publications including Good Autism Practice Journal and Autism Parenting Magazine, while currently writing a book exploring authenticity, masking and belonging in neurodivergent women.
Carly is hired as a speaker because she delivers authentic insight grounded in both professional and lived experience. Having spoken at conferences, webinars and national events including the Autism & ADHD Show, she equips organisations, schools and communities with practical strategies to better support neurodivergent individuals. Her talks challenge stigma, encourage meaningful inclusion and leave audiences with actionable ways to create environments where neurodiverse people can thrive.
“Lived experience, great presenter, passionate, knowledgeable”
“Thanks so much for an informative webinar. We have gained a lot of insight and received some great advice. Really grateful for your time.”
“Carly is an incredible and trusted advocate and speaker for our autism events. Her approach is thoughtful, person-centred and she is able to bring her own lived experience to her talks, which ensures that the audience really engages with the practical advice and strategies she shares. Carly is incredibly open in sharing her own life stories and we see how much that resonates with our audiences of parents, carers, teachers and other professionals. Carly has also managed the Distressed Behaviour clinics at the Autism & ADHD Show, providing practical advice and support for attendees of the Show. The feedback we received from the people using the clinics has been extremely positive. I would not hesitate to recommend Carly as a speaker, autism specialist, educator, and mentor.”
“I attended Carly’s Unmasking Together Group and it was incredible. Carly made me feel so seen, understood and safe. The group was welcoming and a true safe community space to share. Carly is so knowledgeable and openly shares her own experiences which has helped me understand myself so much better. Thank you Carly for all the work you do!”
“I have just been on a webinar with Carly, the presentation was super intersting and helpful. Carly was a really good presenter and I look forward to watching more. Thank you”
“Carly’s training on Autism was incredibly insightful and engaging. She has a deep understanding of autism, not just from a theoretical perspective but also in a way that truly validates the experiences of autistic individuals. Her approach is compassionate, knowledgeable, and practical. I came away from the training feeling more informed and confident in my ability to support autistic students effectively. I would highly recommend her training to anyone working in education or support roles. Any young person who has the opportunity to work with Carly is incredibly lucky to have her guidance at such a pivotal point in their life. Her ability to help them navigate their autism with understanding, validation, and practical strategies is truly invaluable. She not only educates but also empowers, making a lasting impact on both the students she supports and the professionals she trains.”
“Just attended the Webinar with Carly on Parents Guide to Autistic Burnout – Carly was so knowledgeable, she talks from experience, which is invaluable. Carly managed to present so much information to us in an hour and a half with useful links, websites etc. It was so relatable, easy to understand, so valuable and so beneficial, I learnt so much and have so much to take away to continue my learning in supporting my child.”
“Carly came and delivered training in both ADHD awareness & Understanding Autism, with my team. These were very useful sessions, allowing for practical in-depth personal experiences to be shared along side proven strategies to implement and try. Additional there was a vast array of practical resources for staff to both try, observe, use themselves and learn from. Carly was both knowledgeable and approachable making this a highly successful team training day. I would definitely recommend asking Carly to come along and share with your team or group.”
“I hope you’re having a good week. Thanks again for your recent on autism in girls. 86 people attended and we had 100% satisfaction rate. We received lots of great feedback too: ‘Amazing webinar, Carly is so knowledgeable, insightful and so easy to listen to’. ‘Thank you so much Carly, so clear, understandable and very relatable! I am hoping to support my teen daughter better who is undiagnosed (siblings have ASD/Adhd) diagnosis’. ‘Really good to have someone who has personal experience talking about the topic. Content was really relevant and good amount of detail’. ‘Very useful especially the periods as I’m trying to manage response as my Daughter doesn’t like blood in real life’. ‘My second webinar with Carly. Your knowledge and own experiences are so useful and comforting to listen to. Delighted I have found you!”
The Diversity and Inclusion Speakers Agency has been one of the UK’s leading bureaus for inspirational figures of different races, genders, sexualities and abilities since 2020. We supply speakers for corporate and public events across the world, and cater to both in-person occasions and online webinars. Our roster includes athletes, psychologists, celebrities and more, to ensure that audiences of all industries receive tailored, impactful advice on diversity and inclusion.
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