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Carly Steel is a neurodiversity consultant, educator and speaker specialising in autism, ADHD, masking, burnout and inclusive practice, particularly for girls and women. As an autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) professional herself, Carly combines lived experience with extensive professional expertise, making her a highly respected voice within the neurodiversity space. She is the CEO and Founder of Rise As We Are CIC and the founder of Carly Steel Consultancy, delivering training, consultancy and keynote talks that challenge outdated perceptions of neurodivergence. Carly is hired as a female motivational speaker for her honest, empowering and practical approach to authenticity, belonging and inclusive leadership.
Carly’s career has been rooted in education, SEND provision and specialist autism support for more than a decade. After earning a Master’s degree in autism alongside a PGCE and leadership qualifications, including a Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management, she began her career as a Further Education SEN Tutor at Homefield College Limited, supporting young adults with learning difficulties through both one-to-one and group learning. In 2013, Carly joined MacIntyre as a Community Learning Facilitator before progressing into programme coordination and later becoming Curriculum Manager in 2016. Alongside these roles, she worked as an Autism Specialist Teacher at Birchwood Special School and also served as Executive Director of New Leaf Triangle CIC before later becoming the organisation’s Head of Education.
Building on her extensive frontline experience, Carly launched Carly Steel Consultancy in 2023, providing specialist guidance to schools, organisations and professionals seeking to create more inclusive environments for neurodivergent individuals. In 2025, she founded Rise As We Are CIC, further expanding her advocacy and community work. Carly has spoken at conferences, webinars and training events across the UK, including the Autism & ADHD Show, where she appeared as a keynote speaker in 2025. Her expertise has also been recognised through publications in Good Autism Practice Journal and Autism Parenting Magazine, and she is currently writing a book exploring authenticity, masking and belonging in neurodivergent women.
Carly is hired as a female motivational speaker because she delivers an authentic perspective that resonates deeply with audiences navigating identity, burnout and inclusion. Drawing on both professional and lived experience, she speaks openly about the realities of being neurodivergent in education, leadership and everyday life. Her talks provide practical strategies alongside emotional honesty, empowering individuals and organisations to rethink how they support neurodivergent people. Carly’s ability to combine expertise, empathy and advocacy makes her an impactful and inspiring female motivational speaker.
Carly Steel is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“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.”
“Carly is a very empathic coach. As a coach myself, I know what I expect from a coach. Her expertise, combined with lived experience, made the knowledge and tools she shared that much more powerful. In this group setting, Carly created a positive and safe space for everyone to share, ask questions, and connect with one another. I found the course very insightful and have already made progress in some of those areas I chose to target. I cannot recommend her highly enough. Thank you, Carly.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Really informative webinar about a parent’s guide to understanding Autism and ADHD together. Carly was so knowledgeable, and it definitely helped having her personal input regarding autism and adhd”
“Lived experience, great presenter, passionate, knowledgeable”
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