Coaching Neurodiversity at Work

By the end of this program, you will be able to:

• Apply the Integrated Coaching Framework for Neuro-Affirmative Coaching (ICF-N) to understand how neurodivergent clients navigate work, identity, and well-being within complex systems.
• Coach with confidence using neuro-affirmative, ethically grounded approaches aligned with globally recognized competencies (ICF) and client-defined success.
• Recognize the impact of culture, policy, and power on workplace inclusion, and support clients in navigating these dynamics.
• Reflect critically on your own practice through the lens of neurodiversity and intersectionality, identifying areas for growth and transformation.
• Integrate insights from research, lived experience, and creative expression into forward-thinking coaching and leadership strategies.
• Design inclusive, collaborative and courageous practices that honour cognitive diversity and promote sustainable, dignity-centered performance.

The Integrated Coaching Framework – Neuro-affirmative Coaching (ICF-N) offers a systemic lens for understanding client experience in the context of work and provides scaffolding for dialogue within the coaching relationship. The model positions physical and mental health alongside behavioural health as foundational, frames executive functioning as six interrelated domains and considers the client’s sensory experiences - all within organizational contexts.

This program is designed for those who support neurodivergent adults in the context of work—and for those who seek to do so with greater confidence, insight, and care. If you’re neurodivergent yourself, you’ll find a welcoming learning environment that values lived experience and invites reflection.

Participants who will benefit from this program include:

• accredited coaches and coaching students (ICF accredited for 40 CCEUs)
• career counsellors, advisors, and practitioners
• facilitators, trainers, and career development educators
• human resources professionals, business partners, and employee resource group leads
• organizational learning and leadership development practitioners
• career services professionals in postsecondary and adult education
• community and Indigenous career services professionals
• disability employment consultants and neuro inclusion program managers
• employee wellness, mental health, and accessibility specialists

The total cost of the program is $4,800.

All fees are in Canadian dollars and subject to change. All fees are subject to GST where applicable. For details on forms of payment accepted, please see How to pay.

Find more details on refunds, cancellations and transfers.

The program is 16 weeks long and takes approximately 63 hours to complete.

Required Courses

Format

This part-time 100% online program is facilitator supported and combines weekly real time classes and independent study. Core content—including videos, readings, microlearning activities, and reflection prompts—are available asynchronously, allowing you to engage at your own pace and in ways that align with your energy, focus, and processing style.

Live weekly online sessions are held Thursdays 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and are recorded. These sessions are reserved for dialogue, applied coaching practice, and community connection. This intentional structure reduces the pressure of real-time performance and is especially supportive for learners with anxiety, slower processing speeds, or executive function differences.

You’ll also have opportunities to:

• Participate in learning triads or small groups for practice discussion and peer feedback.
• Contribute to ongoing conversations in a private online forum.
• Access curated tools, case studies, and creative resources to enrich your learning and support integration into practice.

Attendance is mandatory for the live weekly online sessions, to foster presence, belonging, and shared learning.

Expected effort

Each weekly module includes approximately 4.5 hours of learning each week. This includes attending live weekly 2-hour sessions, engaging with course materials and creative content, participating in reflective practices, and contributing to asynchronous discussions or group activities.

Technology requirements

To take this program, you need access to:

• an email account
• a computer, laptop or tablet, using Windows or macOS
• the latest version of a web browser (or previous major version release)
• a reliable internet connection
• a video camera and microphone (to access real time sessions)

This course is intentionally content-rich, offering a wide range of readings, frameworks, and curated perspectives to support your development as a neuro-affirming coach or leader. Written materials are emphasized to allow for flexible, self-paced reflection and low-pressure engagement—particularly supportive for those who process best in solitary or asynchronous ways.

You're encouraged to engage with the material in whatever way feels most accessible and sustainable for you, including:

• Using screen readers or text-to-speech tools to listen to readings instead of scanning visually.
• Downloading PDFs and uploading them to AI tools (like ChatGPT or your preferred summarizer) to help surface key ideas before diving deeper.
• Skimming first, then returning later to sections that resonate or challenge your thinking.
• Reading collaboratively—whether that means sharing ideas in our sessions or discussing informally with peers or AI assistants.

Textbooks and materials

This course includes a combination of free and paid materials. Each session includes required readings that are free and accessible online. In addition, the course requires the purchase of the following two textbooks, which are available in a number of formats:

Doyle, N., & McDowall, A. (2024). Neurodiversity coaching: A psychological approach to supporting neurodivergent talent and career potential. Routledge.

Praslova, L. N. (2024). The canary code: A guide to neurodiversity, dignity, and intersectional belonging at work (First edition). Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Assessment

Learning in this course is grounded in reflection, creative engagement, and practical integration. Rather than traditional testing, assessment is designed to honour different ways of thinking, processing, and expressing insight.

Throughout the course, you’ll be invited to:

• Take part in ongoing reflective practices that help connect ideas from readings, discussions, and lived experience to your coaching or leadership context.
• Contribute to asynchronous conversations through written posts, replies, or creative media responses to course themes.
• Complete a final integrative reflection using a format that best suits your learning style—such as a short written piece, podcast-style audio, or visual artifact—that illustrates how your perspective or practice has evolved.

Facilitators will review your contributions based on depth of engagement, integration of key concepts, and connection to the ICF-N framework.

Learners who successfully complete the program will earn a Certificate of Completion for the Specialization in Coaching Neurodiversity at Work, as well as a Letter of Completion from UBC Extended Learning including confirmation of completing 40 ICF Continuing Coach Education Units (CCEUs) for submission to the International Coaching Federation.

Deborah Shukyn-Plageman and Alexandra Baltodano are credentialed ICF-PCC coaches with deep expertise in adult education, equity, and inclusive coaching practice. Together, they bring advanced training in Mentor Coaching and Competency Assessment, Credentialed Supervision and Reflective Practice, and Credentialed Advanced Team Coaching, along with graduate degrees in adult education and specializations in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

As a collaborative teaching team with lived experience and intersecting identities, they are known for their thought leadership in neurodiversity and coaching. Deborah and Alexandra are frequent educators with ICF chapters and guest speakers across professional and academic settings.

The course also features guest instructors and speakers with lived experience and subject matter expertise—including leaders in neurodiversity advocacy, inclusive design, disability justice, and organizational transformation—who offer diverse perspectives and deepen the learning experience.