We created SENSA® because work is often harder than it needs to be.
Not because people cannot do the work.
Because, for those of us with Autism and ADHD, so much of work sits around the work - decoding what people really mean, guessing the hidden rules, navigating pressure, and trying to keep up with systems that assume everyone somehow just knows.
SENSA® grew from two different but connected experiences: the hidden load neurodivergent people often carry just to navigate work, and the personal cost of high-pressure workplace cultures where success can depend on masking, coping and learning unwritten rules.
Lucy Vallis
Creator of SENSA® | Director, Cognivance Ltd
Lucy created SENSA® from lived experience as a neurodivergent leader and from years of senior organisational work across government, international NGOs and the charity sector.
Lucy holds a degree in Applied Social Science together with professional qualifications in people management, health and safety and workplace wellbeing. She is also the author of Design for the Edges, and Violence Against Women at Work - Let's talk about it ! - published through the EU-funded Daphne Programme.
Simon Walter
Creator of SENSA® | Director, Cognivance Ltd
Simon brings 25 years of financial services experience, including a decade as Managing Director at Deutsche Bank. His work in complex, high-pressure environments shaped his understanding of performance, risk, leadership and organisational pressure.
Reflecting on that experience, Simon recognised how many capable people struggled with hidden rules, unspoken expectations and cultures where pressure was normalised. For some, alcohol became part of how they coped, connected or kept going.
Simon writes extensively about alcohol, work and identity through Strategic Sobriety Read more .
Email SimonOr email: Simon@cognivance.co.uk
Explore the SENSA® approach
See how SENSA® helps organisations move from good intentions to consistent neuro-inclusive practice.
Explore the SENSA® Approach