The Power of Neurodiversity How Gee Eltringham's digital toolkit is helping families navigate Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

In an industry dominated by traditional therapy models, Gee Eltringham's mission to provide accessible, practical support to families of children with ADHD is both a personal and professional journey. Through her start-up, twigged, she aims to create long-term change for neurodiverse children - and redefine what support looks like for parents.

As a female entrepreneur in a space as vital as neurodiversity support, Gee Eltringham's journey has been nothing short of transformative. Her venture, twigged, is a digital toolkit designed to help families of children with ADHD, offering practical, immediate support where traditional methods often fall short. But to truly understand the scale of her impact, it's crucial to recognize the deeply personal experience that drives her.

"I think like many women, imposter syndrome has followed me into different rooms, whether that's a school coffee morning or a work meeting," she reflects. "Entering the world of business and technology, neither of which felt like my natural home, only amplified that feeling." As a mother, an entrepreneur, and someone with ADHD herself, Eltringham's story is not just one of professional ambition, but also of personal revelation.

"It took me 40 years to understand my own brain and to be proud of what comes with dyslexia and ADHD - creativity, seeing the bigger picture, persistence, and a different way of solving problems," she says. That understanding, nurtured over years of grappling with her own neurodiverse brain, eventually led to twigged - a project that lived quietly in her notebook for years until she found the courage to act on it.

But the road from idea to execution was not without its challenges. "The idea for twigged lived in my notebook for years, but fear of failure and difficulty starting tasks due to ADHD held me back," she admits. "What finally made the difference was realising I didn't have to do it alone. Partnering with people whose strengths balanced out mine unlocked everything." For Eltringham, this partnership was key - recognizing her own limitations and seeking out others who could complement her skills was the turning point that allowed her idea to take flight.

As someone who lives with ADHD, Eltringham has a deeply personal understanding of the difficulties that children with neurodiversities face. But she's also acutely aware of the struggles families face when seeking support in a system that is, as she describes, "under enormous pressure." Twigged provides a digital solution to this systemic issue. "Traditional therapy for children has its place, but access is slow, and the NHS is under enormous pressure. Families often face three-year waiting lists, while difficulties at home and in school only escalate while they wait," Eltringham points out. Twigged provides immediate, accessible resources for families struggling to manage neurodiverse children's needs without waiting for a diagnosis.

The beauty of twigged lies in its flexibility. As Eltringham explains, "Digital resources are limitless; they can help 1 or 1000 people. If a parent is seeking help, whether or not a diagnosis has been made and something isn't working at home, twigged provides immediate, practical tools for families and teachers to use daily." For caregivers, the toolkit isn't about correcting behaviour but understanding how to meet children where they are, providing strategies that can be woven into the fabric of everyday life.

While twigged aims to fill gaps in the current system, Eltringham doesn't view it as a replacement for traditional therapy. "In time, I'd love twigged to sit alongside NHS services," she says. "That way we're not waiting until things have broken down before offering help." This vision of a hybrid model - where digital tools complement, not replace, existing services - is the future Eltringham envisions for ADHD support.

A costly delay: The economic impact of missed ADHD support
Eltringham's business is more than a toolkit; it's a social and economic solution. She stresses the economic impact of failing to support ADHD early on. "The cost of not supporting ADHD is staggering," she says. "In the UK, one in four prisoners has ADHD. Adults with ADHD are four times more likely to face financial instability, and children with ADHD receive 20,000 more negative messages by age 12 than their peers, bringing a level of negative self-esteem that manifests into other mental health conditions and challenges throughout life." These outcomes, she argues, are not inevitable - they stem from missed or delayed support.

Investing in tools like twigged, Eltringham believes, could drastically reduce the long-term economic strain on public services. "Investing early in accessible tools like twigged means fewer children reach crisis point. That reduces demand on overstretched health, education, and justice systems. More importantly, it allows us to nurture the strengths that come with neurodiverse thinking," she says. By addressing the unique talents that come with ADHD and other neurodiversities - creativity, innovation, and problem-solving - twigged aims to help neurodiverse children not only survive but thrive. "With the right support, these children grow into adults who can be extraordinary leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers," Eltringham says.

Her goal is to shift the narrative surrounding neurodiversity from a deficit-based model to one that highlights and nurtures strengths. "The issue isn't how their brain works; it's the environment they are being asked to operate in," she explains, noting that twigged is about creating that supportive environment - both at home and at school.

From TV to tech
For many professionals, switching industries might seem daunting, but Eltringham sees it as a natural evolution. Her career began in television, a world far removed from the tech and health sectors where she now operates. But the skills she honed in media - organisation, communication, and working under pressure- serve her every day in building twigged.

"Careers are not fixed," she says. "We change, grow, and adapt. The skills I gained in television - organisation, communication, working under pressure - now serve me every day in business." It's this adaptability that has defined Eltringham's approach to entrepreneurship. For those looking to pivot into a new industry, particularly in mission-led businesses, her advice is simple: "Don't wait for the 'perfect' moment. If I had waited, twigged would still be an idea scribbled in a notebook." The key, she says, is to ask yourself two crucial questions: "What's the worst that happens if I try? and What happens if I don't?"

For Eltringham, the second question was far more frightening. "The second answer frightened me more, families left struggling and another generation of children growing up without the support they need," she says, acknowledging the deep personal stakes that motivate her work. Her advice? "Trust that your past experience will carry you further than you think." For Eltringham, her past in television wasn't a detour, but rather a foundation upon which she built a mission-driven business that is now making a significant impact on families across the UK.

As twigged continues to grow, it's clear that Eltringham's personal and professional journeys are deeply intertwined. "I didn't have to do it alone," she reflects on her entrepreneurial journey. The partnership, the collaboration, and the recognition of her own strengths and limitations have helped her create something far greater than a digital toolkit. She's built a movement - a call for better support, earlier intervention, and a new understanding of ADHD and neurodiversity.

In a world that often feels siloed by rigid frameworks and institutional delays, twigged offers families a lifeline- practical, accessible, and above all, compassionate. As Eltringham herself embodies, the key to thriving is knowing where your strengths lie and finding the right people and tools to help you navigate the challenges. For children with ADHD, twigged is that tool - and for many families, it might just be the key to unlocking a brighter, more supportive future.