Jane was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, along with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). During a recent session, her colleagues commemorated a significant milestone that should not have been either celebrated or acknowledged. After two years, Jane finally gained consent from her workplace. For what, you ask? For the purchase of a non-standard work laptop with a bespoke configuration and specialised programs that will help her to perform her professional obligations more efficiently and effectively.
Jane is currently struggling with making presentations and fielding questions due to her RSD and ADHD’s working memory challenges, but when she has made reasonable adjustment requests for questions to be submitted in advance for an important presentation for which she has also circulated a paper, this has not been taken seriously because it is not a problem for anyone else, and no one has taken the time to read her paper before the meeting.
Jane must also seek money to ensure that her boss and coworkers undergo ADHD awareness training, as well as consistently campaign for change in the face of dismissive attitudes and workplace practices that are ineffective for anybody, much alone neurodivergent persons.
Neurodivergence affects up to one in every five children and adults. While research on neurodiverse adults in the workforce, including measuring the value of broader neurodiversity in the workplace, is still in its early stages, some organisations are beginning to recognise the benefits that integrating neurodiverse professionals can bring to the organisation as a whole. However, developing a neuroinclusive organization—an organisation that includes persons who are and are not diagnosed with developmental disorders that fall within the neurodiversity spectrum—requires more than sound hiring practices. It should include a fundamental rethinking of how the organisation perceives work and teamwork.
Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist who coined the word “neurodiversity,” describes it as, “A biological truism that refers to the limitless variability of human nervous systems on the planet, in which no two can ever be exactly alike due to the influence of environmental factors”. This concept emphasises the universality of neurodiversity and the idea that no two people think alike.
Employers’ interest in disability inclusion and neurodiversity in the workplace has grown since the term “neurodiversity” was first established in 1998. For example, membership in Disability: IN’s Disability Equality Index, which measures US business disability inclusion policies and initiatives, has increased sixfold, from 80 corporations in the Index’s initial year in 2015 to 485 by 2023. More than 60 of these firms, including 11 of the Fortune 50, participate in the organization’s Neurodiversity @ Work roundtable.
The question persists – what is contributing to this increased interest among employers?
THE GATEWAY TO NEUROINCLUSION – THE CLASSROOM
In general, schools have grown more accessible to persons with disabilities. In 1989, only 32% of children with disabilities were placed in a regular classroom for 80% or more of the school day; by 2021, that figure had more than quadrupled to 67%. Indeed, classroom participation of kids with disabilities has expanded dramatically, even though diagnoses have remained relatively stable as a percentage of total pupils.
Students who attended neuroinclusive schools 10 to 20 years ago are increasingly joining the workforce. Because of their educational experience, these neurodiverse individuals may be more acclimated to working with neurotypical classmates, and vice versa.
INCREASED AWARENESS ACROSS GENERATIONS
These younger generations are likely to be more inclusive and willing to question preconceptions or old ways of working together. However, further demographic trends are paving the road for increased neurodiversity in the workplace. Some of these include:
• Increased diagnosis and therapies for neurodiverse diseases are reducing stigma. Examples include ASD and ADHD.
• Investing in mental health and wellbeing initiatives in the workplace promotes neurodiversity as a feature rather than a problem.
• As parents of neurodiverse children advance in their careers, they recognise the need to create a more inclusive work environment. These parents are leading efforts to employ neurodiverse applicants and create professional chances where their abilities match their gifts.
• Diversity, equality, and inclusion programs in the workplace are increasing exposure and awareness for marginalised professionals, including handicapped and neurodiverse individuals.
• Advancements in neuroscience are driving a growing interest in human cognition.
NEURODIVERSITY – BEST FOR BUSINESS?
The commercial case for neuroinclusion is growing as organisations see that including neurodiverse workers may boost organisational productivity and creativity. Because neurodiverse diseases are intersectional, these changes may help more than just neurodiverse people.
Enhanced productivity: According to research, neurodiverse workers can outperform their neurotypical colleagues. JPMorgan Chase & Co. predicts that people hired into tech jobs through its neurodiversity program are “90% to 140% more productive than others and have consistent, error-free work.” Executives reported greater retention rates among neurodiverse personnel for effective initiatives. These same leaders claim that adjustments for neurodiverse professionals typically improve the productivity of their neurotypical employees as well.
Better overall management practices: Many of the concessions that organisations are introducing to help neurodiverse personnel, such as improved communication clarity, may also boost overall team management techniques. For example, Uptimize, a neurodiversity training firm, proposes that team managers adjust their communication approach to a certain neurodivergent professional. However, they recognise that this is a practice that should be implemented with all team members.
Increased innovation: Neurodiverse workers can enhance cognitive diversity and creativity among teams. A workforce neurodiversity advocate at a big international financial services organisation stated, “Neurodiversity is not a superpower. They are unique, and as with any other aspect of diversity, having a varied workforce allows for innovation that would not be possible if everyone thought the same way.”
OUTDATED PRACTICES HIGHLIGHT SLOW PROGRESS IN NEUROINCLUSION
The work and expansion of peer-driven organisations like the Neurodiversity at Work roundtable, as well as instances of big and small businesses developing neurodiverse skills, maybe inspiring. However, research shows that most corporations questioned across industries continue to face challenges in growing neurodiversity initiatives in their organisations. Many programs are still in the pilot or experimental stages, having been retrofitted into organisations that were not designed to operate with individuals who think and process differently. As a result, such initiatives are frequently viewed as “costs” rather than “investments” and may receive insufficient funding. Pilots are an excellent place to start, but scaling is an issue that several CEOs questioned report having. Constituency. Even if neurodiversity initiatives are well-intentioned, their structure, outcomes, and effect may be myopic, serving to stigmatise or “other” the neurodiverse population.
HIRING IS THE BEGINNING, NOT THE END
A comprehensive effort should be used to create a neuroinclusive organisation that benefits everyone. This often entails redesigning work structures, procedures, and processes. While many features might be incorporated, the following can be accomplished with a reassessment of traditional workplace attitudes rather than a substantial investment in funding:
Inclusivity while reinventing work systems: Designing and reimagining work systems with the premise that a team comprises neurodiverse members. Doing so may benefit the nondisclosed while also attaining other types of inclusion, making an organisation a better place to work for everyone. Flexible schedules, for example, might assist both concealed neurodiverse persons and those with other medical concerns.
Radically altering notions of advancement and job paths: Neurodiverse persons may experience difficulties in advancing to management positions due to existing notions of what emotionally competent leadership looks like. Promotions have always involved managing larger and larger teams, which necessitates new abilities that many people, both neurodiverse and neurotypical, may lack. In such cases, executives recommend searching for ways to restructure next-level responsibilities to better accommodate the abilities and talents of neurodivergent people.
Reframing job descriptions using more inclusive language and focussing on skills: This entails changing how we think about work and how we offer opportunities to potential hiring, such as using straightforward, jargon-free language, nongendered and personal language, and clearly outlining how the candidate can seek specific accommodations. The impact of such consideration in writing a job posting extends well beyond the job posting. It displays to the outside world the organization’s culture, goal, and working methods, which can assist develop a general reputation.
Design for people and their talents, not jobs: Some positions in today’s industry are becoming increasingly adaptable and fluid. Organisations are shifting away from job-driven to skill-based models. According to recent research, 98% of HR executives intend to transform their organisations into skills-based ones. This suggests that organisations might create positions for neurodiverse individuals that are more aligned with their abilities and interests.
Assigning mentors strategically: Offering mentoring and the opportunity to participate in employee resource groups so that neurodiverse workers may meet colleagues from various departments and receive exposure outside of their area of emphasis. A well-trained mentor may foster a beneficial connection with a neurodiverse professional. Consider the potential usefulness of implementing mentoring programs for neurodiverse personnel in which the mentor is also neurodivergent.
Building neuroinclusive networking demands more accessible places and forms, as well as neuroaffirming collegiality. With a willingness to learn and updated networking tactics, networking may become far more inclusive – as well as empowering and productive for everybody. Finally, neuroinclusion has the potential to benefit everyone in an organisation, including neurodivergent individuals, neurodiverse professionals who do not self-disclose, and the organisation as a whole. It’s an opportunity that will most certainly become much more relevant in the future, and there’s no better time to start than now.
