Massia Bailey | Neurodiversity in employment settings

In my last article, I wrote about the global increase in learning disability prevalence rates and neurodiversity in children in educational and home settings.

Naturally, these children will grow up to be adults and transition into employment settings. This occurrence requires employers and fellow employees to develop strategies to understand their unique traits and behaviours, so everyone can thrive in the workplace.

SOCIAL VS. MEDICAL MODEL OF NEUROBIOLOGICAL DISABILITIES

Before this discussion, let’s understand what is neurodiversity and the origin of the term. The term entered our public lexicon and was attributed in the 1990s to Australian Judy Singer, an activist for people with autism. She wanted to shift the discussion of people with neurodevelopmental and neurobiological disabilities away from deficit and pathology definitions.

She believed people with disabilities should be seen as a product of natural human variation, much like biodiversity, and not as abnormal, disordered, or sick and in need of a cure. Others, like neurodiversity expert Dr Lawrence Fung, attribute the term to an online community of autistic people who identified and defined themselves not as atypical but neurologically diverse, in the 1990s.

NO NORMAL BRAIN

Whichever attribution origin is correct, the essential idea is that the term was coined to increase social acceptance of these differences as a natural occurrence in human existence, and to help promote inclusive attitudes in ‘neurotypical’ people. In fact, the term itself emphasises that the human brain naturally develops in unique ways, and there is no ‘normal’ brain. Therefore, the term encompasses both neurodivergent and neurotypical people. This perspective still needs mainstream acceptance but, until then, giving the concept a label helps to start a meaningful conversation on what a truly inclusive society looks like.

NEURODIVERSITY AS A WORKPLACE ASSET

It is now generally accepted that 16-20 per cent of any population will have some form of disability. Since disabilities like mild autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning disabilities are considered ‘invisible’ disabilities, this estimate also holds true in employment settings. The brief encounter of a job interview may not reveal these differences, as physical manifestations are rare. However, even if these differences are apparent, experts caution employers not to turn away potential employees with these characteristics, as they can be a workplace asset.

Many believe that these traits are also a source of creativity and innovation that can increase an organisation’s competitive advantage and drive profits. Think about that employee who is described as highly productive or a ‘workaholic’. Chances are those behaviours may be ADHD in disguise. Consider as well that employee who is able to manipulate numbers in their head and quickly spot errors, saving their department/organisation from the negative impact of such discrepancies.

CHANGE IN HIRING PRACTICES

Human resource departments may have to reconsider their hiring practices to make them more inclusive. A candidate’s responded in an interview to the question “How did you find us?” He replied, “On Google Maps.” This may sound like an unintelligent response to the neurotypical but, for many neurodivergent people, figurative language is difficult to decipher, as they have the propensity to process language literally. Experts recommend that, to mitigate against these misunderstandings, job interviews should be as structured as possible, and questions presented in ways that do not require non-literal interpretations. For instance, a neurodiversity-friendly alternative to the previous question would be “Tell me how you heard about this job opportunity?”

SENSORY, SOCIAL, COMMUNICATION AND SELF-MANAGEMENT DIFFERENCES

Neurodivergent employees may be more sensitive to loud noises, bright lights, touch, and crowds. Cognitively, they may struggle with executive functioning skills that may impact their time management, organisation, and productivity. In communication, they may have gaps in their receptive and expressive language skills, interpreting body language, and emotional reactions. Other characteristics may include avoiding eye contact, social awkwardness, and a struggle to communicate effectively with others, including reading social cues accurately.

These translate to behaviours such as tardiness, low productivity, overworking, conflict with colleagues’ volume levels, a reluctance to attend crowded meetings or noisy company events. They may talk about a topic incessantly, even as their audience is hinting they have to leave. Cognitively, as is the case of dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, employees may struggle with reading aloud, writing a report, including spelling accurately, and performing simple mathematical calculations. Emotionally, they may get overstimulated (overwhelmed) dealing with stressors during the workday, and may require a safe space to decompress and self-regulate before rejoining.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN SOLUTION

In special education, we know that our students cannot change themselves, since their behaviours are linked to their neurology. What we endeavour to do instead is to provide accommodations in the application of ‘universal design’, so all students in the environment can thrive. Universal design is the concept of removing barriers and providing access to all. Employers who want to create 21st century inclusive workplaces can implement these universal design principles. Much like ramps giving access to employees with mobility disabilities, for these invisible disabilities, employers can, among other initiatives, implement flexible hours or work-from-home opportunities, calming spaces, increased use of visuals, and advanced notice of and virtual participation in large meetings.

CO-WORKERS

Their co-workers will also be impacted by their unique traits and behaviours. This can lead to conflict. To help promote a more harmonious workplace, employers can provide inclusion training and develop mentorship programs. These mentorship programmes may involve pairing a neurodivergent employee with a neurotypical peer to help them navigate the social, communication, and cultural norms of the workplace.

Massia Bailey, EdD is an applied learning scientist, special educator, and adjunct professor of education based in Florida. Send feedback to learninganddevelopmentdoctor@gmail.com