Normalizing neurodiversity in the workplace: a call to leaders

I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention lately, but there’s been a growing shift in recent years towards recognizing the importance of accommodating and welcoming neurodiversity in the workplace.

If you’ve been wondering, “neurodiversity” is a now agreed upon umbrella term that refers to a set of different brain wirings or natural variations in the human brain, that include conditions such as autism, ADHD, learning disabilities and dyslexia, as well as Tourette’s syndrome and a few others.

Despite the prevalence and growing recognition of these conditions in society lately, people who are so wired are still often stigmatized, especially in the workplace. As a result, they end up regularly facing more than their fair share of challenges and stigma, especially when it comes to finding their place and getting to contribute to the full extent of their potential.

I strongly feel like this is something that needs to change. We, as leaders in organizations, need to start having more open, direct, and respectful conversations meant to normalize neurodiversity, especially when it comes to the people that are part of our workforce, and those who choose to do business with us.

And so, in this week’s post, I’d like to explore some of the reasons why it matters for workplaces to be inclusive of neurodivergent individuals, and why organizations need to care about this from a business, economic, and societal standpoint. We’ll also wrap up with some strategies and recommendations that leaders such as yourselves can easily implement, to create more inclusive workplaces for all of your employees and peers.

Sounds like a good plan? Then let’s get started.

Neurodiversity inclusion as a game changer for businesses

Let’s begin by looking at some of the reasons why neurodiversity inclusion needs to become a much bigger deal within our organizations.

First, from a purely self-serving business standpoint, there are quite a few reasons why being more inclusive of neurodiversity is essential. For one, by the very nature of their wiring, neurodivergent employees bring unique perspectives and strengths to the workplace. As an example, folks who are autistic have a general tendency to be really good when it comes to paying attention to detail, and are often characterized with strong analytical skills. Likewise, those with ADHD will usually tend to excel particularly well in fast-paced, dynamic environments that better align with how they tend to perceive the world. By embracing neurodiversity, organizations get to tap into these valuable skills and perspectives, which clearly leads to better problem-solving and innovation capabilities within our ranks.

Second, being unapologetically inclusive of neurodiversity goes a really long way towards improving employee retention rates. It’s a well documented fact that neurodivergent individuals often struggle to find and maintain employment, not due to a lack of skills or competence, but because of a general lack of support, understanding, and accommodations from their managers and their peers in the workplace. By creating inclusive environments, organizations can better retain and attract their valuable employees, therefore reducing staff turnover and associated costs at the same time.

And then, neurodiversity inclusion also goes a really, really long way towards enhancing an organization’s reputation in the public eye. This perception positions the business to be more likely to be viewed as a socially responsible and inclusive corporate citizen. Such a trait is becoming quite appealing to a growing segment of the customer base out there, especially when it comes to the younger generations, who are particularly sensitive to such questions. The ripple effects caused by a collective awakening to disability and neurodiversity inclusion impacts brands and the messages they share. It appeals to a growing number of customers, clients, and investors alike, who now learn to prioritize and value diversity and inclusion more and more. In short, neurodiversity inclusion is legitimately turning into a real game changer for the business world. What does that look like in your own place of business?

Finally, from a societal standpoint, neurodiversity inclusion plays a significant part in the promotion of social justice and the reduction of discrimination and stigma across the board. It comes as no surprise that neurodivergent folks are systematically more likely to be marginalized, or discriminated against in the workplace. Neurodiversity inclusion provides great opportunities to transform workplaces as we know them… for the better! Along the same lines, neurodivergent individuals are also more susceptible to face stigma and discrimination in day-to-day interactions. They also stand a much higher chance than most of running into significant challenges that get in the way of improving their personal and professional lives. Through the creation of inclusive workplaces, we as leaders get to promote diversity and inclusion, reduce stigma and discrimination, and create a more equitable and just society. That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.

Neurodiversity inclusion is one of the most powerful tools that we have available to us to challenge the status quo, and change the face of what is considered “normal” in today’s workplace. Can you think of a better way for a business to do good, and naturally stand out as the organization of choice?

Strategies for a more inclusive workplace

Now that we’ve explored why neurodiversity inclusion in the workplace matters as much as it does, why don’t we take a look at a few of the strategies that insightful leaders like you can quickly implement to create more inclusive workplaces.

Educating employees

One of the most critical strategies for creating an inclusive workplace for neurodivergent employees is to provide education and training about neurodiversity to all employees. Many people don’t understand what neurodiversity is, how it affects people, or how to interact with neurodivergent individuals. Education helps reduce stigma, raises awareness, and promotes understanding about different neurodiverse conditions such as ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. Through training, employees get opportunities to learn about ways to interact effectively with neurodivergent colleagues, and how to offer support and accommodations, when needed.

Offering accommodations

Accommodations are modifications to the work environment or job duties that allow neurodivergent team members to perform their jobs more effectively. Some examples of accommodations include, but are not limited to, flexible work arrangements, noise-cancelling headphones, accessible software, quiet rooms, or extra breaks. By offering accommodations, organizations get to support their neurodivergent employees’ needs in very tangible ways, while improving their productivity, and generally reducing stress and anxiety. To identify appropriate accommodations, leaders are encouraged to work directly with employees, human resources, and other relevant stakeholders to understand the specific needs, expectations, and challenges being faced by neurodivergent folks. And in so doing, tailor accommodations to individual needs and ensure their effectiveness.

Fostering an inclusive culture

Creating an inclusive culture implicitly involves promoting workplaces where everybody feels welcomed, valued, and respected for who they are, and how they show up for work. Leaders can achieve this goal by modelling inclusive behaviours and attitudes, welcoming and celebrating diversity, and creating a safe and supportive workplace. There are several ways in which leaders can foster a more inclusive culture in their workplace. By providing opportunities for social interactions and team-building, by promoting open communication and feedback channels, by encouraging diversity and celebrating differences within teams, and by providing training for managers and employees, organizations can create an environment where neurodiversity inclusion will naturally thrive.

Using inclusive language

Promoting and modelling the use of inclusive language is yet another essential strategy leaders can embrace to design workplaces that promote respect and mitigate the risk of stigma and discrimination. By making it a point to avoid stigmatizing or derogatory language, by choosing to rely on using person-first language (e.g., “a person with autism” rather than “an autistic person”), and by avoiding assumptions about individuals based on their neurodiverse conditions, leaders can model a positive behaviour that then encourages others to use inclusive language as well.

EDIT – 2023/03/10: Following the publication of the post, a friend kindly reached out to offer their perspective, as an autistic person, on the use of person-first or identity-first language. They rightfully observed that there were currently no unilateral consensus on the adoption of either approaches among neurodivergent folks, and that it was always preferable to simply ask what people’s preferences were, instead of making assumptions one way or another. They also mentioned a series of surveys and polls showing a strong tendency to actually favour identity-first language in the autistic community, which is the exact opposite of what I’d initially written in this post. So, long story short, for the sake of brevity, I have been guilty of taking a simplistic shortcut by writing that we should default to person-first language to be inclusive of neurodivergent people, while in reality, it would have been wiser and more appropriate to say that the best approach is to respectfully ask people what they prefer, and not make any assumptions. Lesson learned? One-size-fits-all solutions just don’t work for everyone.

Recruiting neurodiverse talents

By actively seeking out and hiring neurodivergent individuals, organizations get to tap into valuable skills and perspectives that are otherwise unavailable to them. Recruiting neurodivergent talents directly leads to a more diverse and innovative workplace that then benefits everybody else. Some of the strategies that organizations can use to recruit neurodiverse talent include, but are not limited to, partnering with organizations that support neurodivergent individuals, using inclusive language in job descriptions and advertisements, providing accommodations during the recruitment process, and promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Seek feedback and input

The final strategy that I’d like to share today with regard to creating an neuro-inclusive workplace is simply to seek feedback and input from employees who identify as neurodivergent. Conducting surveys or focus groups meant to understand their experiences, holding one-on-one conversations with them to gather feedback, and encouraging open, direct, and respectful conversations are all great ways in which you can seek information from your workforce. Based on what you find, you can then take concrete actions, which gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to neurodiversity inclusion. Inevitably, doing so will have ripple effects as you create better opportunities to identify areas for improvement. This will lead to better accommodations for individual needs, which then contributes to fostering that culture of inclusion and collaboration that is so important to creating a more supportive and inclusive workplace.

This week’s mission, should you choose to accept it

As a call to action, I urge all leaders to take one step towards creating a more inclusive workplace for their employees who identify as neurodivergent. Some of you might choose to start by putting together a neurodiversity task force. Some of you might decide to begin by providing education and training to your teams. Maybe your preference will lean towards offering accommodations, or promoting the values and benefits of a more inclusive culture. Whatever your starting point might be, know that by taking action today, you can lay the foundation of a workplace that values diversity, promotes social justice, and drives innovation and success.

By taking even one simple action towards creating a more inclusive workplace, you will already be promoting diversity, reducing stigma and discrimination, and creating a more equitable and just society.

I can’t wait to see where this first little step might take you.