How to support your neurodiverse colleagues

Neurodiverse

By Rebecca Keegan, Training & Regulatory Assurance Officer

The key points in this article include:

  • What is neurodiversity and what are the conditions considered to be on the neurodiversity spectrum?
  • What does neurodiversity look like in the workplace?
  • What can be done to make a workplace more accessible to those who need it?
  • How can we aid colleagues who are neurodivergent?
  • Most importantly, how can we celebrate neurodiversity in the workplace and beyond

First, what does being ‘neurodivergent’ mean?

If someone is ‘neurodivergent’ it means they have a brain that functions differently to that of a ‘typical’ or ‘normal’ brain. Neurodivergent is a broad term for a large group of conditions and disorders, such as those listed below:

What is the difference between a ‘neurotypical’ and a ‘neurodivergent’ person?

If you had a machine that measured someone’s brain function throughout their day, a neurotypical brain would look a bit like this:

Neurodiversity

And a neurodivergent brain would look a little more like this:

Neurodiversity

Someone who is neurodivergent tends to have much higher highs and much lower lows throughout their day, every day. Neurodiversity is a spectrum, meaning each individual needs different supports, ranging from low (level 1) to high (level 3). This article will be based around people who mostly need level 1 support.

What does a neurodivergent person’s workday look like?

Many neurodivergent people’s day plays out the same as a neurotypical person’s day – at least, on the outside.

The most notable difference between both people is what it costs them to do the same things as their peers. ‘Costs’ means the amount of energy used on any one task during the day.

For example, let’s say absolutely everyone starts out with the exact same amount of energy to go about their day when they wake up. In this scenario, everyone has the same morning routine, the same commute, and the same job.

Now, let’s look at what the costs are:

  • The neurotypical person might think about getting dressed for work, packing their laptop bag, making their lunch, timing a train, and what their workload looks like for the day. Generally speaking, a neurotypical person will do most of these tasks on autopilot and won’t have to spend any extra energy – costs – on their morning routine.
  • The person with ADHD might think about packing their laptop bag, checking if they have forgotten anything, realising they have forgotten to pack their lunch and their work pass, they now have to find their work pass which wasn’t where they thought it would be and are losing a lot of time trying to find it, by the time the work pass is found, they’re late for the train and have no time to pack a lunch, so they will have to buy a lunch instead. They arrive to the station having missed their train and are now, officially running late for work which would be fine if this wasn’t the second time this had happened in the last week.

This morning has cost them:

  • Time: having to search for their work pass.
  • Money: they now have to buy lunch.
  • Stress: they are now worried about being late for work, getting in to trouble for a second late start in one week.
  • Energy: the time spent worrying about forgetting, then actually forgetting, then looking, then losing time, then being late. A half of their days’ energy – both emotionally and physically – is used before they have even arrived at the office.
    • The person with autism (ASD) might think about getting dressed, taking extra care to wear the soft jumper with the tags cut off so they have no sensory issues from their clothes throughout the day. They might have an extra few bits to bring to work, like their noise-cancelling earplugs so they don’t get distressed by the noise of the trains pulling into the station. Perhaps they will pack a fidget to give them something physical to do when they are required to listen for long periods on a work call. The person with ASD might have to consider whether they remembered to book a meeting room in the office for an hour during the day to decompress and work alone for a little bit when the noise levels rise in the office just before lunch. They may have to triple check the bag they already know they packed everything in for the office because this makes them feel safe and mentally prepared for their day. However, when their train is delayed, despite having left plenty of time for their morning commute to incorporate any last-minute changes, this could cause panic and distress. Like the ADHD person, they have already spent a big portion of their emotional and physical costs before even reaching the office.

It is important to note, especially in the case of the ADHD example, that this kind of day can happen to everyone. What makes it particular to a person with ADHD is that forgetfulness, lack of awareness around time, disorganisation, and distress due to these factors are a daily occurrence, in some form or another. The costs for the ADHD person are not a once off, or an off couple of days – they are regular, daily happenings that cause day-to-day life to be debilitating, distressing and often costly to their mental wellbeing and emotional state.

What can we do to assist our neurodivergent colleagues and make the workplace more inclusive and accessible?

  • Listen – people may ask for additional assistance or alternative ways of accessing things without divulging why or what this need is for, as it can be unsettling and daunting to have to tell your manager, colleagues or director that you require additional needs in any capacity. It is our job to ensure we listen to the information we are being asked and make amendments, where suitable, to be as inclusive as possible without applying pressure to the person to explain themselves or their situation fully.
  • Awareness – everyone expresses their needs differently and all types of people may need assistance in their way of working or in accessing their job at different intervals. It is important that in the same way we might offer a more supportive chair to someone who is experiencing an issue with their back, that we offer a more supportive way of working to someone who is neurodivergent. For example, someone with sensory needs, who might find the office overwhelming and may need a space to work alone and decompress, or in allowing a training session to be recorded for someone as they may not have the ability to concentrate for the live call but will be able to absorb the information at their own pace. If we are aware of the kinds of needs different people have, we are better able to help and increase inclusivity to our colleagues.
  • Mind our words – see Sacha’s article on Neurodiversity and Language.
  • Do your research – on average, 15–20% of the world’s populations is neurodivergent. This means we all know, meet and interact with people sitting on the spectrum every day! It is every bit as much up to neurotypical people as it is to neurodivergent people to find better and easier ways to navigate the world for everyone – do your bit and familiarise yourself with some of the ways you can help.