Summary: This Neurodiversity Celebration Week, it’s time to think about neurodiversity as a superpower and build workplaces that harness this power to bring out the best in their neurodiverse employees.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a global initiative to bring about awareness and understanding about neurodiversity and foster equality and inclusion in schools and workplaces.
Around 15-20 per cent of the global population is neurodivergent. Despite this prevalence, 65 per cent of people worry about stigma and discrimination from management.
Furthermore, employees report a lack of support. Indeed, a new Acas study found that 35 per cent of employees across Great Britain believe their employer to be ineffective at training managers to support neurodiversity at work.
65 per cent of people worry about stigma and discrimination from management
The chance to thrive
The truth is, this support isn’t a ‘nice to have’ but a non-negotiable. Julie Dennis, Acas Head of Inclusive Workplace Strategy and Policy said: “Supporting neurodivergent staff can be simple and cost-effective, and it should be integral to any business. When everyone is given the chance to thrive, every business can too”.
Television personality Sam Thompson recently spoke out about his experiences growing up with autism and ADHD. “I am very privileged to be in a career that I love and that I can throw my neurodivergent brain into,” he wrote in an Instagram post.”I definitely have ups and downs, and it can be quite hard sometimes. I spiral a lot. I overthink everything, I find small tasks almost impossible”.
Organisations should think carefully about the overall employee experience
Harnessing a superpower
Without fear of discrimination and with confidence that the right support is waiting for them, employees are more likely to disclose their neurodivergence.
Statistics show that those who do are 30 per cent more likely to be engaged at work. With the right access to support and accommodations, neurodivergent individuals can be highly effective at work. “Neurodiversity is a superpower and businesses should design work environments where neurodiverse talent thrives,” commented Caroline Rowland, CPO at Zellis.
“Organisations should think carefully about the overall employee experience, both in the office and remotely. Are their environments supporting neurodiverse employees? Many benefit from having access to quiet spaces for deep work, alongside collaborative areas where they can problem-solve with colleagues. Dynamic environments like this help organisations bring out the best in their teams.”
By building neurodiversity friendly workplaces, neurodiverse employees can truly thrive. As Thompson stated: “Our brains are pretty special if I do say so myself”.
If you enjoyed this article, check out: Neurodiversity inclusion must move from awareness to workplace design
