Not all great minds think alike: Embracing our differences.
It is Neurodiversity Celebration week and as such we wanted to take this opportunity to shine a light on what it means to be neurodiverse, the benefits of having neurodiverse teams and how we can all, in our own way, be allies and support our neurodiverse colleagues, friends and family.
We all perceive and interact with the world around us in different ways and neurodiversity means just that, the diversity of all people particularly those with neurological conditions such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Autism and ADHD. Traditionally there have been many misconceptions and stigmas attached to such neurological differences, this has been mainly driven by a lack of awareness and understanding. Nowadays we are more aware of the advantages of having diversity in terms of background, gender and culture, and there are similar advantages when it comes to neurodiversity.
Some Strengths in neurodiversity
Research has shown that neurodiverse people have many strengths due to diversity as a result of their abilities and in their ways of thinking. Providing the right environment for our neurodivergent peers can help them flourish in the workplace.
Different ways of thinking: Having a neurologically diverse team can be a competitive advantage as it can bring into the same environment different perspectives, abilities and ways of thinking. For example, neurodiverse individuals are known for being highly creative, which can help in areas such as innovation.
Advanced Skills: Many neurodiverse individuals have advanced skills due to their high attention to detail, superior mathematical abilities and sustained attention, meaning that they can have strengths in areas such as:
Information processing
Problem solving
Pattern recognition
Productivity
How can we be supportive allies?
Although neurodivergent individuals have many strengths they also face challenges, for example someone with ADHD might be highly creative, energetic and has an ability to hyper focus on tasks, but they might need support with their organisational skills.
Increase Awareness
Increasing our awareness and understanding of some of these differences is key to enabling us to better support our friends and colleagues and dispel some of the common misconceptions. You can do this by reading articles or blogs on neurodiversity, watching videos of individuals speaking about their condition or joining your workplace Neurodiversity Network.
Advocate for Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Although there are many advantages of having neurodiverse teams many recruitment processes and assessments are unfortunately designed in a way that disqualify neurodiverse applicants. Because of this many work environments are not suitable for neurodiverse individuals to flourish and reach their full potential. By increasing awareness in the workplace and advocating change we can all contribute in taking small steps to improving our workplaces and society for everyone. Another small step that we can all take is to share with family, friends or colleagues that you are supportive of neurodiversity and ask how you can help.
Be Kind
Most importantly, be kind. Understand that we are all different and face different challenges. Being neurodiverse can also influence identity and how individuals see themselves and their place and value in the world. They interpret the world in unique ways which can sometime create challenges, kindness and understanding goes a long way in creating the right environment for all and allow the opportunity for neurodiverse individuals to flourish.
