How to support neurodiverse employees

What is Neurodiversity?

Until recently, many workplaces have overlooked neurodiversity.

But it’s estimated that over 15-20% of the population are neurodivergent.

So what is it?

Neurodiversity is a term used to describe people who have different strengths and challenges, based on the way their brains work.

This includes developmental or learning disorders such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia etc.

Neurodiversity is what makes us all different. It highlights that we each have different abilities and brain patterns.

But it’s clear from the statistics that we’ve become accustomed to a neurotypical world.

Individualism of any kind is something we should support and celebrate. And we want to encourage workplaces to embrace inclusivity in whatever way they can.

So read on to learn more about how to create a supportive environment for everyone!

What does it mean for the workplace?

70% of Neurodiverse employees are experiencing poor mental health right now. That's almost 3 times higher than the rest of the workforce.

But only 3% of sufferers tell their employees.

This increases the need for raised awareness, to break the stigma and diversify communication.

Speaking more openly about neurodiversity allows sufferers to confidently use their struggles and adapt their roles, to give them a better chance of succeeding.

An example of this can be seen with someone who is dyslexic. Whilst their brain might struggle to process written language in the same way a non dyslexic person might, they are better at processing 3D objects instead. This makes them ideal candidates for design, arts and engineering roles.

Similarly, autistic individuals are excellent at logical thinking, making them good with numbers and facts.

Here's how you can support Neurodiverse employees:

Provide inclusive tools & support

Neurodivergent employees have a greater need for support in certain areas:

• 39% need support with their emotional health

• 57% need support with their financial wellbeing

• 38% need support with hybrid working

Here are 8 accommodating and supportive methods you can use:

1. Create accessible materials for meetings using SCULPT guidelines. In this model is a checklist of 6 basics of making any document readable and accessible.
2. Adjust your office. Create areas in the office that reduce sensory overload. Try to maximise natural light, and establish quiet areas for focus.
3. Over communicate in ways individuals prefer. It can be difficult to process verbal communication if you're neurodivergent. Instead, practise overcommunication. Don't just verbalise, confirm action points in writing. This is helpful for neurotypical employees too!
4. Be flexible for the individual. Make accommodations easy for employees to ask for. Is there an easy way for an employee to contact HR? If not, create one 🙂
5. Listen. Neurodivergent people are more prone to feeling misunderstood and left out of projects.
6. Prioritise mindfulness breaks. Add mindfulness breaks to every employee's calendar. Make them 15-minutes long, 2-3 times a day. And try to ensure meetings aren't booked over these times - which can be tricky!
7. Treat everyone with respect. Understand that no two people are the same and personalities and preferences can differ.
8. Use inclusive language. Those who are aware they are “differently abled” are generally happier and strive for higher career placement, compared to those who view their challenges as a character deficit.

3 productivity tools to try for your office:

1. Miro - Miro is a wonderful online collaboration tool. It's very inclusive. It democratises idea sharing and reduces the awkwardness of sharing ideas publicly.
2. Grammarly - Grammarly can reduce the anxiety and stress of writing. Especially for sufferers of Dyslexia. Not to mention speeding up the process for written work for everyone else!
3. Speechify - Speechify turns text into speech. It can help people with Dyslexia, ADHD and Autism. Our CEO is Dyslexic, and he swears by Speechify. Check them out!

Build awareness and educate colleagues

Businesses are better off with a diverse workforce. And yep, the research backs this up.

The more diverse a business is, the more likely they are to have higher profits. That’s because neurodivergent individuals have different talents and perspectives to offer, bringing a competitive edge to cultures and business activities.

If you decided to promote diversity in your hiring, you might next be wondering: what happens once neurodivergent individuals have joined us?

Here are 5 ways you can educate your colleagues:

1. Educate managers on neurodiversity, and other challenges by providing regular training. Make sure they're having regular 1-1's with their teams. It's important they have that relationship with their team so they can support them.
2. Run and promote webinars on Diversity & Inclusion topics for all employees.
3. Create physical knowledge cards - Add interesting facts and statistics about neurodiversity to a card. Leave them on desks and around the office. These will act as conversation starters.
4. Share educational content regularly in internal newsletters, your intranet or messaging channels such as Slack or Teams.
5. Review your current training, processes and policies. Question how they could be improved with the knowledge of different needs.

Get your senior leaders to champion the cause

Cultural change is easier when it comes from the top-down.

If senior leaders aren’t bought in and vocal about it, it's difficult to be truly inclusive.

In our partnerships with our clients, we've gained the support and advocacy of senior leaders at times. And it's been transformative.

We've had COO's and VP's joining us on webinars and fireside chats, talking to the rest of the company about their mental health experiences.

It's so powerful. Senior leaders that are vulnerable and share personal experience of these issues can really transform cultures. They can make each individual feel like they belong.

If you’re struggling with your anxiety levels around the current cost of living crisis, sign up to our free webinar 👇