Neurodiversity at work: under the corporate radar

ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia ... The list goes long of unusual cognitive functions that have difficulty finding their place in the world of work. Still largely unknown, they are often stigmatised. Today, it is estimated that around one person in five is neurodivergent. It is high time companies took an interest. A quick overview of neurodiversity.

Neurodiversity – what exactly are we talking about?

The term neurodiversity was first used in 1998, coined by neurodivergent sociologist Judy Singer. It encompasses the whole spectrum of individual cognitive functioning. The idea is that everyone is unique and different from one another, including their way of thinking. Neurodiversity includes both "neurotypical" and "neurodivergent" individuals. Neurotypical people’s cognitive functioning is close to that of the majority of the population and is thus considered, improperly, as the norm in society, whilst neurodivergent people have a so-called unusual cognitive functioning that differs from what we see most often. They have a different way of thinking and acting and a different grasp on the world.

It is estimated that around 20% of the population (between 10% and 40% according to studies) is neurodivergent which means that it is, in the end not that unusual. Naturally, these percentages cover a variety of profiles: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), High Intellectual Potential (HIP), ADHD, High Intellectual Potential, dys disorders, or involuntary compulsive disorders (ICT). Some people can have multiple disorders. As there are multiple neurodivergences it is important to take interest in each of them.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

According to psychologist Samantha Rizzi, “There is no prototype of autism”. From a medical point of view, it is more correct to talk about an "Autism spectrum disorder" (ASD) - rather than simply autism - because of the high diversity among autistic people, each of them situated on a different point of the spectrum. ASDs can be defined according to four criteria: a different approach to social interaction than the norm (such as difficulty in maintaining eye contact, identifying irony, or understanding social codes, etc.), repetitive behaviours corresponding to a need for routine, specific niche interests which can lead to a high level of expertise on a subject, and finally, a particular sensory and perceptive profile (such as hypersensitivity to noise, certain textures, light or certain physical contacts). There are also significant gender differences.

High intellectual potential (HIP)

In psychology, intelligence is often studied according to Wechsler’s definition and the IQ (Intellectual Quotient) tests. These tests give a global score. The mean of the score is situated around 100. Starting from 130, a person is considered gifted, otherwise said high intellectual potential. This neurotype can be associated with others such as autism, ADHD, and anxiety. Being a HIP is not suffering in itself, but the gap between oneself and the rest of the world can generate more or less discomfort depending on the individual.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with or without hyperactivity

ADHD manifests itself through problems around inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity with a lot of heterogeneity in the symptoms. It’s not that much a question of not paying enough attention to things but rather of paying attention to too many things present in the environment at once: the conversation in progress, but also a slamming door, a passing train, another discussion in the corridor... Also, people with ADHD can enter a phase of hyperfocus when a topic seems very interesting to them: completing the task is motivation enough, without the need for an external reward.

Alexia Hetzel, a coach specialising in neurodivergence, explains that ADHD manifests itself in a kind of time myopia: it's what's happening now that takes priority. For this reason, people with ADHD tend to procrastinate and often finish and hand things in at the last minute. A task must have a particular appeal to be carried out. Alexia Hetzel sums it up with the acronym UNIC: Urgency, Novelty, Interest, Challenge.

DYS disorders

What is known as dys disorders group four conditions often classified as learning disabilities: dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. These conditions are generally diagnosed in an individual's youth when they have difficulties learning at school but can also manifest themselves in adulthood. These disorders may be of varying degrees of severity, and an individual may suffer from more than one. 

Dyscalculia concerns difficulties in the learning process of mathematics. Experts define it as imprecise symbolic representation and little knowledge of arithmetic, leading in particular to difficulties with mental arithmetic. Dysgraphia concerns writing. It involves either spelling difficulties or motor difficulties in handwriting. Dyslexia involves both reading and spelling. A dyslexic person recognises words more slowly than the rest of the population, and sometimes inaccurately. Finally, dyspraxia concerns movement. It results in motor difficulties and dyspraxic individuals are often described as clumsy by their entourage.

Involuntary Compulsive Disorder (ICD)

Experts define ICDs as sudden movements that are repeated rapidly, without rhythm, or sounds preceded by an associated behaviour. These movements can be varied: blinking, scratching the nose, moving the head, jumping, pronouncing sounds or words, etc. There are three types of ICD: transient ICD (generally uncontrolled movements that do not persist for more than a year), chronic ICD (movements or sounds, but never both at the same time in the same individual, that persist for at least a year), or Tourette syndrome (several movements and at least one sound that persist for more than a year).

The forgotten ones of corporate inclusion policies

The Centre for neurodiversity at work of Birkbeck says “Historically, neurodivergent (ND) people have been disproportionately excluded from work, even when compared with other disabilities”. The Office for National Statistics of the UK reported the same observation in 2019. But this practically invisible diversity does not find its place at work. According to the magazine Work, almost 75% of corporate inclusion policies do not take into account neurodivergent people. Let’s not forget, however, that they represent,
one-fifth of the global population, thus a large proportion of employees.

Employees in incognito

As neurodivergence is often ignored or misunderstood, neurodivergent people tend to try to hide their particularities. Behind this is often a fear of being stigmatised or receiving a negative response to a request of specific accommodations. 

An individual who has to hide parts of their lives at work is highly exposed to psycho-social risks. Unable to be themselves, they have a higher mental load (described as the “cost of thinking twice”) often accompanied by intense stress, that can lead to burnout or resignation. Indeed, in the UK, 45% of autistic people quit or lost their jobs due to the struggles that they encountered as neurodivergent workers (UK National Autistic Society).

Well-being at work is reportedly quite low among neurodivergent people. Professional environments that don’t offer any accommodations can cause difficulties and even sufferings at work: concentration issues, inability to ask for help, set boundaries, or organise tasks. Issues vary depending on the person. Open office spaces are the perfect example of a badly adapted environment that does not favor the potential of neurodivergent people: there is no intimacy and many sensory disturbances (auditive, visual, motor).

Thinking « out of the box »

Yet neurodivergent people have much to offer when embracing their individual traits. Because they have a particular cognitive functioning, they can enrich the company with innovative approaches and prove to be particularly creative. This is the very principle of "out-of-the-box thinking" that many companies are looking for. They may focus on a task that interests them more intensely than the norm, attach great importance to detail, be loyal, and so on. But if their working environment doesn't allow them to fully live up to their potential, all these elements are of course inhibited.

Rethinking our relationship with norms

In effect, the workplace remains a very normative environment that is not the most welcoming for neurodivergent people. Researcher Denise Rousseau came up with the concept of a “psychological contract” present at work: a set of implicit social rituals or expectations. Many neurodivergent people struggle to understand and apply this contract, whereas, for neurotypicals, this normative presupposition is more obvious. This, of course, leads us to question the notion of norm.

Neurodiversity is still a taboo topic inhabited with prejudices: neurodivergences are said to be rare, necessarily perceptible, and incompatible with performance requirements... It is therefore key to revisit the corporate culture, and open up to neurodiversity. Because of their different cognitive functions, neurodivergent people sometimes behave, react, and act in ways that can be surprising, and they are often stigmatised at work. According to Brigitte Chamak, a doctor in neurobiology, this stigmatisation has a social rather than a medical origin: it stems from a lack of knowledge about neurodivergence. Setting up training courses or information and exchange sessions for all staff can fill this gap, creating an environment where everyone can fulfil their individuality and fostering a climate conducive to psychological safety at work.

Understanding the particularities

It is counterproductive to prepare a precise protocol and apply it to all neurodivergent people. Psychologist Samantha Rizzi concurs: "What you need to know is that there are no general recommendations because everyone is different. You have to ask each person what they need, and then see if it's possible to put it in place". If a company's procedures make it easy to ask for accommodation for special needs, this benefits not only neurodivergent people but all staff.

Overcoming situational difficulties

Beyond physical and cognitive differences, in the definition given as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), it’s above all the situations that creates disabilities. But if we act upon the environment and the working conditions, the disability can be reduced. This goes for neurodivergence as well. With reasonable accommodation, people with neurodivergent disorders can work in a suitable environment and reach their full professional potential. Employers therefore have much to gain from adapting the working environment to the specific needs of neurodivergent individuals.

Often, simple modifications to the workstation or professional environment can be implemented to enable neurodivergent individuals to work under better conditions: reducing noise pollution, acting on visual stimuli, offering a space to isolate oneself if necessary, allowing the freedom to work flexible hours when possible, or even offering teleworking possibilities. 

Nowadays, neurodivergent people are still marginalised and confronted with obstacles at work due to their different cognitive functioning. When open to neurodiversity, companies are sending a strong message in terms of their inclusion policy. Listening to individual needs is a winning strategy that benefits everyone beyond neurodivergent people.