Developing Internal Resources To Embrace Neurodiversity At Work

In recognition of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Caitlin Kirwan explores some of the best internal resources employers can develop to promote inclusion within their organizations.

In recognition of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Caitlin Kirwan explores some of the best internal resources employers can develop to promote inclusion within their organizations and give neurodiverse colleagues a great employee experience.  

Monday 18 to Sunday 24 March is this year’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week – a global initiative to challenge misconceptions and stereotypes by celebrating the advantages of being neurodivergent.

In this blog post, I’ll explain how organizations can create an inclusive culture that embraces neurodiversity by developing key internal resources.

What is neurodiversity?

The term ‘neurodiversity’ is used to describe the limitless variabilities in how our brains work. It’s based on the principle that neurological differences like ADHD and autism are natural variations that should be valued in the same way we value other human variations, such as race, gender, or culture.  

Neurodiversity Celebration Week was founded six years ago by neurodiversity advocate Siena Castellon to help transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and raise awareness of their unique strengths and talents.

I founded Neurodiversity Celebration Week in 2018 because I wanted to change the way learning differences are perceived. As a teenager who is autistic and has ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, my experience has been that people often focus on the challenges of neurological diversity. I wanted to change the narrative and create a balanced view which focuses equally on our talents and strengths 

– Siena Castellon

Neurodiversity inclusion, or ‘neuroinclusion’, is described by the CIPD as something that involves taking conscious actions to be inclusive of all different kinds of information processing, communication, and learning styles.  

Neurodiversity in the workplace

Although it’s estimated that up to 20% of people identify as neurodivergent, a lack of understanding and awareness leads to workplace cultures, processes, and technologies being designed in a way that can marginalize neurodivergent people.

Concerningly, one study found that a third of neurodivergent employees felt their experience at work had negatively impacted their mental wellbeing.

It therefore doesn’t come as much of a surprise that it’s often difficult for neurodivergent people to find a job that’s suited to their skills. Unemployment across the neurodiverse community is reported as being disproportionately high, at around 30% to 40%.

This disproportionality is not due to lack of capability, but rather due to an institutional lack of awareness, training, and support that leaves many neurodiverse individuals ostracized from the workforce 

– Dr Maureen Dunne, CEO of Autism Community Ventures

There are countless benefits to embracing a neurodiverse workforce.

While some neurodiverse people find social skills more challenging, many possess above-average abilities in things such as emerging technologies, data analytics, and creative thinking.

Time and time again, diverse teams have been shown to demonstrate higher levels of innovation and creativity, leading to better business results.

And that’s not all.

Neurodiverse individuals make loyal employees and have a job retention rate that is significantly higher than average. Their productivity rate is way above that of their neurotypical colleagues, and they often demonstrate excellent problem-solving capabilities.  

Developing internal resources to embrace neurodiversity

While there are loads of different ways for employers to create an inclusive workplace that embraces and supports neurodiversity, in this blog post I’m focusing on the development of internal resources.

My recent blog posts on Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day considered the importance of using these kinds of campaigns as catalysts for meaningful action. It’s not enough to just acknowledge and communicate Neurodiversity Celebration Week without taking proactive steps to encourage neuroinclusion.

Let’s explore some of the most helpful resources that organizations can produce to support neuroinclusion in the workplace.

Create a neurodiversity handbook

When the team at Universal Music UK began exploring the best ways to support neurodiversity in their offices, they realized there wasn’t any kind of practical guide to help them.

So, they created their own.

Creative Differences is a handbook that they developed to help the creative industries embrace neurodiversity. As the CEO of Universal Music UK explains, the handbook shares a range of individual insights and recommendations for change across 10 areas including recruitment, mentorship, and career progression.    

It’s a journey that has caused us to broaden our aims around diversity – to consider people who think differently and create differently. And it begins with respect: it’s not individuals that need to change; it’s company cultures. We need to make it OK to bring your whole self to work, whoever you are

– David Joseph CBE, CEO of Universal Music UK

While Creative Differences is specifically targeted to the creative industries, consider if your organization could benefit from creating a neurodiversity handbook to outline the ways you promote neuroinclusion.

Think about the information and resources that both employees and managers would find most helpful when it comes to better understanding neurodivergence, and set out your dos and don’ts.    

Produce training materials

Producing training materials that help employees develop their knowledge of neurodiversity in the workplace is a great way to increase empathy and understanding.  

Share guidance that emphasizes the ways employees can create a more inclusive working environment for colleagues with neurodiverse needs at various milestones throughout the employee lifecycle.

Due to their significant influence on company culture, it’s particularly important to develop training materials for leaders. Building neurodiversity-focused leadership guidance documents and training programs will enable your leaders to fulfill their role in creating a truly inclusive workplace.  

Publish clear policies and procedure documents

Another important set of resources for embracing neurodiversity is your policies and procedures.

Employers should ensure that there are clear policies relating to neurodiversity, covering things like approaches toward reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent employees, and plans for improvement.  

The Creative Differences Handbook offers the following policy sample wording to get you started:  

“We also recognize the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing and maximizing the talents of autistic people and those with dyslexia, ADHD, and other forms of neurocognitive variation. We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles.”

Build a library of internal stories that amplify the message

Finally, a comprehensive library of internal stories is a powerful way to amplify your message of neuroinclusion. This kind of resource is visible and engaging and encourages participation from employees across the organization.

Use your communication platforms to create a hub of real-life stories that champion and celebrate the benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace.

Pull together your internal resources with Workvivo

Workvivo simplifies communication and drives engagement by putting all of the resources and tools your employees need at their fingertips. The platform has been specifically designed to create a more connected and inclusive work culture.

Schedule a free demo if you’d like to find out more about how we can help your organization embrace inclusion!