Neurodiversity in the Workplace Awareness Session

Neurodiversity is the range of common differences in thinking and behavior which we now understand to be normal variations in humans. This includes conditions such as autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and others. Neurodiverse variations have played a central role in the development of human society, yet neurodiverse people have been historically misunderstood and marginalized as individuals. In our Neurodiversity in the Workplace Awareness Sessions, we use autism as a primary example to introduce a basic understanding of neurodiversity and of its role in society and within the workplace.

The majority of autistic people (now understood to be 1 in 44 individuals) are employable, yet only 29% have any sort of paid work. This is despite the fact that common autistic traits – such as intense attention to detail, self-taught expertise, high integrity, and ease in sustaining deep focus and ‘flow’ – are traits needed in an effective 21st Century workforce. In our Neurodiversity in the Workplace Awareness Sessions, we discuss how leading companies foster neurodiversity to their advantage, how increasing understanding and acceptance of neuro differences is allowing more people to enter the workplace, and what concrete steps each of us can take to better understand and support neurodiverse colleagues.