There are many types of neurodivergence. From major depressive disorder to generalized anxiety disorder, there are plenty of Americans who are neurodivergent. For example, one in five American adults are neurodivergent. And yet statistics about neurodivergence are rarely mentioned in DEI training, programs, and overall efforts.
Professionals across several industries tend to limit DEI conversations to racial inclusion and gender equality. But that isn’t the case on LinkedIn, which has a large community of neurodivergent professionals. Type in the word neurodivergent into the search bar on LinkedIn and countless profiles of neurodivergent people and advocates will come up.
On LinkedIn many neurodivergent professionals post about a wide range of neurodivergence including, but not limited to, ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and OCD. If you want to learn more from people who talk about neurodivergence in professional settings, make sure to follow professionals on LinkedIn who say #neurodivergent in their bios. Know that there are many ways to support your coworkers who aren’t neurotypical. Keep reading to learn about more ways to to be a better ally to neurodivergent colleagues.
Let Your Colleague Tell You They’re Neurodivergent
If you think one of your colleagues may be neurodivergent don’t ask them about it. It would be inappropriate to talk about a colleague’s neurodivergence without them revealing it to you. Many people feel pressure to hide that they aren’t neurotypical. This is known as masking, which is frequently done in professional settings and the workplace. It’s important to note that in the medical field revealing that you are neurodivergent is referred to as disclosing. It can be very anxiety provoking to tell a coworker or manager that you are neurodivergent. Professionals who aren’t neurotypical often fear judgment, ostracism, or losing their job
That’s why it’s important to listen intently when someone discloses to you. Rather than overwhelming them with too many questions let them tell you about what their experience has been like and how it impacts them at work. One of the worst things you can do is tell your other coworkers. Instead, find out more about your colleague’s type of neurodivergence through research and reading. But reading a few articles or social media posts doesn’t mean you are an authentic ally.
Authentic allies will ask their neurodivergent colleagues if there are any boundaries they should not cross out of respect for them and their work process. They’ll go further and start posting about neurodivergence and the need for neurodiversity at companies and corporations. They may start volunteering with an organization that would give them the opportunity to work with neurodivergent children.
Even if a neurotypical person does all of those things, they still won’t fully understand what it’s like to be neurodivergent and to be treated like a monolith. People who are neurodivergent are not a monolith but are usually treated like one. That is something you need to recognize as an ally. The word neurodivergence is an overarching umbrella term. Think about it— there are anxiety disorders, mood disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and more. Now you know why you should let your coworker disclose. But that’s just one of many ways to support someone on your team who is neurodivergent.
Bond With Your Colleagues In Healthier Ways
Quite a few Americans are on medication because of depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and other mental health challenges. Some neurodivergent people can’t use substances at all due to the risk of becoming manic. Others may not be able to mix alcohol or other substances with their medication. Many become anxious when drinking around people in professional settings.
You can find healthier ways to bond with your colleagues. You would never want some neurodivergent coworkers to feel pressure to participate in activities that would negatively impact their mental health. Consider heading to a fitness class with your colleagues instead of grabbing drinks after work. You could participate in outdoor activities like hiking and yoga on a weekend or day off.
There are plenty of ways to create a stronger bond with your teammates without making the neurodivergent people who can’t drink feel excluded. Going to a less upscale restaurant that doesn’t serve alcohol is always an option. But there are plenty of neurodivergent people who can and do drink without any issues. It depends on their type of neurodivergence, how they feel when they use substances, and what medications they are on.
One of the best ways to bond with your colleagues that are neurodivergent and can’t drink is playing sports like pickleball. In recent years pickleball has become extremely popular. There are many courts and there are even national tournaments. One of your colleagues may have a pickleball court or there might be one near your office. Play pickleball to have a good time with your colleagues while getting in some exercise.
When Discussing DEI Include Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity often gets overlooked when it comes to DEI efforts in corporate America— and that’s a serious problem. Research has shown that having diversity benefit companies. This can be true when it comes to neurodiversity. For those with the type of ADHD that make them hyper focus then have long bursts of energy, being neurodivergent can be a huge benefit for them and their colleagues.
That isn’t how neurodivergence is for everyone, that is just one example of how being neurodivergent can positively contribute to the workplace. It can be difficult to have to hide that your unique and creative suggestions may be a result of being neurodivergent. So few people tell anyone and many people don’t say they are neurodivergence or have a disability on job applications out of fear of not getting hired.
DEI needs to include more of a focus on neurodiversity and neuroinclusion. But this is about more than performative measures to make it seem as if neurodivergent people are safe to disclose to their colleagues or managers without being let go. The stigma surrounding neurodivergence is a systemic issue that runs deep and has seeped into the pores of the workplace. How many times do people in corporate America ask for or take mental health days? Why is neurodivergence frequently perceived as a burden to companies? That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
It is very challenging to break the stigma surrounding neurodivergence without having authentic allies, especially at work. Professionals in the DEI sector should make even more efforts to be neuroinclusive — and that includes during the hiring process. Also, if you or your manager plan to advocate for neurodivergent employees then you should understand that neurodivergence is a spectrum. Encouraging and supporting diversity of thought is crucial to creating psychological safety for neurodivergent employees. Having teammates approach problems and challenges from different perspectives will probably benefit your company.
Well, now you know some ways to be a better ally to your neurodivergent colleagues. It’s taken hundreds of years to get to this point, a point at which it’s finally acceptable to disclose one’s neurodivergence without the threat of being excluded, experimented on, or even killed. And as an ally to a neurodivergent colleague it’s important to recognize that— to recognize that neurodivergent people have overcome adversity so much adversity and yet they are still thriving in the workplace.