Historically, people have viewed neurodivergence from a deficit model point of view. Unfortunately, I’d say that this is the prevailing view. The world is still very much neurotypical-centric. Consider that neurodivergent brains are the other side of the same human neurological coin.

Humans tend to categorize, sort, and normalize information. In short, we do this to facilitate our understanding of a complex world. This tendency to categorize makes things manageable so we can focus on what we need to do. Unfortunately, this approach fails us when attempting to understand humans. We desperately want human interaction to be simple, but it isn’t.

The double-edged sword: Medicine and mental health diagnoses

Medicine has done a fantastic job of defining medical pathologies that can be addressed and cured. How do we know when we have gone too far? For example, when does a trait become a pathology? Yet, humans must deal with the reality that what is not diagnosed and labeled is not supported or accommodated in most countries.

As humans, we pride ourselves on being unique. We show compassion that counters the survival of the fittest idea. We take care of each other, even to our detriment. We are charitable. We love and mourn in a way that we don’t see among other creatures. We see this most clearly in families and small communities. However, as the group grows, we see how people create divisions among themselves. This division happens when some interpersonal conflict has the potential to threaten the group’s status quo. The result is an us-vs-them mindset.

This situation can stabilize if the conflicting groups are well-matched in number and strengths. However, it can become a vastly different situation when there is a clear social minority. Without a proper understanding of differences, this approach can cause harmless traits to be pathologized, and those possessing those traits become marginalized.

Moving from a deficit mindset to a gifts mindset

This fact is evident if we consider the ideas behind the deficit vs. a Gifts Mindset. As mentioned earlier, medical diagnoses are inherently based on a deficit mindset, and that’s appropriate since the goal of medicine is to heal a problem. When does this go too far, though?

Do ALL aspects of a learning or sensory processing difference need to be viewed from a deficit point of view? No. They do not.

“In education, a deficit mindset is when teachers or school leaders focus on problems rather than potential.” I prefer to focus on strengths or a Gifts Mindset. A Gifts Mindset focuses on a person’s strengths first and teaches how to utilize a learner’s gifts while using specific strategies to overcome obstacles that get in the way of maximizing talent.

One can extend the experience of learners to the modern workplace. How do employers view neurodiversity in the workplace? Does it seem too much effort to accommodate so much “deficit?” Suppose an employer views neurodiversity through the limiting view of the deficit mindset. In that case, it can seem like “more effort than it’s worth.”

The Double Empathy Theory

Like so much of life, the viewpoint we choose matters. The double empathy theory purports that deficits in communication between autistics and non-autistics are a two-way street. In other words, the deficit in communication must be accounted for by both parties — instead of laying the “blame” on the autistic alone. An extension of the theory holds that the “problem” is not precisely the pathology of a neurodivergent individual but rather the setting or the environment. Consider this:

This (double empathy problem) model “suggests that a disability is more about external circumstances that impact a person, [and] less a set of personal attributes. So, the person with ADHD is disabled by a busy, loud office apartment. They themselves are not the problem.” Source: https://www.jazzhr.com/blog/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/

The idea that the entire problem does not belong to the autistic individual is a significant change in mindset. Yet, consider the possible advantages of reviewing how we think about the communication challenge.

How the deficits model fails us in the workplace

Think of an octopus that ventured out of the water onto the seashore. It happens under some exceptional circumstances. The octopus will do OK for a few minutes. It has nine brains and eight legs, so it can make do and persist for a time, but not for long. Does this mean that the octopus has an inherent deficit or pathology? No, the environment limits the octopus’s ability to thrive in that situation.

OK, let’s take a classroom example I have seen firsthand many times through the years. Jayden is a first-grader who is doing exceptionally well in school. His parents had been concerned because he had so much energy and could barely sit still in kindergarten. In first grade, everything was coming together for Jayden. He was thriving. He loved his teacher.

Then in second grade, everything changed. Jayden’s teacher called home multiple times to complain that Jayden was distracted, bored, and exhibiting challenging behaviors. Finally, the second-grade teacher referred Jayden to special education for an evaluation. Jayden is now diagnosed and labeled. This is the same kid who thrived in first grade with a teacher who understood how he learned. Then, he went to the second grade and had a different teacher who was less tolerant of Jayden’s energy level and struggled to engage him in learning.

Is Jayden like the octopus?

Over the past four decades, countless stories and studies show how students who fail in one learning environment may thrive in a different one. So why is the child pathologized?

The child is pathologized because it’s easier to blame the children or parents than to fix a broken system. The system is broken for many reasons; however, it starts with an educational system that views children through a deficit model instead of a Gifts Mindset. A Gifts Mindset would focus on the child’s strengths instead of their deficits.

Environment plays a huge role, from microscopic to plant life, and without a doubt, humans’ ability to thrive. If the deficit point of view is maintained, accommodating neurodivergent talent in the workplace can seem impossible.

If we are to create conducive and kind classrooms and workspaces, we need to replace the deficit model thinking and embrace a ‘Gifts Mindset’ and Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design™.

In schools, this is called Universal Design for Learning. In autistic humans, a standard defining feature is that an individual has deficits in social interaction and communication. In looking at this deficit, consider the double empathy model again. The theory holds that the communication deficit comes from both directions, autistic and non-autistic.

While this might be uncomfortable, it bears consideration. Consider marriage relationships; both parties hold some responsibility in a disagreement. It gets ugly when one party puts itself on a perfection pedestal, and the other one is always to blame.

In his article, The Double Empathy Problem, Dr. Damian Milton states, “… these issues are not due to autistic cognition alone, but a breakdown in reciprocity and mutual understanding that can happen between people with very different ways of experiencing the world.”

Why does this change in perspective matter?

Imagine a world where we lead with reciprocity and mutual understanding. Is it possible? I’d like to believe that it is possible for those who strive for it in their corner of the world — one human light at a time.

We are experiencing a world where an us-versus-them mindset leads to striations and conflict. The result is chilling. It’s tearing apart families, friendships, and countries. So, how can we be the light? Let’s start with inclusion: workplaces, like classrooms, are based on an implicit hierarchy. At the school, the teacher can implicitly and unconsciously influence the culture of the classroom. The same goes for management in the workplace.

What can management do to improve inclusivity in their workplace cultures? Work toward a company culture that includes Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design™. Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design™ does not only consider physical space, corporate policies, and options for individual employee success; it makes inclusion and diversity the norm.

FAQ

What is the deficit model of neurodiversity?
The deficit model of neurodiversity views differences in thinking, learning, communication, or sensory processing primarily as problems to be fixed. This mindset focuses on what a person cannot do instead of recognizing strengths, supports, and environmental factors that influence success.

What is a Gifts Mindset in education and the workplace?
A Gifts Mindset focuses on a person’s strengths first. Instead of defining students or employees by deficits, it looks at how to use their natural abilities while providing strategies and support to address challenges. This approach helps create more inclusive classrooms and workplaces.

Why does the environment matter for neurodivergent people?
The environment matters because many challenges are not caused only by the individual. Noise, lighting, communication styles, rigid expectations, and poor system design can all create barriers. When schools and workplaces change the environment, neurodivergent people are more likely to thrive.

References:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/double-empathy

https://www.achievementnetwork.org/anetblog/eduspeak/deficit-mindset

Neurodiversity Definition

Neurodiversity: this term refers to a general diversity of minds. It includes people who are neurotypical and neurodivergent. When I talk about promoting neurodiversity in the workplace, for example, I am referring to creating a diverse workforce representative of the broad spectrum that exists when it comes to ways of thinking, processing information, communication, and learning. Some employees may be “normal” or neurotypical while others may have ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, or trauma impacted ways of thinking. I am not referring to any particular label or diagnosis, but rather, the concept of an environment where a diversity of minds coexist.

Neurodiverse: This word is pretty much the same as neurodiversity, but should be used as an adjective. You can say, for example, that your workplace is neurodiverse.

Be careful though, because you should never describe a person as being neurodiverse. Individual people should be described as neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent: This word describes an individual whose way of thinking falls outside of society’s defined version of normal. Oftentimes you will see it abbreviated as ND.

Many times, neurodivergent people will have a diagnosis or label you may recognize, like autism, dyslexia, or ADHD. But neurodivergent people are also those with epilepsy, different kinds of brain trauma, or simply a unique way of thinking that may not have a specific diagnosis.

Photo Credits:
Andrea Migliarini /iStockphoto Standard License
Top Neurodiversity Speaker and Expert, Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP

FREE DOWNLOAD: Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Things to Consider Before You Jump On the Bandwagon

Neurodiverse hiring practices can benefit any company in any industry and in more areas than most people realize. The investment has yielded greater patenting, innovation, process improvement, efficiency, and creativity not only in technology industries but also in industries that include investment banking, insurance, and mortgage banking.

This resource explains the term “neurodiversity” and describes the potential positive impact on your business that can come from including neurodivergent individuals in your workplace.

The post Why the Neurodiversity Mindset Needs to Evolve appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

There’s one approach to neurodiverse hiring that has not received much notice in the United States: apprenticeships. Data from the United Kingdom (UK)(HM Government, 2020), where renewed interest in apprenticeships has spurred relevant research, indicates that 89% of employers said apprenticeships helped companies develop skills pertinent to their organization. Over 74% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity and the quality of their product or service.

I remember a time when teens who weren’t into academics and preferred to work with their hands had the option of becoming an apprentice. Starting in secondary school or after graduation, they worked side-by-side with a plumber, electrician, carpenter, etc. They learned the trade hands-on. These opportunities are almost non-existent today. Now, they must (usually) go to a tech school. More school!

One out of five apprentices may be neurodivergent. (Kirby, 2021) Consequently, it’s essential to discover and maximize their strengths.

Any two individuals with neurodivergent attributes have different combinations of strengths. For example, “One person with Dyslexia may have predominant challenges with spelling and another with reading comprehension. The first person may also have difficulties communicating verbally, and the second person may have additional challenges relating to ADHD traits such as time management.” Consequently, their training and support must be tailored to meet their needs.

If that seems daunting, consider that this is true of over 50% of your workers, whether identified as neurodivergent or not! Most corporate learning initiatives reap minimal engagement and success because they are canned learning modules that do not consider individual learning preferences. By providing individualized options for learning and training, ALL employees benefit, which means the company benefits from their corporate learning investment.

One of the challenges both companies and apprentice candidates face is the lack of confidence that has evolved during the school years for neurodivergent adults. Most were labeled learning disabled during their school years. Some were labeled lazy, slow, or unmotivated. Sadly, because schools operate with a deficit mindset instead of a gifts mindset, neurodivergent students go through the school years believing they are not intelligent. This reality exists even though many are not only smart but talented in unique ways. They just don’t learn and thrive the way schools dictate learning should happen.

So, for the best chance of success with apprenticeship programs, the workplace culture must support brain diversity — or neurodiversity.

“Apprentices who received support over the three-month period increased in confidence by 14% on average, and their motivation increased by 16% on average. Crucially, learners who did not have identified learning needs and, therefore, did not receive support experienced no increase in confidence or motivation over the same period.”(Cecile, 2020)

This study is critical because, as previous scientific research has revealed, “Measures of confidence have the highest correlation with academic achievement.”(Sanchez-Ruiz et al., 2016)

Seven companies that have established tech apprenticeships for professionals from diverse backgrounds stand out:

• IBM- Apprenticeship program
• Google- Tech Apprenticeship Program
• Airbnb Connect Software Engineering Apprenticeship
• Accenture- Apprenticeship Program
• LinkedIn- REACH Engineering apprenticeship program
• Microsoft- LEAP Apprenticeship Program
• Pinterest- Tech Apprenticeship Program

What can companies do to facilitate successful apprenticeships?

World bank listed three ways companies can successfully implement apprenticeships (Datta et al., 2020):

1. Create a consortium where businesses can collaborate to design apprenticeship programs. For instance, in France, Sodexo, a food service enterprise; Adecco Group, a staffing firm; Accor, a hospitality company; and Korian, a nursing facility company, collaborated to establish an apprenticeship training center that focuses on culinary arts.
2. Work with local universities and colleges. In Costa Rica, Intel is leveraging a student-worker model to recruit students part-time so they can gain work experience.
3. Introduce work contracts and certifications. A contract guarantees fair wages for all, while certification injects elements of formality to the experience. In the Republic of Benin, craftspeople partnered with the local government to secure government-issued certificates for apprentices. Every apprentice goes through a practical and supervised exam by the local trade association when they ‘graduate’ from the program.

Skill-based interviews

When screening candidates for apprenticeships, interviewers need to customize the interview process to meet the needs of neurodivergent candidates. Companies can embrace this process by

• providing clear instructions for locating assessment tools. One way to do that is to enhance instructions with visual cues or icons.
• Clarifying expectations of the interview process. Lack of clarity causes increased anxiety and undermines a candidate’s ability to prepare appropriately for the interview experience. Let the candidate know what interviewees should expect, the length and format of the interview, and items the candidate should bring. Examples might include portfolios with work samples, a resume copy, pen, notebook, etc.
• Ensuring the candidate has information about whom they will meet and how to contact them in an emergency.
• Securing a suitable interview space that is quiet space devoid of distractions.
• Ensure that the online application portal is not assessing web page navigation instead of job skills. If the user interface is unfriendly, skilled candidates may be lost; Not because they are not viable, but because they can’t navigate the web portal properly.

In my years as a teacher, I saw this same problem with many test questions and instructions — poor wording of questions and unclear instructions caused students (and me) to misunderstand what was being asked or required.

The failure of the test (or web page) creator was the problem. Not the neurodivergent’s ability and skill.

Conclusion

There are significant benefits for companies that embark on an apprenticeship program. An apprenticeship program allows companies to recruit from a broader, more diverse base of candidates. Companies have the opportunity to train employees to meet the specific requirements of their business. The mindset of the candidate and employer is different than when a person is hired in a traditional interview: It’s expected that training is needed, and growth will take some time. This expectation of necessary training is not always the case in conventional hiring practices. Often, candidates are hired, quickly onboarded, and expected to perform with minimal support or training. This process often fails at a high cost to the employer. Apprenticeships are inherently more successful. Most importantly, employees who start through an apprenticeship program will likely stay and grow with the company.

FAQ

How can apprenticeships support a neurodiverse workforce?
Apprenticeships can support a neurodiverse workforce by creating hands-on, skill-based pathways into employment. Instead of relying only on traditional interviews or academic credentials, apprenticeships allow candidates to learn on the job, build confidence, and demonstrate their strengths in real work settings.

Why are apprenticeships a strong hiring strategy for neurodivergent candidates?
Apprenticeships are a strong hiring strategy for neurodivergent candidates because they focus on growth, training, and practical skill development. This can reduce some of the barriers created by traditional hiring processes, especially for candidates whose strengths are not always visible in a standard interview or online application system.

What makes an apprenticeship program more inclusive for neurodivergent learners?
An inclusive apprenticeship program offers clear instructions, flexible training methods, quiet and low-distraction environments, transparent interview expectations, and support tailored to individual learning needs. These adjustments help neurodivergent apprentices build skills, confidence, and long-term success.

Resources:

Apprenticeships.gov.uk resource hubhttps://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/influencers/resource hub

Apprenticeship.gov (USA) https://www.apprenticeship.gov

References:

Cecile. (2020). Improve Apprenticeship Retention Rates — Cognassist. Cognassist Blog. https://cognassist.com/insights/improve-apprenticeship-retention-rates/

Datta, N., Krishnamurthy, A., & Mannie, N. (2020). 3 ways to build lasting apprenticeship programs. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/jobs/3-ways-build-lasting-apprenticeship-programs

Fritsch, S. (2022). Land Your Dream Job Through Volunteering? It Happens More Than You Think. Forbes2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeseq/2022/05/01/land-your-dream-job-through-volunteering-it-happens-more-than-you-think/?sh=78794e49a435

HM Government. (2020). What are the benefits of hiring an apprentice? Apprenticeships.Gov.Uk. https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/employers/benefits-of-hiring-apprentice#

IBM Newsroom. (2021). IBM Newsroom — Neurodiversity @ IBM. IBM Newsroom2. https://newsroom.ibm.com/Neurodiversity-IBM

Kirby, A. (2021). Apprenticeship and Neurodiversity — recognising intrapreneurship — FE News. FeNews. https://www.fenews.co.uk/exclusive/apprenticeship-and-neurodiversity-recognising-intrapreneurship/

Quickfall, C. (2022). Supporting neurodiverse apprentices | Training Journal. Training Journal. https://www.trainingjournal.com/articles/features/supporting-neurodiverse-apprentices

Sanchez-Ruiz, M.-J., Khoury, J. El, Saadé, G., & Salkhanian, M. (2016). Non-Cognitive Variables and Academic Achievement. Non-Cognitive Skills and Factors in Educational Attainment, 65–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-591-3_4

Williams, A. (2021). (2) Top companies who are engaging their Neurodivergence in 2021 | LinkedIn. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-companies-who-engaging-neurodivergence-2021-andrew-williams/

Neurodiversity Definition

Neurodiversity: this term refers to a general diversity of minds. It includes people who are neurotypical and neurodivergent. When I talk about promoting neurodiversity in the workplace, for example, I am referring to creating a diverse workforce representative of the broad spectrum that exists when it comes to ways of thinking, processing information, communication, and learning. Some employees may be “normal” or neurotypical while others may have ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, or trauma impacted ways of thinking. I am not referring to any particular label or diagnosis, but rather, the concept of an environment where a diversity of minds coexist.

Neurodiverse: This word is pretty much the same as neurodiversity, but should be used as an adjective. You can say, for example, that your workplace is neurodiverse.

Be careful though, because you should never describe a person as being neurodiverse. Individual people should be described as neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent: This word describes an individual whose way of thinking falls outside of society’s defined version of normal. Oftentimes you will see it abbreviated as ND.

Many times, neurodivergent people will have a diagnosis or label you may recognize, like autism, dyslexia, or ADHD. But neurodivergent people are also those with epilepsy, different kinds of brain trauma, or simply a unique way of thinking that may not have a specific diagnosis.

Photo Credits: ThisisEngineering RAEng, Sepp Rutz, and Mimi Thian on Unsplash

FREE DOWNLOAD: Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Things to Consider Before You Jump On the Bandwagon

Neurodiverse hiring practices can benefit any company in any industry and in more areas than most people realize. The investment has yielded greater patenting, innovation, process improvement, efficiency, and creativity not only in technology industries but also in industries that include investment banking, insurance, and mortgage banking.

This resource explains the term “neurodiversity” and describes the potential positive impact on your business that can come from including neurodivergent individuals in your workplace.

The post How Apprenticeships Support Neurodiverse Hiring and Workforce Development appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

For all the acceptance that neurodivergence has been receiving, including workplace initiatives to recruit and train neurodivergent talent, we still have a long way to go to achieve equity and full inclusion. Stereotypes still shape hiring patterns, and too many hiring practices are built around those stereotypes.

I have often spoken about neurodiversity as a competitive advantage. I have cited workplace research and employer case studies showing that neurodiverse teams can strengthen innovation, problem-solving, and performance when people are supported well. But there is another side of this conversation that deserves equal attention.

I also believe that every human being has unique gifts. Yet there is growing concern about the “superpower” stereotype in neurodiversity conversations. This language shows up especially often in discussions of autism. It is time to bring those concerns into the open.

When neurodiversity hiring initiatives are introduced, there is often an assumption that the candidates will primarily be autistic, and that they will be savants or extraordinary outliers. At the same time, those same candidates are often expected to assimilate into a neurotypical work environment that was never designed with neurodiversity in mind. They are expected to exceed expectations while also adapting seamlessly to systems that may be actively working against them.

This superhuman expectation is especially common in workplace conversations about autism. Our tendency to rely on stereotypes about people who are different from us weakens hiring initiatives before they begin. Despite growing awareness, the autism employment gap remains significant. In the UK, ONS-linked reporting highlighted by the National Autistic Society found that only 22% of autistic adults were in any kind of employment. That is not a talent problem. It is a systems problem.

At a time when highly visible public figures are often used as shorthand for neurodivergent success, it is worth asking what that idealization has done to the broader picture of neurodivergence. More than one autistic colleague has asked me not to use celebrity examples as proof points. Stereotypes that suggest neurodivergent people must be geniuses, savants, or exceptional outliers can be deeply harmful. They affect self-worth, distort public understanding, and raise the bar so high that ordinary human strengths are ignored.

At its worst, this pressure contributes to masking. Masking, or camouflaging, is a coping strategy in which autistic people suppress or alter natural traits in order to fit social expectations. Research continues to show that masking is associated with emotional distress, exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and burnout.

What counts as acceptable neurodivergence – and who decides?

Organizations often try to define what an acceptable presentation of neurodivergence looks like. When neurodivergent people are not included in those discussions, the result is often arbitrary. Presumed exceptional attributes become the standard. Corporate narratives end up rooted in social misconceptions rather than lived experience. Inclusion becomes tokenized.

Well-known workplace platforms often describe neurodivergence as a competitive advantage, but too often they do so by spotlighting extraordinary mathematical ability, software brilliance, or unusual memory. That focus on “superpowers” sets unrealistic expectations. Instead of creating equity, it flips reality on its head. It can leave people believing that neurodivergent employees are somehow privileged because of unusual gifts, while ignoring the real barriers they face.

This pattern is not new. It has deep roots in pop culture. Research on autism stereotypes has long noted that media portrayals disproportionately emphasize savant abilities and exceptionalism.

Movies like Rain Man helped bring autism into public conversation, but they also reinforced a narrow image by centering savant syndrome. More recent examples have continued that pattern. Characters like Sheldon Cooper and Shaun Murphy are often portrayed through the lens of extraordinary intelligence, eccentricity, and exceptional skill. The result is a damaging question that hovers beneath the surface:

Is neurodivergence only considered legitimate when it comes with exceptional talent?

Revamping our hiring practices

Generalizing the entire neurodivergent population under one umbrella does very little to dismantle the stereotypes that guide many human resource decisions. Hiring systems that see neurodivergence in black and white leave candidates facing the same recurring problem: to be accepted into a neurotypical workplace, they must either camouflage their neurodivergence through masking or somehow prove themselves extraordinary enough to compensate for it.

Pop culture continues to promote the idea that exceptional talent is the only acceptable version of neurodivergence. Hiring practices often mirror that belief.

This critique of the savant stereotype is not a call to lower expectations. It is a call to raise awareness. Employers need to become aware of the stereotypes that do not serve organizations seeking to build truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.

If companies want neurodiversity hiring initiatives to succeed, they need to move beyond the search for brilliance wrapped in conformity. They need to stop asking whether a candidate seems exceptional enough to justify support. They need to ask whether the hiring process is actually measuring job capability or simply rewarding the people who best match a narrow social norm.

A neuroinclusive workplace does not assume every neurodivergent person is a genius. It does not expect people to be superhuman. It creates conditions where a wide range of minds can contribute, grow, and succeed.

References

Austin, R.D., and Pisano, G.P. “Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage.” Harvard Business Review, 2017.

Draaisma, D. “Stereotypes of Autism.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2009.

Heasman, B. “Employers may discriminate against autism without realising.” London School of Economics Blogs, 2017.

Pearson, A. and Rose, K. “A Conceptual Analysis of Autistic Masking: Understanding the Narrative of Stigma and the Illusion of Choice.” Autism in Adulthood, 2021.

Neurodiversity Definition

Neurodiversity: This term refers to the natural diversity of human minds. It includes people who are neurotypical and neurodivergent. When I talk about promoting neurodiversity in the workplace, I am referring to creating a workforce that reflects the broad spectrum of ways people think, process information, communicate, and learn. Some employees may be neurotypical, while others may have ADHD, dyslexia, autism, trauma-impacted ways of thinking, or other differences in how they move through the world.

Neurodiverse: This word is best used as an adjective to describe a group, team, or workplace. For example, you can say that a workplace is neurodiverse.

Be careful, though, because you should not describe one person as neurodiverse. An individual person should be described as neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent: This word describes an individual whose way of thinking, processing, or learning differs from what is considered neurotypical. You may also see it abbreviated as ND.

Many neurodivergent people may have a diagnosis or label you recognize, such as autism, dyslexia, or ADHD. Neurodivergence may also include epilepsy, brain injury, or other differences in how a person processes the world.

FAQ

What is the “superpower” stereotype in neurodivergent hiring?
The “superpower” stereotype is the idea that neurodivergent candidates, especially autistic candidates, are valuable only if they bring extraordinary or savant-level abilities. This stereotype can distort hiring decisions by creating unrealistic expectations and overlooking capable people whose strengths are real but not sensationalized.

Why is the savant stereotype harmful in the workplace?
The savant stereotype is harmful because it narrows how employers define value. Instead of recognizing a wide range of strengths, employers may expect neurodivergent candidates to be exceptional outliers. That can lead to tokenism, biased hiring, masking, and missed opportunities to build truly inclusive teams.

How can companies make neurodivergent hiring more inclusive?
Companies can improve neurodivergent hiring by focusing on actual job skills rather than stereotypes, involving neurodivergent voices in decision-making, using skills-based assessments, and designing workplaces that do not require people to mask or conform to narrow social norms in order to succeed.

Photo by Michelle Cassar on Unsplash

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We survived a global crisis only to voluntarily drag our best talent back into environments guaranteed to break them. Think about that for a second.

For a brief period during the pandemic lockdowns, people who process the world differently finally had control over their workspace. They thrived. Now we are forcing them back into the sensory nightmare of the open plan office. And company leaders are genuinely baffled as to why their people are disengaged.

Return-to-office mandates and rigid workplace systems often undermine neurodivergent employees by prioritizing conformity over capability.

This profound disconnect was the focus of a recent feature by Cath Everett for Diginomica. She examined a startling new report by City and Guilds that exposed a massive gap in the modern workplace. Senior leaders are highly confident they are providing excellent support for their workforce. But the employees on the ground report a completely different reality. There is a widening chasm between corporate intent and lived experience.

I spoke with Cath for the feature, and I pointed out one of the biggest drivers of this gap. Awareness moves faster than implementation. But there are other factors too, one of which is tech companies’ widespread return to office mandates. As I explained in the article:

“During COVID, people started working from home and many neurodiverse people found life became easier as they didn’t have someone sitting on either side of them and could do things like adjust the lighting to suit themselves. Even when they had to return to the office for one or two days a week, it was bearable. But many employers are now forcing people back full-time, which can be a nightmare if you have ADHD or autism.”

What Employers Still Get Wrong

Organizations confuse activity with results. You can hold all the inclusion seminars you want. You can write sweeping corporate policies and celebrate your diversity initiatives in marketing brochures. But if you demand absolute conformity in how work gets done on a Tuesday afternoon, your policies are useless.

Employers are still operating from a deficit mindset. They look at someone who struggles with harsh fluorescent lights or the constant chatter of an open floor plan and they see a broken employee. They see a problem to fix.

We are essentially pulling an octopus out of the ocean and dropping it onto the beach. On the sand, the octopus looks clumsy. It struggles to move. Through a deficit lens, you might conclude the octopus lacks mobility skills. You might even put it on a performance improvement plan to teach it how to walk. The reality is the octopus is a marvel of engineering. The environment is just wrong. Put it back in the water and watch what it can do.

We do this constantly in the corporate world. We recruit divergent thinkers for their exceptional cognitive skills. Then we drop them into loud, bright, chaotic spaces and expect them to seamlessly assimilate. When they struggle, we blame the employee. We fail to recognize that our own systems are the barrier. We expect people to be superhuman in their output while ignoring their basic human biology.

This obsession with conformity starts before a person is even hired. What employers still get wrong is relying on the traditional job interview. Standard interviews are just mini performances. They test how well a candidate makes small talk, holds eye contact, and mirrors the interviewer. They do not test how well a person can actually do the job. A brilliant software developer might freeze when forced to answer multi part verbal questions on the spot. If you reject them for a lack of social polish, you are filtering out your most innovative thinkers. You are actively choosing conformity over capability.

Why Return-to-Office Policies Hurt Neurodivergent Employees

This is not about making people feel warm and fuzzy. This is a conversation about business survival and the staggering cost of lost potential.

When you force people to work in ways that fight their natural wiring, they have to compensate. They spend massive amounts of energy just trying to look normal. They hide their struggles. Every ounce of energy a person spends trying to block out background noise or navigate unwritten social rules is energy stolen from problem solving.

It leads straight to burnout. Your top performers become exhausted. Output drops. Eventually, they leave and take decades of institutional knowledge straight to your competitors.

This loss of talent is entirely preventable. Consider a top performing sales representative I worked with. Let us call him Ben. Ben was brilliant at connecting with clients. He understood his product inside and out. But Ben is a divergent thinker who struggles with dense, text heavy reading. He successfully hid his dyslexia for decades. Then his company rolled out a new learning management system requiring timed written tests to earn product certifications.

When Ben took the tests, the letters flipped on the screen. He begged senior management for an alternative way to prove his product knowledge. They refused. The rules were the rules. Ben left the company. They lost their best salesperson because they prioritized a rigid testing system over actual job capability. The cruel irony is that his company had a highly publicized hiring initiative for different thinkers. They celebrated inclusion in theory but refused to offer a simple adjustment in practice.

The impact is even more severe for women in middle management. Society teaches girls to hide their differences from birth. They learn to turn their distress inward to avoid making waves. By the time a neurodivergent employees reaches middle management, she is completely depleted from a lifetime of masking. If she asks direct questions to understand a project, she is labeled difficult. If she concentrates hard, her intense facial expression is misread as anger. Workplaces operating on traditional power based norms marginalize these brilliant minds every single day.

We see this frequently in the tech sector with the superpower stereotype. Companies want to hire a brilliant coder, but they expect a savant. They expect superhuman capabilities combined with seamless social assimilation into a fast paced culture. When the employee inevitably struggles with the sensory environment, the company is entirely unprepared to support them. We are leaving performance on the table. We are stifling innovation because we are too stubborn to rethink how work gets done.

Moving Beyond Labels and Designing for Capability

The solution is not to create special categories or stick clinical labels on people. In fact, labels often do more harm than good. They trigger unconscious bias. They make people feel othered. Most of your divergent thinkers will never disclose their struggles because they fear being stereotyped. They do not want to be the office poster child for an inclusion initiative. They just want to do their jobs.

When I speak with leaders about making changes, they almost always bring up fairness. They tell me they cannot let one person wear headphones or work from home because it would not be fair to everyone else. They fundamentally misunderstand what fairness actually means.

Imagine you are on a flight for a solo business trip. You are stuck in a middle seat. The air is hot. The person behind you is kicking your chair. A baby is crying non stop. The smell of fast food is wafting through the cabin. You have a critical report to finish before you land. You have two choices. You can grit your teeth, suffer through sensory assault, and produce terrible work. Or you can put on a pair of noise canceling headphones so you can focus.

If you put those headphones on, is that favoritism? Are you getting a special perk? No. You are using a tool to function. True equity means giving people the specific tools they need to do their best work. Forcing everyone to work under the exact same conditions is not fair. It is destructive.

Why Inclusive Workplace Design Works Better

We need to stop trying to fix the people and start fixing the environment. I call this Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design™. It is a philosophy built on common sense and flexibility.

Make adjustments universally. If flexible hours help one person, offer them to everyone. If someone needs to sit in a dimly lit work area to be productive, give them the go ahead. Create quiet chill spaces in the office where anyone can escape sensory overload. When you make flexibility the standard, nobody has to out themselves just to get the tools they need. You eliminate the whispers about favoritism entirely.

This design shift must extend to how we share information and collaborate. Not everyone learns by listening to a manager speak at the front of a room. I once worked with a vice president who had a lead developer on her team. During a critical Zoom meeting to solve a complex issue, the developer kept her head down the entire time. She barely spoke. The vice president could have assumed she was disengaged and called her out. Instead, she waited. Near the end of the meeting, she asked the developer if she had anything to add.

The developer looked up and said she had been mapping out the conversation. She held up a hand drawn flowchart she created while listening. She had successfully identified the break in the process by visually mapping out the problem. That is the kind of capability we unlock when we stop forcing people to look and act like traditional employees.

How to Design for Capability Instead of Compliance

If you want to bring different minds into your company, switch to skills based assessments instead of traditional interviews. Give candidates the interview questions in advance. Allow them to process the information so you get their best answers, not just their fastest ones. Partner with candidates to discover their natural strengths rather than searching for their flaws.

The ground beneath us will always shift. We cannot control that. But we can absolutely control the environments we build on top of it. The future belongs to organizations that let go of forced conformity. When you shift from a deficit mindset to a gifts mindset, you clear the path for raw talent to thrive. You build a high performance culture where every mind can contribute. Get the octopus back in the water. Let your people do what they do best.

FAQ

Why do return-to-office policies affect neurodivergent employees differently?
Return-to-office policies can create added barriers for neurodivergent employees because many office environments include sensory overload, constant interruptions, bright lighting, noise, and social demands that make concentration and regulation more difficult. Remote or flexible work often gives people more control over their environment and working conditions.

What is inclusive workplace design?
Inclusive workplace design is the practice of creating work environments, policies, and communication systems that support different ways of thinking, processing, and working. This can include flexible schedules, quiet spaces, alternative ways to share information, and options that reduce unnecessary barriers to performance.

Why is forced conformity bad for business?
Forced conformity can lead to burnout, disengagement, lower productivity, and higher turnover. When companies prioritize looking like a “traditional employee” over actual capability, they risk losing highly skilled people who could otherwise make strong contributions.

References

https://diginomica.com/employers-are-convinced-they-provide-effective-support-neurodivergent-employees-lived-experiences

https://neurodiversityintheworkplace.guru

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The post What Employers Still Get Wrong About Neurodiversity and Return-to-Office Policies appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

The Big Shift in Learning

Have you ever taken a course and did everything you were told to do and yet still didn’t get it? It is not because you can’t learn.

Traditional instruction has relied on a “talk and test” model:
Say it. Assign it. Test it.

This approach works for some learners, but it fails many others.

When instruction is delivered in only one format, it does not measure true learning. It measures how well someone can comply with that specific teaching method.

Real learning happens when there are multiple ways to access and process information.

The first step toward becoming a more effective learner is understanding your learning strengths and information processing style.

Learning Styles vs. Reality: How People Actually Learn

Traditional Model:

• One path for everyone
• Measures compliance
• Leaves many learners behind

Effective Learning Model:

• Multiple access points
• Based on individual strengths
• Measures true understanding
• Reaches nearly all learners

Common Learning Styles and Strategies

These are not labels meant to box you in. They are tools to help you find your own way into a subject. You have permission to learn differently.

• Word Learners. These people like reading, writing, and storytelling. They remember what they hear or read.
  
  Strategy: If you learn this way, do not just stare at a page. Take control by writing a script or an article to explain the concept.

• Pattern and System Thinkers. They ask “how does this work” a lot. They need a problem to solve or a strategy to build. They notice problem solving through cause and effect.
  
  Strategy: Use logic to your advantage. If a lesson feels random, find the system or the code behind it.

• Movers and Doers. These people are hands on. They might fidget, tap, or shift while thinking. That is not a behavior problem. It is a clue. They show understanding through action.
  
  Strategy: You are allowed to move to focus. Build a model or act it out to make the lesson stick.

• Visual Thinkers. You explain it and they get nothing. You draw it and boom. They might doodle while you speak, but they are still with you. They are visualizing the concept.
  
  Strategy: Use diagrams, maps, and color. It is your way in.

• Sound and Rhythm Connectors. They pick up patterns in sound. They may hum, tap, or create beats while working. They use rhythm to store information.
  
  Strategy: Use audio or verbal repetition to master hard facts.

• Social Processors. They learn by talking and collaborating. If you make them sit silently, they do not learn as well.
  
  Strategy: You need interaction to think. Find a partner and talk the idea out to prove you get it.

• Independent Processors. They are reflecting on learning before they speak. They need quiet time to make deep sense of things.
  
  Strategy: Your need for quiet is a strength. Take the time you need to process before you respond.

• Real-World Thinkers. They ask “When am I ever going to use this?” It is a fair question. They like sorting and notice details others miss.
  
  Strategy: Connect the lesson to your environment. If the work is practical, you will master it faster.

• Big Picture Thinkers. They want meaning and purpose. They ask deep “why” questions. If they do not see a point, they are done.
  
  The So What: Always look for the purpose first. Once you see the “why,” your focus will follow.

How to Identify Your Learning Strengths

Once you know how you learn, you can choose better ways to work. That is how you build independence. Use this checklist to find your top two or three strengths.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• [  ] Do I understand an idea faster when someone draws a map or diagram? (Visual)
  
• [  ] Do I find myself fidgeting or tapping when I am trying to focus? (Mover)
  
• [  ] Would I rather talk an idea through with a friend than write it down? (Social)
  
• [  ] Do I frequently ask why we are learning a specific topic or what it matters? (Big Picture)
  
• [  ] Do I need a few minutes of silence before I feel ready to answer a question? (Independent)
  
• [  ] Do I like to take things apart or build models to see how they work? (Pattern/Mover)
  
• [  ] Do I notice details in the environment that others seem to miss? (Real-World)

Learning Strategies That Match Your Strengths

Effective learning happens when your strategy matches your processing style.

To process information:

• Visual → diagrams and mapping
• Auditory → repetition and discussion
• Logical → cause-and-effect analysis
• Practical → sorting and real-world application

To demonstrate learning:

• Verbal → writing or explaining
• Kinesthetic → building or demonstrating
• Independent → journaling
• Logical → designing systems or timelines

To stay engaged:

• Social → collaboration
• Big Picture → connect to purpose
• Kinesthetic → movement
• Independent → solo work before sharing

Final Thought: Start Small and Build Momentum

You do not need to change everything at once.

Start with one adjustment. One new strategy. One new way to access information.

When learning aligns with how your brain processes information, your confidence increases and your results improve.

Once you experience that shift, you will not go back.

Frequently Asked Questions About Learning Styles

What are learning strengths or learning styles?
Learning strengths refer to the ways individuals most effectively process and understand information, such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or verbal learning styles.

How can I identify how I learn best?
You can identify your learning style by noticing how you naturally process information – whether through visuals, discussion, movement, reflection, or real-world application.

Do learning styles actually improve learning outcomes?
Yes. When learning strategies align with how a person processes information, comprehension improves, retention increases, and engagement becomes more consistent.

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Much of my work is helping professionals see that they’re not “bad at learning”; they’re simply trying to learn in a way that doesn’t work for their brains. While my work naturally helps many neurodivergent people, it applies to neurotypical people with different learning styles.

Much of my work helps professionals recognize that they do not need to fight the way their brains work. Instead, they need to learn in ways that support their attention, processing, and memory. While this approach often helps neurodivergent learners, it is just as valuable for neurotypical people with different learning preferences and needs.

When I joined Michael Sherlock on her podcast, we discussed useful tools and strategies that help people learn more effectively. Here are five brain-based learning strategies that can help you learn faster and retain more of what you learn.

Optimize Your Environment for Focus

Your brain cannot process and retain information as effectively when it is constantly distracted. That is why your learning environment matters.

Start by reducing as many distractions as possible. For me, that means using noise-canceling headphones when I need to focus. Outside noise pulls my attention away from the task, so I work and learn more effectively when I limit what competes for my attention.

It also helps to pay attention to what you are hearing while you work. Some people focus well with music, while others do not. I learned through trial and error that music with lyrics does not work for me. Over time, I found sounds that help me focus instead of pulling me away from the task.

Visual distractions matter too. A cluttered workspace can interrupt concentration just as much as background noise. Move things out of view, simplify your setup, and create a space that supports sustained focus.

If you work from home, experiment with different supports and notice what actually helps. The same strategy will not work for everyone. The key is to stop comparing your focus needs to someone else’s and start identifying what allows you to do your best work.

Pause to Process What You Learn

One of the most effective ways to improve retention is to pause at regular intervals and let your brain process what you just learned.

These pauses do not have to be long. Even a short break can help reduce overload and give your brain time to organize new information. When I am learning something new, I often stop to take notes or capture a screen image for reference. My husband likes to take a short walk while he processes what he has learned. The method can vary, but the principle is the same: pause, reflect, and give your brain time to connect the dots.

When you return to learning after a short pause, your brain is often better able to connect new information to what you already know. Instead of overwhelming yourself with too much content at once, you create space for understanding.

Some people also process information better while doing something with their hands. I have worked with people who knit during training sessions, and I have folded laundry while listening to a webinar. If that helps you stay engaged, use it. Just make sure you stop at intervals to take notes, summarize key points, or record a quick voice memo so the learning sticks.

Preview the Framework Before You Begin

If you want to learn faster, give your brain a framework before diving into the details.

Reviewing the course outline, the main topics, or even a short summary in advance gives your brain a structure for what is coming. That structure helps you sort and categorize information as you learn it. Your brain processes information more effectively when it has context.

If a course or presentation does not provide a framework, take a minute or two to find a basic overview of the topic before you begin. A quick article, summary, or short explanation can prepare your brain to make better sense of the information in real time.

This does not take long, but it can make a significant difference in how well you understand and retain new material.

Teach What You Learn

One of the fastest ways to strengthen learning is to teach the material to someone else.

When you explain what you have learned, you are forced to organize it, simplify it, and retrieve it from memory. That process deepens understanding and helps you remember it better.

You do not need a formal audience. Teach a colleague, a friend, your child, or even your dog if you want to. The goal is not to impress anyone. The goal is to practice explaining the concept in your own words.

This strategy is especially effective for people who process information by talking it through. If teaching helps you learn, be honest about that. It may even become an asset at work. For example, if a colleague misses a training session, volunteering to share what you learned can reinforce your own understanding while helping someone else.

Learn How You Learn Best

The most important learning strategy is to become a student of your own learning process.

For years, many people were taught that there was only one right way to learn. We now know that is not true. People learn differently, and those differences matter.

Start paying attention to what helps you focus, what helps you retain information, and what makes learning harder. Watch videos, listen to podcasts, read articles, take courses, and notice which methods help the information stick. When something feels difficult, ask yourself why. Is the pace too fast? Is there too much information at once? Is the format not working for your brain?

Once you begin to understand how you learn best, you can make smarter choices about how to study, train, work, and grow. That self-awareness is one of the most powerful learning tools you can develop.

FAQ

What are brain-based learning strategies?
Brain-based learning strategies are techniques that work with how attention, memory, and processing function. Examples include reducing distractions, taking short pauses to process information, previewing a framework before learning, and teaching others what you have learned.

Do short breaks really help you learn faster?
Yes. Short pauses can improve learning because they reduce overload and give your brain time to organize and retain new information. Even a brief pause to reflect, take notes, or review key ideas can support better retention.

Why does teaching someone else help you remember information?
Teaching helps you remember because it forces you to retrieve information, organize your thoughts, and explain ideas clearly in your own words. That process strengthens understanding and makes learning more likely to stick.

Neurodiversity Definition

Neurodiversity: This term refers to the natural diversity of human minds. It includes people who are neurotypical and neurodivergent. When I talk about neurodiversity, I am referring to the broad range of ways people think, process information, communicate, and learn.

Neurodiverse: This word should be used as an adjective to describe a group, team, or workplace. For example, you can say that a workplace is neurodiverse.

Be careful, though. You should not describe one person as neurodiverse. An individual should be described as neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent: This word describes an individual whose way of thinking, processing, or learning differs from what is considered neurotypical. You may also see it abbreviated as ND.

A neurodivergent person may have a diagnosis such as ADHD, dyslexia, autism, epilepsy, or a brain injury, or they may simply process the world in a way that differs from dominant expectations.

Image credit andrewgenn / Dollar Photo Club Standard License.

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Why Neurodiversity in the Workplace Matters

Many leaders say they value diversity, but they often overlook one of the most important forms of difference on a team – neurodiversity. When organizations build workplaces that welcome different ways of thinking, processing information, communicating, and solving problems, they gain more than inclusion. They gain creativity, innovation, and stronger problem-solving across the board.

The challenge is that many traditional hiring and workplace practices were designed around neurotypical norms. If you want neurodivergent employees to thrive, you need to rethink both how you hire and how you support people once they join the team.

I recently spoke with Gregg Gregory on his podcast The Teamwork Advantage about the importance of neurodiverse teams and how to nurture them.

So, what can businesses and managers do to hire more neurodivergent people and create a workplace that allows them to thrive?

How Hiring Practices Can Exclude Neurodivergent Talent

Many traditional hiring practices do not accommodate people with neurodivergence, or only accommodate those who have learned to mask their neurodivergence. Masking is the ability to act like a neurotypical person in social settings. This behavior is often learned while young to fit in with peers.

Traditional hiring practices are tailored to people with neurotypical brains. They require a good grasp of social norms to succeed. In-person interviews, for example, require a lot of eye contact and positive body language. It also requires the interviewee to read between the lines and address the subtext of a question along with the actual question. These practices would rule out some candidates with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) or autism, regardless of how capable they are for the actual role.

The practice of asking for a resume or cover letter may also eliminate neurodivergent people. It is an obvious barrier for people with dyslexia, but other neurodivergent groups may also struggle to know what to write. Unless they get professional help to write these documents, they may not even make it through the process to get an interview.

Currently, more companies in sectors like technology and finance are recognizing that neurodivergent employees bring valuable strengths to the workplace, including pattern recognition, innovation, focus, persistence, and unconventional problem-solving.

Companies that are looking to hire neurodivergent employees haven’t dropped traditional hiring practices, but they have added processes that allow them to better assess the suitability of candidates. In many cases, they ask candidates to complete mini-projects or solve problems to see their abilities. This is a win-win situation for companies because they are hiring people who can do the job, not just people who fit the neurotypical mold.

How to Build a Neuroinclusive Workplace Culture

Hiring a neurodiverse team is only part of the process. Companies also need to create an atmosphere where neurodivergent people feel safe and comfortable. Without this, your neurodivergent team members will not thrive, or worse, they may face hostility from colleagues or managers.

I like to look at the pandemic as an example of what happens when companies accommodate the needs of their employees. Before the pandemic, corporate culture was adamant that employees needed to be in the office to achieve peak productivity and collaboration. It was thought that allowing employees to work from home would cost too much in terms of productivity, system management, and company culture.

But when the world was forced to work from home, we discovered that wasn’t the case. Companies that loosened the reins and were open to different ways of working thrived during the pandemic. So, for companies who wonder how best to support neurodivergent workers, the answer is, the same way you supported workers during the pandemic. Let your team tell you how they work best, be open to trying different things.

It is not just people with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing disorders who will benefit. Taking a flexible approach to the workplace will benefit all your employees. It will help people with different learning preferences, different social capacities, and even those experiencing stress to have a better workplace experience. Discussions around working styles and needs will help your team become more sensitive to each other’s needs.

A great example of this is Ultranauts Inc., a software testing company that employs many autistic people. All new hires are given a BioDex, A user manual for every teammate, that introduces them to their new team members. Included in the BioDex is data about preferred working styles and communication methods to ensure a harmonious work environment. 

This kind of initiative not only helps neurodivergent team members, but neurotypical team members also benefit from people communicating with them in their preferred manner.

An employee user’s manual is a great step in promoting the cultural change that is necessary to successfully create a neurodiverse team. It provides opportunities for people to consider their work preferences and understand that others may have different inclinations. So, when someone with a sensory disorder needs to wear earbuds or headphones at work to concentrate, it is less likely to cause offense to other team members. It also opens the door for neurotypical employees to be able to use noise-canceling headphones when they need to concentrate; open-plan offices aren’t conducive to deep focus.

Simple Workplace Accommodations That Help Everyone

Being open to creating a workplace that is conducive to the needs of neurodivergent employees means understanding that people work best in different ways. While it’s important to have conversations about how to make workplaces more inclusive to neurodivergent people, these conversations are futile when C-Suite executives promote a “one size fits all” approach to workplaces. Even neurotypical people don’t all work in the same way. Extroverts may thrive in open-plan offices, while introverts would prefer more privacy. Visual learners may struggle in verbal brainstorming meetings, while auditory learners may thrive.

By empowering employees to discuss their individual needs, businesses can create a workplace where workers can reach their full potential. Think about it; an introvert is never going to be able to do their best work in an open-plan office when people keep stopping by their desk to “pick their brain.” But if they had the ability to tailor their work environment to their needs, they could improve their output. It doesn’t require renovations or expensive tools. An introverted employee could discuss working from home when they need to or wearing headphones in the office when they need more focus. They could discuss their communication preferences with colleagues and ask them to email instead of stopping by.

Yes, these culture shifts make the workplace accessible to neurodivergent people, but they also result in an overall happier, more productive workforce. Cultivating a neurodiverse team should not be viewed as disruptive or too much work; it is a win for everyone involved.

FAQ

What is neurodiversity in the workplace?

Neurodiversity in the workplace refers to the presence of employees who think, learn, process information, and communicate in different ways. A neurodiverse workforce includes both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals. When organizations recognize and support those differences, they create stronger, more innovative teams.

What does it mean to build a neuroinclusive workplace?

A neuroinclusive workplace is a work environment designed to support different thinking styles, communication preferences, sensory needs, and problem-solving approaches. This can include flexible communication methods, alternative hiring practices, sensory-friendly options, and clear expectations that help all employees do their best work.

How can hiring practices be more inclusive for neurodivergent candidates?

Hiring practices become more inclusive when we reduce unnecessary reliance on resumes, cover letters, eye contact, social performance, and vague interview questions. Employers can use work samples, problem-solving tasks, job previews, and clearer communication to assess whether a candidate can do the job rather than whether they fit a narrow social mold.

What workplace accommodations help neurodivergent employees thrive?

Helpful accommodations may include flexible work location, quiet spaces, headphones, written follow-up after meetings, clear deadlines, predictable routines, visual supports, and communication preferences that reduce ambiguity. Many of these supports help all employees, not only neurodivergent team members.

Why does neurodiversity benefit workplace teams?

Neurodiversity benefits teams because people who think differently often bring unique strengths in creativity, pattern recognition, problem-solving, innovation, attention to detail, and systems thinking. A team that includes different cognitive styles is often better equipped to identify inefficiencies and generate fresh solutions.

Neurodiversity, Neurodivergent, and Neurodiverse: What the Terms Mean

Neurodiversity: this term refers to a general diversity of minds. It includes people who are neurotypical and neurodivergent. When I talk about promoting neurodiversity in the workplace, for example, I am referring to creating a diverse workforce representative of the broad spectrum that exists when it comes to ways of thinking, processing information, communication, and learning. Some employees may be “normal” or neurotypical while others may have ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, or trauma impacted ways of thinking. I am not referring to any particular label or diagnosis, but rather, the concept of an environment where a diversity of minds coexist.

Neurodiverse: This word is pretty much the same as neurodiversity, but should be used as an adjective. You can say, for example, that your workplace is neurodiverse.

Be careful though, because you should never describe a person as being neurodiverse. Individual people should be described as neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent: This word describes an individual whose way of thinking falls outside of society’s defined version of normal, or neurotypical. Oftentimes you will see it abbreviated as ND.

Many times, neurodivergent people will have a diagnosis or label you may recognize, like autism, dyslexia, or ADHD. But neurodivergent people are also those with epilepsy, different kinds of brain trauma, or simply a unique way of thinking that may not have a specific diagnosis.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Things to Consider Before You Jump On the Bandwagon

Neurodiverse hiring practices can benefit any company in any industry and in more areas than most people realize. The investment has yielded greater patenting, innovation, process improvement, efficiency, and creativity not only in technology industries but also in industries that include investment banking, insurance, and mortgage banking.

This resource explains the term “neurodiversity” and describes the potential positive impact on your business that can come from including neurodivergent individuals in your workplace.

The post How to Build Neurodiverse Workplace Teams That Thrive appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Stimming is short for self-stimulatory behavior. It includes repetitive movements or repeated use of objects, and it shows up in autistic people, people with ADHD, people with sensory processing differences, and plenty of neurotypical people, too.

Nail biting, leg bouncing, pen clicking, hair twirling, and chewing on a pencil all fit the same basic pattern. The difference is that neurodivergent stims can be more visible, more frequent, and sometimes unsafe, which is why they attract attention in classrooms, clinics, and workplaces.

The reframe matters: many stims are a form of self-regulation, not defiance. For some people, a stim adds input when the brain is under-stimulated. For others, it helps dampen or organize input when the environment is too loud, bright, busy, or unpredictable. Stimming can help regulate stress, anxiety, boredom, fear, emotional overload, sensory overload, and sometimes it is simply how a person expresses excitement and joy.

That is the practical “why” behind sensory rooms. A sensory room is a dedicated space that lets someone meet a sensory need safely, with less social judgment, and with fewer harmful coping behaviors. Instead of forcing a child or adult to spend their energy masking, a sensory room provides a controlled environment where regulation can happen faster and with less fallout.

Suppressing Stimming?

What went wrong for years is the same thing that happens with nail biting. People see the behavior and try to stop it without addressing the reason it started. When you suppress harmless stims because they look unusual to others, you remove a coping tool and increase stress. If a stim is harmful (skin picking, head banging, hair pulling), the answer still is not “ban it and move on.” The answer is “reduce risk while you solve the underlying need,” which often includes safer substitutes, environmental changes, and predictable ways to take breaks.

Sensory Rooms Accommodate Stimming in a Healthy Way

Sensory rooms support that approach. They can be simple or elaborate, but the best ones do the same core job: they give a person more control over sensory input and a place to reset before stress escalates. That can include tools for tactile input (fidgets, textured items), proprioceptive input (weighted lap pads or blankets), visual control (dimmers, lamps, reduced glare), and sound control (soundproofing, white noise, permission to use noise-canceling headphones).

This also is not “just a kid thing.” Children who stim grow into adults who still have sensory needs. In fact, sensory stress can compound at work because many neurodivergent adults are actively trying to look “fine” all day. When someone is spending effort to mask, it reduces bandwidth for focus, communication, and stamina. A sensory space is one concrete way to reduce that load, and it often helps neurotypical employees too. Quiet and control are not niche benefits; they are human benefits.

A workplace example makes the point. An employee in a bright, open office manages most days, but a personal stressor pushes their nervous system over the edge. They cannot think clearly, their breathing feels tight, their heart rate climbs, and concentration drops. A short reset in a private, darker room, with fewer inputs and a chance to use a calming body position, helps them regulate in about ten minutes and return to work. The lesson is not that the employee is “fragile.” The lesson is that capacity changes with cumulative stress, and having a predictable reset option prevents a small overload from becoming a full derailment.

If you are setting up a sensory room, design it around control and choice. Privacy matters. Lighting options matter. Sound options matter. Seating options matter. Include a few “input” tools (fidgets, textured items, chewable options) and a few “calm” tools (weighted items, soft blankets, a neutral couch, a yoga mat). Add a clear usage policy that keeps access fair and keeps the space respected, and pair it with culture cues that make it safe to use. A room no one feels permitted to use is a room that will not help.

Finally, use accurate language. Neurodiversity refers to the natural diversity of minds across humans. Neurodivergent describes an individual whose cognitive style diverges from dominant norms. Neurotypical describes the majority cognitive style. “Neurodiverse” is best used as an adjective for a group or environment, not for an individual person. Susan_Fitzell_Style_Guide_v1.0

FAQ

What is stimming, and who does it?

Stimming is self-stimulatory behavior, usually repetitive movements or repeated interaction with objects. Autistic people and people with ADHD or sensory processing differences may stim more visibly or more often, but many neurotypical people stim too (nail biting, leg bouncing, pen clicking, hair twirling).

Why do neurodivergent people stim?

Stimming is often a regulation strategy. It can reduce sensory overload, organize attention, manage stress or anxiety, prevent emotional overwhelm, or provide needed stimulation when the brain is under-stimulated. Sometimes it also expresses joy or excitement.

Should schools or workplaces stop stimming?

Stopping harmless stimming without addressing the underlying need usually increases stress and can worsen regulation. If a stim is unsafe or damaging, the goal is to reduce harm while meeting the sensory need in a safer way, not simply banning the behavior.

What is a sensory room, and what problem does it solve?

A sensory room is a dedicated space designed to support sensory regulation. It gives a person a controlled environment to reset, meet sensory needs safely, and return to learning or work with less escalation, less masking, and fewer harmful coping behaviors.

What should a simple sensory room include?

Start with privacy and environmental control: adjustable lighting, reduced noise or white-noise options, and comfortable seating or space to lie down. Add a small set of regulation tools like weighted lap pads or blankets, soft blankets, a yoga mat, a few fidgets or textured items, and clear guidelines for respectful use.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Things to Consider Before You Jump On the Bandwagon

Neurodiverse hiring practices can benefit any company in any industry and in more areas than most people realize. The investment has yielded greater patenting, innovation, process improvement, efficiency, and creativity not only in technology industries but also in industries that include investment banking, insurance, and mortgage banking.

This resource explains the term “neurodiversity” and describes the potential positive impact on your business that can come from including neurodivergent individuals in your workplace.

The post Sensory Rooms and Stimming: Practical Supports for Autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Needs appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Are your teams struggling with communication roadblocks or rigid processes that stifle brilliant, unconventional solutions? Many organizations unintentionally create a “hidden productivity gap” when they prioritize conformity over individual cognitive needs. By making strategic, small shifts in your environment and leadership approach, you can create a truly brain-friendly workplace that unlocks higher employee performance across all thinking styles.

What and Why: Brain-Friendly Leadership

Cognitive diversity recognizes the natural variation in human brains regarding processing information, communication, and learning. This variation includes both neurotypical (NT) and neurodivergent (ND) individuals – those with diagnoses like ADHD, dyslexia, or autism.

Brain-friendly leadership involves implementing Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design (IDWD), a holistic framework that adapts policies, physical spaces, and communication strategies to support diverse cognitive needs. Rather than viewing differences through a deficit model, this approach applies a gifts-mindset that focuses on leveraging unique strengths and aptitudes.

As an internationally recognized Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and a neurodivergent adult with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism, I bring four decades of experience helping leaders bridge the gap between varied learning needs and professional success. Focusing on how people actually think and learn is crucial, especially since neurodivergent employees are estimated to comprise between 17% and 33% of the American adult workforce (High Lantern Group, 2024).

Benefits of Adopting Brain-Friendly Strategies

By prioritizing cognitive diversity and removing barriers, businesses gain a strategic advantage.

• Higher levels of quality, efficiency, and overall productivity
• Increased patenting and radical innovation (SAP data confirmed this outcome)More original solutions to complex problems
• Improved process improvement and time savings
• Enhanced employee loyalty and reduced turnover

How to Do It: Practical Productivity Strategies

Successfully maximizing employee performance requires intentional adjustments to the pillars of daily work: communication, workflow, and meetings.

Optimize Communication for Clarity

A neuroinclusive culture hinges on clear, direct communication that respects varied processing speeds and styles. Managers must be aware that auditory information retention is often low; typically only 10% of people retain all auditory information presented while many miss key details entirely.

• Use Visual Reinforcement: Always couple verbal instructions and presentations with visuals, flowcharts, or posters to aid recall and comprehension, particularly for visual learners or those with central auditory processing disorder (APD). Visual content retention can be as high as 65%, compared to 10% for auditory content alone.
• Practice Active Listening: Invest in training to improve active listening skills, which are fundamental to hearing and addressing team members’ concerns, especially when communication styles differ.
• Assume Best Intent: When a colleague is blunt, asks many questions, or struggles with eye contact, interpret their actions positively. Asking many questions, for instance, often means the individual needs to understand completely, not that they are criticizing or judging.
• Establish Group Norms: Define explicit expectations for meeting behavior and communication protocols early on. This reduces anxiety and ensures everyone feels safe and respected.

Streamline Workflow with Flexibility

Restricting potential, such as forcing a high-performing engineer into mundane administrative tasks they struggle with, limits business success,. Effective productivity strategies focus on placing employees where their differences can shine.

• Prioritize Core Aptitude: Redesign roles and workflows to focus employees on what they are most talented at, ensuring they laser-focus their efforts on maximizing their aptitude. For example, a dyslexic employee with excellent spatial awareness might thrive in loss control or risk management, even if they struggle with text-heavy tasks.
• Offer Universal Accommodations: Proactively provide essential tools to everyone without requiring formal disclosure. Examples include noise-canceling headphones, balance balls, adjustable lighting, or quiet rooms (chill spaces). This makes accommodations the norm and helps reduce perceptions of favoritism.
• Provide Flexible Work Options: Recognize that for some, bright lights, noise, and constant interaction are counterproductive. Remote or hybrid work options allow employees to customize their environment for optimal focus and productivity.

Design Inclusive Meetings and Workplace Learning

Traditional instructional methods, such as long verbal lectures or computerized tests, disadvantage many divergent thinkers and undermine workplace learning ROI.

• Pre-Share Information: Send meeting materials or agendas in advance. This eases anxiety and allows employees to process topics ahead of time, enabling richer contributions from all present.
• Integrate Brain Breaks: For meetings or training longer than an hour, build in short breaks (e.g., 5-15 minutes every 60-90 minutes),. These productivity strategies prevent cognitive fatigue and help everyone maintain focus and retention.
• Vary Presentation and Assessment Formats: Avoid relying solely on lecture-style delivery. Incorporate blended learning, microlearning, or hands-on activities to engage different learners. Offer alternatives to traditional written exams, such as presentations, simulations, or one-on-one discussions, to assess understanding accurately.
• Use Reinforcement Techniques: Utilize interactive activities like “Think/Pair/Share” or encourage mind mapping. These collaborative techniques reinforce learning and allow employees to process information without being put on the spot.

Examples & Templates

Anecdote: Prioritizing Skill over Social Performance

When I was interviewing a writer via Zoom, I noticed she had a flat affect and almost no animation. Traditional hiring practices, which value conversational performance and conformity, might have led me to dismiss her. However, because I was hiring for writing skills, not presentation skills, I focused on her aptitude. She later disclosed she was autistic and wrote much better than she spoke, confirming that judging her on interview skills instead of core capability would have resulted in missing out on valuable talent. This outcome demonstrates the value of brain-friendly leadership that prioritizes actual job performance.

Template: The Biodex Check-in

The Biodex check-in acts as a universal “user manual” for team members, normalizing the sharing of communication and work preferences to promote cohesive collaboration.

Quick Check-In Template for Teams (Daily or Weekly)

• Preferred Communication Channel Today: (e.g., email, urgent calls only, instant message).
• Expected Response Time: (e.g., immediate, within 2 hours, delayed due to focused work).
• Top Focus Task: (What requires uninterrupted time today).
• Potential Triggers or Distractions: (e.g., sensory needs, need quiet space, high-energy day).
• Preferred Feedback Style (for new task): (e.g., written steps, visual checklist, verbal debrief).

Measure & Iterate: Tracking Cognitive Diversity Success

Tracking the success of productivity strategies involves looking beyond basic output metrics to assess how well your organization supports diverse thinkers.

• Monitor Accommodation Utilization: Track the rate at which universal accommodations (e.g., use of chill spaces, flexible scheduling) are accessed by all employees, not just those who disclose a diagnosis. High utilization proves these resources enhance employee performance.
• Review Performance Focus: Ensure performance reviews operate under a gifts-mindset by prioritizing leveraging individual strengths and unique talents, rather than focusing solely on perceived deficits or conformity to communication norms.
• Assess Psychological Safety: Use anonymous pulse surveys to gauge employee comfort in speaking up, asking questions, or suggesting unconventional ideas. A culture of trust means employees share divergent ideas rather than shutting down after being criticized.
• Analyze Talent Flow: Track the efficacy of skill-based hiring assessments versus traditional interviews in identifying high-aptitude individuals, confirming that practices mitigate bias and attract a wider range of cognitive diversity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why do we need “brain-friendly leadership” if employees are already performing?

A: The concept moves beyond just adequate performance to achieving maximum potential and innovation. Many neurodivergent employees are masking their challenges, which is exhausting and reduces their capacity for creative output. Brain-friendly practices release this hidden capacity, driving radical innovation, process improvement, and higher team efficiency (Ernst & Young and SAP studies show this competitive advantage).

Q: Does accommodating one employee’s needs create an unfair advantage or favoritism?

A: No, providing reasonable accommodations is equity, not favoritism. Brain-friendly leadership ensures that accommodations are available universally wherever possible (e.g., noise-canceling headphones for anyone who needs to focus). This approach benefits all employees by enhancing concentration and efficiency, normalizing support, and moving away from a punitive mindset.

Q: How can managers encourage divergent thinking without disrupting team cohesion?

A: Managers must actively foster a culture of psychological safety where unconventional ideas are welcomed, not shot down. Using structured communication techniques, such as the Biodex check-in or utilizing visuals during problem-solving sessions (mind mapping), helps manage potential friction while ensuring all team members feel respected and heard, maximizing collective cognitive diversity.

Q: What is the most important “small shift” for better workplace learning?

A: The most impactful shift is recognizing that employees learn differently and deliberately using visuals to reinforce auditory information. Presenting content in multiple formats (written, visual, or recorded) maximizes information retention for everyone, especially supporting those with dyslexia or auditory processing challenges.

Conclusion: Investing in How We Think

Neurodiversity is not a challenge to be managed; it is a vital form of cognitive diversity that serves as a powerful accelerator for innovation and productivity. By intentionally adopting brain-friendly leadership practices and focusing on individual strengths, you move your organization beyond standardized performance toward a future where every employee’s unique potential is maximized. This is how you close the hidden productivity gap and ensure lasting competitive success.

Take the first step toward enhancing your employee performance: Immediately implement active listening training for all team leaders to foster a culture of understanding and collaboration.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Things to Consider Before You Jump On the Bandwagon

Neurodiverse hiring practices can benefit any company in any industry and in more areas than most people realize. The investment has yielded greater patenting, innovation, process improvement, efficiency, and creativity not only in technology industries but also in industries that include investment banking, insurance, and mortgage banking.

This resource explains the term “neurodiversity” and describes the potential positive impact on your business that can come from including neurodivergent individuals in your workplace.

The post Unlocking the Hidden Productivity Gap: How “Brain-Friendly Workplaces” Boost Performance appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Consider This Perspective on Neurodiversity

When my son Ian was three, he was doing puzzles designed for eight-year-olds. He was that kid who took apart old appliances just to see how they worked. His mind was curious, wired for exploration and innovation. But in school? He was behind in reading. Teachers misread his difficulty as distraction. One teacher even told him he “wasn’t honors-level material.”

Today, Ian is an award-winning mechanical engineer working on cutting-edge hydrogen fuel technology. He’s been recruited by top automotive firms to push the boundaries of sustainable design.

Here’s what I need you to know: Ian didn’t succeed because the system finally saw his strengths. He succeeded because he had support, advocacy, and someone—me—who knew how to fight for him.

Not every neurodivergent child or adult has that. And that’s the quiet danger in how we talk about neurodiversity.

As someone who’s lived with dyslexia, ADHD, and central auditory processing disorder—and spent decades helping organizations build more inclusive cultures—I am a fierce believer in a gifts-mindset. I’ve seen firsthand how focusing on strengths can change lives. But we have to be careful not to romanticize success stories like Ian’s as the norm. Because without systemic change, they won’t be.

Strengths don’t erase struggle. And no one should have to outperform their barriers to be seen as worthy

When companies focus solely on “high-performing neurodivergent talent,” they risk reinforcing the very structures that keep so many brilliant minds from ever being recognized. I’ve worked with individuals who are creative problem-solvers, deep thinkers, and innovative leaders—but they’re exhausted, overlooked, or forced to mask in environments that don’t value their needs.

That’s why I developed the Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design™ framework. It’s not about perks or productivity hacks. It’s about rethinking how we structure work to support all brains—not just the ones that can push through discomfort to deliver results.

Because even the most gifted seed won’t grow in toxic ground.

If we truly want to harness the power of neurodiversity, we must do more than celebrate potential—we must create spaces where potential can breathe.

 

 

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How to Design an Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Environment that Helps Neurodivergent Employees Succeed

DOWNLOAD NEURODIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE – THINGS TO CONSIDER WHITE PAPER!

The post 🌱 Gifts Can’t Thrive in Broken Soil: Why Strengths Alone Aren’t Enough appeared first on Susan Fitzell.