The NEW Neurodiverse and Equitable Workforce

How many seminars or classes have you taught and then NOTHING? Students or clients aren't applying what they learned and you gave them everything they needed. Why does this happen? It isn't because you aren't a knowledgeable or skilled instructor. There is often something missing that when added to the teaching process will transform that NOTHING into a powerful something. Those hidden elements are action steps, exercises and ways to implement what you've taught paired with collaborative debriefs and discussions. However many instructors aren't aware of a few key tweaks that make their exercises truly powerful and transformative for the student. In my Micro Recharge Lab I don't just focus on the knowledge and "what to do" to get out of burnout, but also doing the new skill together paired with a data collection framework and group collaboration. In the doing we are observing and collecting the data in real time and then we debrief and discuss those experiences and results together. At the end the students have gone beyond the concepts and have lived the new information. Students feel what a quiet mind, a calm body, creativity and focus and an energy boost actually feel like to them. When we can guide a student from understanding to knowing through lived experience and also create an environment of compassionate curiosity for exploration and fun, that seminar or course becomes a powerful new skill. A huge shout out to Rachelle Carrié for her excellent graphic on this. You rock Rachelle!

Why Your Autistic Employee May Come Across as a “Know-It-All” “You think you’re so smart!” “You’re a real know-it-all, aren’t you?” I used to hear phrases like this often, especially in school and in the workplace, and, like many things neurotypical (non-autistic) people said to me, the accusations seemed to come out of nowhere because my intentions were so far removed from how my words and mannerisms were being perceived. After decades of life, years of therapy, lots of research, interacting with my autistic peers, and tons of trial and error (hard emphasis on “error”), I learned to decipher how my autistic traits were perceived by those who do not share my neurotype. Here are five common reasons I believe autistic people are seen as showing off their intelligence in a condescending way when it’s actually due to a difference in brain wiring: Vocal Tone Many autistic people have a marked difference in their speech compared to their neurotypical counterparts. We may have what is known as a “flat affect” in both our facial expressions and tone of voice. This means we may speak in monotone or with less inflection than you’re used to hearing from non-autistic folks. Unless they’re tired or annoyed, which can make even the most mundane question or observation sound rude. However, since many of us also cannot detect how different our vocal tone sounds from others, it may come as a shock when our listener reacts by snapping at us or accusing us of intentions we don’t have. The best workaround I have found for this is for non-autistic folks to focus on the words the autistic person is using, rather than the tone. This can take a bit of practice, especially if the speaker’s tone triggers feelings of being rejected, dismissed, or insulted. If you find yourself feeling triggered by your autistic employee’s tone of voice, take a deep breath, remind yourself that no insult was meant, and then respond only to the literal words they’re saying. (Click on the link below to continue reading.) https://buff.ly/3Kz5kHt Specialisterne USA #Autism #Autistic #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent #Neurodiversity #Employment #Disability #Inclusion

Sharing this insightful Forbes article on autism-focused tech start-ups. The entrepreneurial journeys of AutonomyWorks, Ultranauts Inc, and Ventures ATL reveal two key insights: the importance of resilience and adaptability in the face of tech industry changes, and the need to balance mission-driven goals with commercial viability. This piece, featuring my good friend Chet Hurwitz at Ventures ATL (with whom I recently co-authored an HBR article on autism employment) underscores the value of leveraging neurodiverse talent. It's time we recognize the unique strengths of neurodiverse people and create inclusive environments that harness their potential. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gYNEjSdp

This week's Sunday Something. Autistic young people are often taught 'social skills' - basically, they are taught how to behave in a neurotypical way, whilst being encouraged to mask or hide their natural autistic social behaviour, which is often pathologised. This is mistreatment, as the autistic person is being explicitly told their natural behaviour is unacceptable, and that neurotypical social behaviour is the 'gold standard'. We know that autistic social skills work well when used with other autistic people - they are valuable. Instead, autistic young people should be explicitly told that they are being taught neurotypical social skills, in order to help them navigate the neurotypical world and crucially that it is not the *only way*. Simultaneously, neurotypical young people (or, in practice, just all students) should also be taught how autistic social skills work as well so they understand their autistic peers better. This would help balance the expectations put on students, and stop autistic people having to hide their natural selves so much, reducing the burden they carry. #autism #autistic #autismsupport #autisticadults #autismacceptance #disabilityawareness #untypical #inclusion #asd #asc #spectrum #neurodivergent #ADHD #masking

???? Amy Schwabe writes: As #neurodivergent people have been empowered to advocate for themselves, parents and #teachers are encouraged to understand what they are communicating. Katie Berg is the statewide coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's?Supporting #Neurodiverse Students?Professional Learning System. “Our mindset now is that kids aren’t broken. They don’t need to be fixed. We need to accommodate and support them as best as possible.” August Carlson was diagnosed with #ADHD when they were in middle school. Today Carlson facilitates a group of neurodivergent #teenagers and young adults through their work with?Islands of Brilliance, a #Milwaukee-based nonprofit that provides learning experiences for #autistic young people?focused on their own special interests. Rather than try to change neurodivergent people by taking away their natural coping mechanisms, new approaches focus on educating neurotypical people so they understand and accept why neurodivergent people might act differently. That’s what Chelsea Budde and Denise Schamens set out to do when they started?Good Friend, Inc., a #Wisconsin nonprofit that facilitates programs in schools to teach kids and teachers about #neurodivergence. Good Friend creates videos, trainings and programs that teach students and staff about brain differences, #autism and neurodivergence in an effort to equip neurotypical people with the ability to build positive relationships with neurodivergent people. "Behavior is communication" is a common refrain among educators and advocates who are well-versed in #neurodiversity. At a recent Islands of Brilliance workshop, there were many strategies being employed to accommodate a group of autistic children as they worked one-on-one with mentors using technology to create artistic presentations of their special interests. One student struggled to transition from his more laidback Saturday into working on a project. His mom stayed in the room until he, his mentor and workshop facilitator Kate Siekman worked out a plan that involved moving to a different room where the child had fewer overwhelming distractions and more freedom to move around. Margaret Fairbanks, the co-founder of Islands of Brilliance, remembers a situation when a teenage student participated in a workshop. "We invited them to celebrate their work at the end of the session like we always do, but they said they didn't want everyone celebrating, so we said OK," Fairbanks said. "And on the way home, the student told their mom, 'that's the first time I was listened to.'" #NeurodiversitySupport #AutismSupport #NeurodiversityAffirming #Educators #SpecialEducation #StudentMentalHealth #TeenMentalHealth #SpecialNeedsParents

We ALL can live by her perspective. “I can’t change what happened, but I can succeed at being me. As I have said many times, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. What’s important is that I’m alive and I feel that I will do something grand with my life.”

Regressions and inflammatory attacks in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases as well as autoimmune diseases that are supported through integrative medicine can be slowed down or stopped. The symptoms from these diseases and disorders vary widely and some affect speech as in autism as well as, in my case, multiple sclerosis. Though I am not non-verbal but when I am in a heightened state of inflammation or a MS relapse my speech becomes slurred and difficult to understand. But when I’m listening to my practitioner, following diet and treating with specific supplements my speech is perfectly fine. I am no way cured but I am actively managing my disease daily through healthy habits and natural approaches. The power of integrative medicine can greatly improve one’s life and change the course of many symptoms of disease and disorders. There is a great and informative video lecture by Lanier Rossignol BSN, MSN, DNP-C embedded in the article. It’s a must watch. #tacaconferences #taca #hope #multiplesclerosis #ms #autism #speechu

Communication is a two way street. Autistic people do not have a ‘communication deficit’. In fact, Autistic people have been shown to communicate very effectively between themselves. The issues arise when Autistic and non-autistic people communicate. Which means it’s everyone’s responsibility to meet half way in communication. Image Description: patterned background with a text box that reads: “Autistic Person: Spends excessive energy 'translating' their Autistic communication to accommodate non-Autistics, Scripts conversations to try and avoid communication issues, Develops social anxiety from consistently being told they are doing it wrong. Untrained Managers: You have a collaboration issue. You need to work on how you communicate with your colleagues.” #dei #ActuallyAutistic #adhd #NeurodiversityAtWork #neurodiversity #communication?

Still getting over the blitz of Autism Awareness Month. How about you? https://lnkd.in/gXtBwn6g

"Let's stop "tolerating" or "accepting" difference, as if we're so much better for not being different in the first place. Instead, let's celebrate difference, because in this world it takes a lot of guts to be different." - Kate Bornstein Image description: image has a watercolor paper like texture, in white, with strokes of water color paint in green. Quote from above reads in the center of image. #SundayQuote #DisabilityInclusion