Exploring Neurodiversity

This week I take my 'Neuroscience' Exam. A couple of months ago I took a brilliant course with Dr. Lynda Shaw called The Neuroscience Professional Development Programme which is accredited by the British Psychological Society. I took the course as I wanted to build on the topics I had covered on the Goleman EI course, where I learned how to become an Emotional Intelligence Coach. Always learning!

We covered a massive array of topics but as you can imagine in this field it wouldn't even cover a pinhead, as there is so much to learn. I've read Dr. Shaw's book 'Your brain is boss' and there are pages of notes in my workbook plus additional books now sat pride of place on my bookshelf. I'm still working through them.

I'm in awe of the brain's capacity to solve problems and how the organ processes information. The fact that we all undertake these processes differently fascinates me too. This article looks at those differences and invites you to learn more about something called 'Neurodiversity'.

Here goes....

As a community, we are all aware of the critical importance of respecting and embracing differences. We know that solely accommodating differences in any dimension is very different from promoting diversity and inclusion. 

Recently, we have been entrusted with anecdotal evidence from several neurodivergent people who have described their difficulty to get jobs, to be offered a promotion, or even feel accepted in their place of work. 

As an Emotional Intelligence Coach, I wanted to explore this area with a neuroscience lens to understand the depth and intricacies of the issue.

We have just started examining this area and would like to share what we have learned so far. We believe that it’s an important topic to understand properly and we want to start the conversation with some definitions and themes that we have uncovered:

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the variation of traits in how people learn, experience the world, interact with others, interpret, and process information. The vast majority of the population are referred to as ‘Neurotypical’, which means that their brains operate in a manner expected by our society. However, it is estimated that more than 15% of people in the UK are ‘Neurodivergent’, meaning that their brains’ function differently to the larger portion of the population.1

 There are many forms of Neurodivergence, which are categorised below:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – 4% of the population
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Autism (including Asperger’s Syndrome) – 1.2% of the population
• Dyslexia – 10% of the population
• Dyspraxia (also known as Development Coordination Disorder)
• Dyscalculia
• Dysgraphia
• Tourette’s Syndrome

Challenging Assumptions Surrounding Neurodiversity

So we understand the clinical definition of Neurodiversity (ND), and we know the categories of Neurodivergent conditions. Perhaps this surface level of comprehension is the reason that division and assumptions surrounding ND are still prevalent in our society and workplaces.

We know that as a society, we are wired for expectations and we fear when somebody behaves in a manner that does not fit within the boundaries of our perceived ‘norms’. A similar attitude is common in our organisations, where we value ‘sameness’, even as research indicates that diverse teams outperform their homogenous counterparts. 

More often than not, ND is seen in a negative light, as we perceive the diagnosis as a form of deficiency. From this position, we ignore the positive and highly appealing attributes that those with ND can bring to organisations. Namely: creativity, innovation, lateral thinking, problem-solving and strategic analysis. These ‘gifts’ are often overlooked due to the frameworks in place in our businesses, which are optimised to support neurotypical people, from recruitment and open-plan workspaces to performance reviews. 

What can we do to rebalance the scales? 

We need to change our attitudes towards those who are neurodivergent. There needs to be a shift in mindset, from needing to ‘cure’ ND individuals to strive to support them. 

The first step to a healthier view of ND is to examine our unconscious bias and conclusions we rapidly form based on labels and categories.

Stereotype Creation

Our brains often take shortcuts in order to process information quickly. In Daniel Kahneman’s book ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’, he delivers insights into how our brains make decisions. In his book he describes two systems that govern our thinking: 

System 1: Fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious

System 2: Slow, effortful, infrequent, logical, calculating, conscious

In the case of assessing a person based on a label, we may make a snap judgment using system 1, and automatically assign negative connotations to that person. E.g “People who have ADHD are difficult to work with”.

Personality Profiles

“if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.” 

- Autistic Self-advocate, Dr Stephen Shore

Often in a professional context, we are required to complete a personality assessment to provide a potential employer with comprehensive insights into our personality profile. Of course, these tests, such as Myers Briggs, can be invaluable. They quickly place candidates into categories, enabling hiring managers to make efficient and accurate comparisons between profiles.

However, does summing up a person as a ‘type’, only intensify their shortcomings and minimise their strengths? In the case of someone who is ND, a label, whether it’s ‘introvert’ or ‘ADHD’ can be restrictive and harmful to the person bearing it.  

Empathy

There is a long-held and widely ingrained perception that autistic people struggle to empathise. However, research has been conducted which is proving the contrary. In particular, the hypothesis was tested by researchers Bird and Viding(2014)2, who held EI workshops for ND individuals working in the public sector. The results showed that their self-development programme increased the attendee's capacity for ‘self-regard’, ‘emotional capacity; ‘goal-directedness’, and ‘self-awareness and awareness of others’.

The latter, specifically, demonstrates NDs' capacity for emotional awareness but also highlights that just because the individual doesn’t express their emotions in a typical manner, doesn’t mean that they don’t have powerful feelings. Moreover, in an inclusive and caring workplace, ND employees can cultivate the skills to self-regulate their emotions and cope with social interaction. 

Psychological Safety and Neurodiversity 

Although it has been calculated that approximately 15% of the UK population are Neurodivergent (ND), research suggests that the number could be far greater.

So why the disparity? Unfortunately, many individuals do not feel comfortable disclosing that they are ND as they fear that they will be treated differently or unjustly. 

Employment figures are not encouraging. According to the National Autistic Society, a mere 16% of adults with autism are in full-time paid employment in the UK, compared with 47% of disabled people and 80% of non-disabled people. 

Emotional Intelligence and Neurodiversity

Why Emotional Intelligence?

We should consider the 2-fold benefits of enhancing one’s Emotional Intelligence (EI). Firstly, this focus can improve self-awareness and allow you to observe and form a greater understanding of the behaviour of yourself and others. Secondly, it may provide you with the ability to identify yourself as neurodivergent.

From a neurotypical standpoint, we are in a far more privileged position. The onus is on us to identify our biases, create a more inclusive environment, and develop the necessary skills to build healthy and supportive relationships with our ND colleagues.

Emotional Intelligence in Action

There are many ways in which we can apply our EI skills to support ND individuals. Below is a list of potential applications:

●   Acknowledgment and respect: Acknowledge their stresses and difficulties, whilst seeking out ways to optimise their environment so that they can work/learn at their best.

●   Encouragement: Empower them to express their strengths and preferred working/learning styles.

●   Clarity in communications: Always check that communications are understood.

●   Communication norms: Agree how feedback will be delivered, and allow them time to process prior to a face to face discussion.

●   Autonomy: Provide individuals with the freedom and support to work autonomously, at their own pace and style.3

Advice for Businesses

How can we create a safe and inclusive working environment which is both open and supportive of ND employees?

Beginning with recruitment, assess your current processes, the skills that you value and whether your HR department has the relevant training and awareness of ND. For example, a person with Asperger’s may not maintain eye contact during an interviewer, this may be misinterpreted by the interviewer and they may overlook the prospect’s potentially unique skill set. 

Similarly, you need to ensure your management team has the necessary skills to lead and support ND employees. Managers need to be equipped to tailor their management approach and motivation techniques to the individual vs pursuing a ‘one size fits all’ mentality, understanding the employees’ needs, as well as their preferred communication mediums is critical to employee performance and sustainability.

In the workplace, create a support network for employees with ND. Ensure that their needs are being catered to and that roles are bespoke to their strengths and skills. In a collocated work environment, minimise distractions and provide resources and equipment where needed, such as a headset or additional monitor.

Finally, yet crucially, business owners and leaders need to promote a culture that values diversity in thought and skills. If this foundation of acceptance and celebration of inclusivity is in place, it will reduce the stigma around ND and provide the psychological safety needed for individuals to disclose their neurodivergence. Ultimately, organisations who make a commitment to these practices will become more competitive, innovative, and reduce staff turnover.

Special thanks to

Lorna Lacey, Ross Pollard & Rowena Hennigan who made this article possible.

Find out more about emotional intelligence and remote work here:

https://www.rowenahennigan.com/emotional-intelligence

References

1. ACAS (2020). Neurodiversity in the workplace. [Online]. Available at: https://archive.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=6676
2. Bird, G., & Viding, E. (2014). The self to other model of empathy: Providing a new framework for understanding empathy impairments in psychopathy, autism, and alexithymia. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 47, pp. 520-523. DOI.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.09.021
3. Harris, C., Van Der Vloodt, R., & Maddocks, J. (2020). Championing neurodiversity and Emotional Intelligence in the workplace. Executive Resilience Coaching.