How to Make Training at Work Neurodivergent Friendly

Have you noticed how instruction manuals are getting thicker and thicker?

When you buy even the simplest of appliances, it comes with its own encyclopaedia.

There are a couple of reasons for this.

Firstly, because of the huge number of warnings that need to be included for legal protection, like not using your toaster in the bath or drinking the contents of the car battery.

What is really worrying is that I strongly suspect that every one of those warnings is there because somebody did just the thing being warned against.

But secondly, because it makes more sense to print a single instruction manual in multiple languages than to have many different versions and pack them according to the destination of the appliance.

In fact, when it comes to linguistic differences, the world is incredibly accommodating.

Websites have multiple language options, TV subtitles are available in a whole range of tongues, and if all else fails then there is always Google translate, a considerable step up from the phrase books that were all we had when venturing overseas when I was young.

But while we readily recognise and accommodate languages, we are often much less aware of other differences in communication.

Training at work is a case in point.

If you are neurodivergent, there is a good chance that you take in and process information in a different way from many other people.

This can impact every aspect of your work, but it can be a particular issue when it comes to training.

So how can we make training at work neurodivergent friendly?

A Choice of Mediums

Is it just me, or is everything delivered in the form of a video these days?

I understand that it is the trendy thing, and that many people love watching videos.

But they do not work for all of us.

Differences in learning styles are quite well recognised – some prefer to see, others to hear, and other to do.

Yet we still often manage to ignore this in training provision.

I struggle to take in information that I hear.

Ideally, I need to read it or have a picture to study (I do love a map!)

But even when training is offered in different forms, it does not offer different ways of receiving the information.

For example, a podcast, a live broadcast, or a video all use broadly the same communication methods.

One easy solution is to provide a transcript with a video.

I will always read a transcript when it is available rather than watching the video, both because I take the information in much better that way, and also because I can read much faster than the words are spoken aloud.

But a transcript is not always ideal.

We do not speak in the same way that we read and write.

While a transcript is better than a video for me, what is best of all is material that is designed to be read.

There is an important technical name for this kind of material – a book.

Some of us still much prefer to learn this way!

Personally, I do not mind if it is on a screen rather than a hard copy, though some may have a strong preference one way or another.

What matters is that I can read the words myself and take my time to refer back to earlier sections, study diagrams and so on.

Whatever the training, it is essential to provide it in a genuine choice of mediums, even if some of them are not what you would choose yourself and make no sense to you.

Speed is not Always of the Essence

We all learn in different ways and at different speeds.

What may be easy for me can be hard for you, and vice versa.

When we were at school, we probably all experienced times when we wished that the teacher would speed up or slow down.

The same applies to training at work.

When people get bored because things are moving too slowly for them, they stop paying attention.

But if things go too fast, some will get left behind and miss out.

This can impact neurodivergent people disproportionately, as our brains may work in a very different way, and things that are assumed to be obvious may be far from clear to us.

Again, the solution is to have options, based on experience, aptitude, learning style, preferred medium and so on.

The more options you have, the more individuals can tailor the training to meet their unique needs.

It takes a bit more work to prepare and deliver, but it will achieve much better results.

I Can See Clearly Now

I have been to training sessions and come out with no idea whatsoever what was being talked about.

It is so easy to get caught up in the latest management speak and in-house jargon that the important message is buried so deep that some of us never find it.

Neurodivergent people are often very literal, and may struggle with metaphors, so we need clarity.

But actually, who would be hurt by more plain speaking?

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, it may be time to either increase your understanding before trying to share it with others, or to rethink the topic altogether.

Of course, some things are hugely complex.

But absolutely everything can be broken down into very small steps and presented in a way that each part builds on what has gone before.

When I hear a message or training that is full of jargon and buzzwords, I tend to think that either something is being concealed or those presenting do not understand the subject themselves.

Anyone can talk gibberish.

The real talent is being able to explain complex things in simple terms, and it is that to which we should all aspire.

Where are We Going?

Neurodivergent brains tend to be very inquisitive and ask a lot of questions.

If I am required to undertake some training, it helps me enormously to know why, and what the objective is.

What will I understand or know how to do at the end that I do not know now?

These are not difficult questions, but if you do not have a clear answer to them from the outset, the training is likely to be muddled and confusing.

Set out at the beginning the objectives, and where people can expect to be by the end.

Providing this clarity will then make the individual steps you follow make much more sense, as everyone will have the same objective in mind.

Start With Some Questions

While questions normally come at the end of a presentation, when doing anything that involves neurodivergent people it is best to start with asking them some questions.

The most important question in respect of training is what are your needs, challenges, and communication preferences?

We are all different, and there is no point in providing written material to someone that needs to hear the words aloud.

If the training is in person, neurodivergent people may have environmental concerns, such as noise or lighting, that can make a huge difference.

Almost all neurodivergent people are happy to discuss what works best for them and where they might need more support.

Unfortunately, we are often very used to having to make do and having our needs ignored!

Nobody sets out to be difficult – we are just different, and that is a strength and a good thing.

Finally, you may look at the ideas here and think that these will help everybody, not just neurodivergent people.

You are right, and this happens time and time again.

Changes that benefit neurodivergent people, or disabled people, or other specific groups, also help a much broader range of people.

So why would we not try to make things better for everybody?