Neurodiversity 101: and the story of 3 little pigs

I was reading the story of the three little pigs to a grandchild the other day and it made me think about neuroinclusive practice. Yes, it is true I don't stop thinking about this....

Do you remember that story?

"The first little pig was very lazy. He didn't want to work at all and he built his house out of straw.

The second little pig worked a little bit harder but he was somewhat lazy too and he built his house out of sticks. Then, they sang and danced and played together the rest of the day.

The third little pig worked hard all day and built his house with bricks. It was a sturdy house complete with a fine fireplace and chimney. It looked like it could withstand the strongest winds."

What has any of this got to do with neuroinclusion?

A lot!

There are at least three approaches to having a lasting impact and the results can be very different

We can build :

A house of straw- This represents a quick awareness session in order to tick a box but then gets blown away in the wind and forgotten and next year's shiny 'thing' comes into focus. It doesn't take a lot of effort to do either and also doesn't get buy in from the people that will need to implement change.

A house as a pile of bricks/or sticks... - This does look more like a building. It looks good on the surface but it doesn't have ant foundations to make it last. No specific areas of the house are dedicated to have specific functions and it gets knocked down over time...

Henry Ford said....“Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice.” ~

A house with firm foundations but it takes time and needs the capacity to develop and grow in the future.

I am taking this analogy a little further.When building a new house we usually draw up plans, have a surveyor to check the land and make sure there are no barriers or potential barriers to building. Plans are agreed by all parties. You make sure the work pipeline is planned out so that work phases dovetail together.... If you build wardrobes before walls that doesn't really work...

Maybe this seems over-simplistic to you but I really think neuroinclusion is similar. Unless we create a plan that means it fits into the processes we have and makes sense for all then it will not work in the longer term.

What do we need to do have a lasting impact?

It starts with buy in from the 'top'. It needs the relevant stakeholders to see the value for undertaking this work in the short and longer term. This needs a 'surveyor' ( e.,g. HR Director) to pull the parts together and discuss with the varying team members "What's in it for me?".... It needs people who are neurodivergent being involved and feel safe to tell their story. However, we also need to be cautious jumping in and expecting everyone to 'disclose' especially if past experiences have not been so good.

When we talk to different people in the organisation we can consider the benefits in different ways...

• In Senior leadership roles it may be about gaining and recruiting talent
• Managers may be interesting in making sure their teams work well and are productive
• For the Chief Sustainability Officer it may be about helping to reach their sustainability goals ( more to come in a later newsletter about this)
• For an individual it may be about allowing them to thrive ensure they are safe at work

I spend my days and nights embedded in neuroinclusion and thinking of ways to reduce the levels of inequity. This is very important to me. I have been working in this field of work for more than 30 years.From this learning, and the experiences of working with all size organisations we (at Do-IT) have developed a HR Masterclass programme to help you plan how to build your house and not one out of straw!

Our first session is running on July 20th with the wonderful Melanie Francis who has extensive experience in HR and neurodiversity.The Masterclass is aimed at those of you who are accountable for your neurodiversity strategy. You might be an HR or EDI professional, or you might already be leading an Employee Resource Group and want to make sure you have all the most up to date information.

If you are a larger organisation then can be followed up by others with a neurodiversity implementation plan that works with neurodivergent people at all levels within the organisation. It aims to not only have lasting impact but creates a footprint and allows for changes that will inevitably happen ( A bit like we need to plan for energy supply in our houses ).

We have our first Neurodiversity Implementation programme starting for all sizes of organisations in September.The format of this course is 6 x 2-hour online modules with action learning sets (delivered weekly). We do expect you to put some effort into this and it is not passively attending so that you can have a lasting impact in your organisation and to ensure relevance.

These our the learning aims:

• Introduction to Neurodiversity – getting the terminology and language right, understanding definitions – what do we know. Preparing for your neuro-inclusion journey – discussing the different components of the journey. Where do you start?
• Developing the case for neuro-inclusion. Who are the players and what is important for them? What are the legal considerations?
• Undertaking a gap analysis and then action planning.
• Introducing neurodiversity to your teams
• Implementation plan and communications?– getting the messaging right and going at the right pace.
• Supporting your neurodiverse talent and teams,

This programme includes:

• 6 Interactive online sessions - these should be stimulating learning from each other and putting into action the steps to have a lasting impact
• E-learning training materials per delegate and a toolkit of resources
• Neurodiversity Workplace Profiler tools – for you to trial
• A Neurodiversity barometer for you to measure your company against the Neurodiversity Index (City and Guilds 2023)
• CPD certificate on completion and more.....

Please do contact myself, Melanie Francis or one of the team at Do-IT if you want to hear more about either programme.

Why build your house

1.??????Hard work will pay off?- reduced turnover, attracting talent, better wellbeing

2.??????Short cuts can be short-lived

3.??????Plan strategically and it will have a long term impact.

4.??????Plan for the worst, hope for the best?– Talent shortages are real now

5.??????Know your limits–?take small and gradual steps towards your goals

6.??????Know when to quit?–?bring in expertise and know what you can’t do

7.??????Work hard now, reap the rewards later?– A good strategic plan can have longer term impact and can be reviewed oto.

8.??????Be kind and be patient

Blog Author

I am Amanda Kirby, CEO of?Do-IT Solutions?a tech-for-good company that delivers consultancy and guidance, training and web-based screening tools that have helped 10s of 1000s of people. We strive to deliver person-centered solutions relating to neurodiversity and wellbeing.

This week I gained 90,000+ subscribers so many thanks to all of you and for your feedback too. Do let me know what you like and what you want more of.

I am a mixed bag of experiences and skills and have 25+ years of working in the field of neurodiversity. I am a medical doctor, Professor, and have a Ph.D. in the field of neurodiversity; parent and grandparent to neurodivergent wonderful kids and am neurodivergent myself.

Theo Smith and I wrote the UK award-winning book?Neurodiversity at Work?Drive Innovation, Performance, and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce. My 10th book came out called?Neurodiversity and Education?in March 2023. I was also voted one of the top 20 Thinkers by?HR magazine for 2022!