Neurodiversity: Creating New Norms

I have been thinking a lot about neurodiversity in the workplace lately and how, as our understanding grows, we can all participate in creating new norms for the work place.

I recently read a report done in collaboration between Deloitte Canada and Auticon. This report highlights a  number of barriers individuals on the autism spectrum face when it comes to obtaining and retaining employment. The study showed that 33 per cent of adults on the spectrum are fully employed in positions that make full use of their skills and education whereas 82% not on the spectrum are in positions that make the full use of their skills and offer career growth and progression. 

What is happening in our environments that are creating barriers?

What can leaders do about it?

This made me think about my son and his experience at his first job. At 15 he completed the Tennis Canada instructor/coach certification program and was hired at a local rec centre. During the summer, he taught in the tennis summer camps for kids and evening classes for adults. As a diligent instructor, he carefully created lesson plans, watching Youtube videos to learn new tennis drills, and thinking about the unique needs of his students.

In a blink of an eye, I saw this eager, hard-working, engaged tennis instructor go from feeling like a contributor and capable, to announcing he was going to have to quit his job one evening. Shocked, I asked him why he felt that way. He then produced his performance review document. The two team leads for the summer tennis camp program were conducting reviews before the end of summer session. The reviewers had highlighted that my son needed to make more eye contact. This seemingly minor suggestion was devastating to my son, who living on the spectrum has meant that maintaining eye contact isn’t easy and has required learning this social norm. He knows it is important to do and does his best and at times, he simply can’t sustain it, not for any fault of his own.

With support and coaching, I convinced him to reach out to the manager of the tennis program and if he felt okay to do so, to disclose that he is on the spectrum. This would be challenging for anyone to do, let alone a teenager with his first job and a teenager on the spectrum. He met with his manager. To his relief and mine, his manager listened with patience, openness, and understanding. He explained that eye contact is one way to show engagement and connection. However, he was never concerned about my son’s eye contact because he could see all the other ways he maintained engagement and connection with students in the class such as his upbeat tone, high fiving, the positive and enthusiastic feedback and praise of his students. Although I don’t feel my son or anyone should have to disclose their neurodiversity in order to receive  understanding for their behaviour, I am grateful that my son was met with acceptance and encouragement by his manager.

This story makes me think about how critical it is for leaders to be open to diverse ways of achieving the same goal or outcome. The leader in this story could identify all the other ways engagement is created beyond one approach. When leaders recognize and promote that there is more than one way of thinking, learning, and behaving, we can truly have cultures of inclusion and belonging. With an estimated 15 to 20% of the population being neurodivergent, leaders have the opportunity to embrace diversity.

For leaders, it is important to adopt a mindful approach to the different ways in which people work and communicate. Staying curious about how to communicate so that ALL individuals can receive information and contribute openly is the first step to full engagement. When leaders and staff can have open discussions about finding ways to work more inclusively, that is the essential action that helps break down barriers and remove stigmas.  How are you inviting others to this conversation? 

By Shailoo Bedi, PhD, IRG Associate Coach