Neurodivergence in the Workforce

“Ma’am, what is your greatest weakness?”

I’m like the absent-minded professor, which requires patience and understanding from the team, but it encourages brainstorming creative ideas.

Shallow vs Under the Surface Perspective

Shallow perspective: A thirsty beggar in dire need of a job.

*Neurodivergent individuals should quite frankly steer clear from working alongside others who perceive us as the shallow inferior perspective above*

Under the Surface Perspective: A light-hearted situational approach that highlights a real-life challenge neurodivergent individuals face in finding job security, despite the significant value we bring to the workplace.

The cold reality

The cold reality is that those with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, and other cognitive differences can experience forgetfulness, difficulty processing information, trouble with articulating thoughts, and challenges with working memory — which can be perceived as “incompetent” or being “slow” when completing tasks that require organization, accuracy, and efficiency.

*This is not to say all individuals with these cognitive differences face these challenges, as some excel with tasks that require organization, repetition, memory, and attention to detail*

This cognitive difficulty, commonly known as executive dysfunction, is often seen as a medical deficit. Instead of seeing this through the lens of a cognitive disorder that needs to be fixed, it can be simply understood as different brain wiring that results in different strengths and weaknesses distinct from the majority.

The warm reality

The warm reality is that many with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, and other cognitive differences outshine in areas such as critical thinking and synthesizing information, which requires imaginative, creative, and lateral thinking.

The post was intended to highlight both the cold and warm realities of neurodivergence in the workforce — not ignoring either. Although many of us struggle with the standard of what is considered easy and simple, many of us shine in areas that many can deem near impossible.

Let us teach this group that the goal is not to fit into the boxes of the standard, but to get out of these boxes to create a new ground of stability.