Embracing neurodiversity in the workplace

Timpson says: “When you’ve met one neurodiverse person, you’ve met one neurodiverse person – no two people the same. It is also worth mentioning that neurodiverse people may have more than one condition.”

Strengths and vulnerabilities

Each condition has strengths and vulnerabilities. Taking a closer look at some of the conditions, Timpson outlines that autism is often referred to as a spectrum because experiences differ from person to person, the condition affects the way a person experiences and relates to their environment.

“Autistic people often experience their senses more intensely than others, with this meaning that they can feel overwhelmed at times. Traits include attention to detail, being direct, honesty, the ability to find patterns, memory and information processing ability,” he says.

Dyspraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder, is commonly associated with difficulty in movement and spatial awareness. Traits include big picture thinking, problem solving, tenacity, creativity and empathy.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is associated with an inability to focus and also hyper focus, plus a need to channel excess energy. Traits include visual skills, problem solving, passion and enthusiasm.

Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition characterised by sudden twitches, movements or sounds that people do repeatedly, also known as tics. Traits include strong verbal skills, tenacity, creativity, empathy, and hyper focus.

When you’ve met one neurodiverse person, you’ve met one neurodiverse person – no two people the same.Johnny Timpson, Gain

Dyscalculia is difficulty with arithmetic and understanding numbers, and is often described as “math dyslexia”. Traits include strong visual thinking, verbal skills and long-term memory.

Dyslexia is associated with literacy difficulties. Traits include strong visual thinking, verbal skills and long-term memory. 

Timpson describes how when he was Cabinet Office Disability and Access Ambassador for the insurance, investment and banking sectors he undertook colleague research to establish the disabilities where colleagues found it difficult to access workplace support and adjustments.

“This led me with colleagues to found Gain, www.gaintogether.org, as a not-for-profit industry hub to support neurodiverse colleagues, colleagues with neurodiverse partners and/or children, plus firms looking to attract, develop and retain neurodivergent people,” he says.

Gain’s strategy, operations and hub are built around three pillars:

1. Supporting employers to better attract, induct, train, develop and retain neurodivergent talent – identifying gaps in their business model and finding solutions.
2. A safe community for neurodivergent colleagues where news, views, ideas, best practice, learning and more can be shared.
3. A resource centre where employers can meet specialist agencies and companies that can aid them to close business gaps and better support their neurodivergent customers and employees.

Challenges of being neurodiverse

So, what are some of the challenges and advantages of being neurodiverse?