Hi and hello! Thank you for taking time out of your life to read my commentary on various factors and conditions requiring attention to support neurodivergent workers. These points are designed to help you consider neurodivergent-affirming adjustments that can oftentimes be unaddressed within the workspace.
This list is not exhaustive. It is based on the expressed needs and concerns of the clients I have worked with, the opinions and suggestions of Autistic authors and scholars, and my own lived experience. Please contact me if you have any personal input about them, or if any of these musings and suggestions helped you develop a better work culture for your neurodivergent employees!
Meetings
Ah yes, meetings. Oftentimes requested, seldomly regulating. Many neurodivergent folks benefit from structure, body doubling, and accountability. It’s not often that meetings can fulfill all of these criteria; many in fact are requested intermittently, without a concrete agenda discussed, and with either no chance to speak up and have one’s voice heard or forced expectations of what should be stated and when one’s turn to speak is up (though that turn-taking isn’t necessarily a bad thing).
I want you to consider how you felt the last time you walked into a meeting space. Did you know everyone there? What was expected of you in that space – how were you being asked to show up? What were you allowed to wear, or was that ever explicitly discussed? How was the scene set and were there any environmental factors that negatively impacted your attention or regulation in your body?
If a meeting meets these criteria, it is inclusive to those who share a variety of neurotypes:
- It is structured in a way that feels safe, collaborative, and low-demand.
- It has sensory-adjustments for those who have sensory sensitivities and/or sensory needs for regulating.
- It allows for preferred seating and movement options.
- There are clear expectations of who does and doesn’t have to speak throughout the entirety of the meeting.
- There is a clear goal to be accomplished from the conclusion of the meeting.
- There are notes taken or a debriefing available for those who were unable to make the meeting.
- There is a procedure for handling conflict and disagreements in a compassionate, respectful way.
- People are allowed to leave the meeting for any reason and do not need to explain themselves.
What else would you add to this list based on your own unique needs? Do you feel comfortable bringing those up at your current workspace?
Communication
Language is extremely important. Neurodivergent people are sensitive to things such as tone, words, and implications, even if some of them have a hard time recognizing those things for themselves. There can often be a mismatch of communication styles amongst workers, especially for Autistic employees who can share their own unique ways of relaying information (ever spoken with someone who loves to speak in memes?).
Some of the worst language one can use when addressing a neurodivergent employee has these qualities: it is indirect, vague, indicative of possible punishment, and inconsistent. An example is a boss telling their Autistic employee “I need you in my office today.” Let’s break down why:
- “I need you” = my needs here are top priority, despite whatever you got going on.
- “Today” = what time today? Is it urgent or can it wait?
- Also, why is the employee needed in the office? The uncertainty can be a huge trigger for anxiety.
Let’s say in this hypothetical, the boss actually just wanted to have their employee pitch new ideas for an outreach event hosted next month. This could have been entirely avoided…
Here’s is a helpful reframe for how to ask such a question:
“Can you meet with me between 1 PM and 3 PM today to discuss some ideas for our upcoming event?”
Why is this reframe helpful? Because:
- “Can you” = a direct ask about availability and capacity of the employee.
- “Between 1 PM and 3 PM today” = nice, an actual time frame in the request!
- “To discuss…” = certainty and honesty about conversational content. Now we’re feeling great about this request.
Language that is compassionate, direct, honest, specific, and collaborative is what helps leaders support neurodivergent workers. It can take some time and self-reflection to start practicing this way of communicating regularly; it’s a skill!
Environments
Have you ever tried to work in a space where there were noises that distracted you, lights that you could feel throughout your entire body, or people who were intermittently interrupting you or asking you to communicate in ways that caused you stress or anxiety? It’s an all too familiar experience that many neurodivergent employees report masking through – their work environments are taking a toll on their minds and bodies and they don’t have any input in the matter (or they simply don’t feel that their input would be considered).
We take in the space around us. It can mirror how we are feeling internally or be the actual source of comfort that instills a sense of regulation. Sensory experiences can make or break our working pace.
Here is a simple checklist of what to consider when creating a sensory-accommodating environment for workers (this is not extensive, get creative and get feedback from your workers):
- Lighting – are there dimmable lights? How pervasive are fluorescent lights throughout the environment? Do some workers need more or less lighting to reach the right amount of stimulation for concentrating? What kinds of adjustments can be made for lighting?
- Sound – how much does sound echo during work? Are there persistent and/or loud noises that workers have to tune out? Do conversations create background noise that can bother certain workers? What kind of sound-based supports can you offer?
- Seating – are workers allowed to move as often as they need for regulation and health? Are there both sitting and standing arrangements? Are breaks encouraged to reduce sitting for too long? How are ergonomics measured and adjusted for each worker? Can neurodivergent workers request preferred seating and spaces to work
- Sensory items – are sensory items allowed? What kind of sensory items could you offer employees? These can include fidgets, earbuds, airpods, headphones, interest-based items (like a Rubik’s cube, game system, use of phone)
- Spatial support – is there ample room to navigate spaces throughout the workplace? Are workers cramped or are there various obstacles to getting from place to place? How close must workers be to one another without accommodation? Are there private spaces to work offered?
Regulation Needs – stims, fidgets, movement, closeness
As I just mentioned, a variety of accommodations can be considered to help workers feel more regulated within their bodies. But what happens when dysregulation occurs (as it is bound to) within the workplace?
Various reactions of our nervous system include the fight (anger), flight (anxiety; avoidance), freeze, fawn (people-please), and flop (shut down) responses we exhibit. When presented with a stimulus our brain deems a threat, we can react with any of these emotional patterns in our behavior. Neurodivergent workers specifically may get quiet, raise their voice, shut down, withdraw from interactions, or enter into people-pleasing mode more apparently than their neurotypical coworkers.
Being busy with all of the different tasks, demands, and people we have to manage, spotting dysregulation might not be possible at times. This is especially true for high-masking employees who want to avoid punishment or judgment from others.
We must have procedures in place to help workers in distress. Getting caught up in emotions and the content of our minds can be our default in the workplace if we were more focused on getting work done when a disagreement arises. We must feel prepared for difficult times amongst each other, or else we can get caught up in being combative, defensive, and/or disengaged.
Mapping out a collaborative, proactive plan when distress is present for one or multiple employees can be key in helping feelings resolve quicker and more effectively. When our workforce is regulated, each employee can sense the calm, engaged presence of one another.
Demands
What is a demand, you might ask? In the literal sense, it is a commanding presence or request from another person, place, or thing. Parents place demands on children, teachers on students. Bosses and managers can place demands on the workforce, both explicitly and implicitly.
When demands that are overtly spoken and requested using language that creates an abrasive hierarchy without respect nor collaboration, they are debilitating for neurodivergent workers. When the demands are implicit, unspoken, or vague, they can create apprehension and worry. The uncertainty of why a task is being asked of a worker, or how they are supposed to complete it properly, fosters unnecessary mental and emotional stress.
We face demands in our everyday lives: get up, get dressed, take care of our hygiene, drive to work, log on, answer messages and emails, check task progress, etc. etc. For some neurodivergent folks, these demands require a large amount of mental effort. We must have compassion and patience for these employees and give them ample time to transition into work, prepare their responses for verbal and written communication, and ensure that they are treated with equal respect that their peers receive. We might even try to collaborate with them and help them take on responsibilities and leadership roles if it helps reduce the power hierarchy in our working cultures, if these employees feel up to it.
Our use of language matters a ton here. Avoid these kinds of labels and requests:
- “Should” language denotes that the person doesn’t understand or know they are already being asked to do something. It also might imply that they aren’t trying. I.E. “You should be doing ___.” Instead, suggest choices or behaviors that may or may not be considered already, and if they have been, explore what barriers to getting started or making progress are there. Listening can go a long way!
- “Go do ___.” This varies per employee, but without using the word please as a preface, some neurodivergent workers feel demoted to the role of a dog being commanded by a taskmaster. Invite these workers to start on something and inquire about their capacity that day – “Would you be able to do ____ today for me?”
Language Used
Just to repeat myself a bit – language that is compassionate, collaborative, supportive, curious, understanding, and empowering are all huge benefits for the neurodivergent workforce. These employees can be emotionally sensitive, reactive, and/or carrying historical burdens of ableist, oppressive language that has been thrown at them for most of their lives. Terms like “lazy” and “procrastination” can be laden with ableist shame and assume that no effort is being given to starting or completing a task, when there is an internal shifting of stress, energy, and initiative being juggled constantly by some neurodivergent workers.
Invite employees to comment on language being used at meetings and within your work culture. See what words “feel” right to them, even if you can’t use them all of the time. This isn’t an invitation to be perfect or hypervigilant about how you’re speaking with others. Even those employees who are sensitive might use language that can be hurtful – we’re all human and perfectly imperfect. This kind of humility and curiosity into language that affirms and supports others will foster a better environment of inclusivity amongst all staff.
Giving Feedback
It feels like all of these sections have kind of built into one another, doesn’t it? Perhaps it’s just how my brain works in layering everything and seeing it as all connected. Any who…
I lastly wanted to comment on the nature of giving feedback and requesting support in the workplace. Uninvited or unsolicited feedback can feel tremendously hurtful depending on the worker’s perceived competence, relationship with colleagues and managers, and overall level of regulation in that moment. Feedback that is explicitly prepared for, discussed collaboratively with each worker, and that both empowers them while curiously exploring their growth areas can be done! If you provide ample time ahead of feedback, when feasible, and clearly explain why it is being given, neurodivergent workers can weather the storm of apprehension and vulnerability in those moments.
Having a formal or semi-formal process mapped out for when and how to provide feedback to employees could be beneficial for both neurodivergent works and leadership. A clear process creates a safety net, ensuring that the feedback doesn’t feel overly personal or is attacking the employee.
Feedback that incorporates the unique needs for sensory environments, communication, and strengths of each employee will be better received, opening up a pathway for improvement and understanding afterward. If both management and workers can leave feedback meetings feeling a sense of relief and connection, then mission accomplished!