Affirming Neurodivergence in the Workplace

I recently had the chance to participate in a panel discussion on Neurodiversity in Supervision at the Supervision Summit, and wow! What a great discussion! We talked about many ways to be affirming as a licensure supervisor when working with neurodivergent supervisees. And while the discussion was specific to providing supervision for counselors, so much of what we talked about applies really in any field for any type of leadership role. So I figured I’d share some of those suggestions here. 

Need a refresher on what different terms mean? Check out my previous blog post here. And for more about neurodivergence-affirming care, click here.

Recognize and work with different learning styles

Often when we think about learning styles, we think about children in school. Even as adults we have different learning styles, and they matter just as much now as they did as a kid. When giving instructions or training to someone, ask about how they learn best. Some people learn better by reading instructions, some by listening. Others need to jump in and “do the thing” with guidance in order to learn how to complete the task best. For some folks, having pre-recorded videos that they can go back to and re-watch can help them retain information best. What matters the most is that you are helping your employees learn in a way that makes sense to their individual brain, which will ultimately help them to be more successful. 

Let people meet their sensory and stimming needs

Similar to recognizing learning styles, sensory and stimming needs matter too! Most people with ADHD need a lot of movement and fidgeting to pay attention and be able to learn best. So let them! Encourage folks to move as needed and to use whatever fidgets they need. If you’re in an office setting and have the ability to do so, have a variety of seating available, such as regular office chairs, standing desks, exercise balls, or anything else. 

Sensory needs fall under this too. Fluorescent lighting is a problem for many people. The slight flickering of the lights can be a sensory nightmare for many autistic folks, and we can often hear the slight buzzing as well. They can also be a trigger for migraines for some people. Help your employees meet their sensory needs by shutting off overhead lights and having desk lamps or floor lighting available. 

From a noise perspective, offices can be overwhelming for many of us. Normalizing use of noise-cancelling headphones can help people feel more regulated when the general background noise of work is overwhelming. Or for those who need more sound, allow them to have music on their headphones (I’m listening to a Lo-Fi music channel as I’m writing this, as it drowns out background noise but gives my brain the stimulation it needs to be able to focus on the current task. 

Scents are a big one as well. Smell can be overpowering from a sensory standpoint. Policies that discourage strong perfumes or colognes can help prevent overwhelm. And for those who need strong smell to be able to regulate, work with them to find ways to meet that need in a way that doesn’t dysregulate others. That can look like having a scented candle that remains unlit, that they can still smell deeply. This way, they can meet their sensory needs without overwhelming others. 

Different and competing needs

You may be thinking to yourself,  “sure, this all sounds great, but what do I do when two people have seemingly opposite needs? What then?” 

Communication and compromise. Discuss the differing needs, and then brainstorm ways to help everyone’s needs get met. Don’t be afraid to really get creative with things too! Perhaps there’s one member of the group that needs lots of sound in order to stay regulated, while another may need complete silence to concentrate. Can both parties wear headphones? The first can have loud music (or audio books, or podcasts, or whatever they need) in theirs, while the other can have noise-cancelling on theirs without having anything playing? Or do they need to be moved so they are in different areas of the office so their needs don’t compete? 

But be sure not to make these decisions uni-laterally; it is vital to listen to the people involved and have them as part of the solution. Remember, the expert on someone’s internal experience is that person. The more open you can be about possible solutions, the better off everyone is. And keep the end goal in mind- is the most important thing that the project gets done on time? Or that someone isn’t doodling during a meeting? Trust people to know what they need, and problem-solve with them when their needs compete with someone else’s. 

Be sure you are “walking the walk”

It’s easy to say you are neurodiversity-affirming, but are you really? The best way to be affirming is to do it. Are you meeting your own needs at work? If so, are you open about it? A workplace can say they “allow” people to stim, but if no one else is openly stimming, it’s not going to feel safe. Does your workplace say they meet a variety of learning needs, yet everyone is expected to learn new tasks by reading the manual? Not truly affirming. So take the time to change policy, and to model what affirming truly looks like. People shouldn’t need “permission” to get their needs met, so don’t require it. No one should have to ask to use something like Loops to drown out background noise. 

One last thing to remember- safety takes time. Changes in workplaces can take time to trust, even when they are in our best interest. Just because you don’t see people openly fidgeting or stimming doesn’t mean they don’t need that. It takes time to know that they won’t be punished or looked down upon for being neurodivergent, especially for those who have been masking for a long time. And none of this should require disclosure of a diagnosis. We don’t require someone who needs glasses to provide a note from their optometrist saying they need to wear glasses at work; in the same vein, you don’t need to know that someone is autistic to allow them to keep a weighted blanket on their lap. 

If you are struggling with unmasking in the workplace or need help coming up with accommodations that may benefit you, click here for a free 20 minute consultation where we can discuss how therapy (even briefly!) can help you get your needs met. Looking for an autism evaluation? Find more information here. And if you are looking for affirming clinical supervision for licensure, you can also schedule a free consult.