Here's why employers should do more to embrace neurodiversity in the workplace

When Rebecca Shaw was diagnosed with autism, she found it liberating. She says it helped her make sense of how her brain works, and the different way she thinks.

Shaw says she shared her diagnosis with her employer, and shortly after that lost her job. She got another similar position, and was terminated again, she believes because her manager found her accommodation needs too challenging. "Both times it was where I was obviously dissatisfied. I was struggling. I was asking for support, but not receiving support," she said.

This is despite very valuable skills she brought to her workplace, such as her ability to problem solve and to see patterns in data. In her case, she says the HR department ordered accommodations for her at a corporate level, but her immediate manager didn't see it as his "problem" to also manage.

"It really is an accommodation for all people to be aware of, including your colleagues and your manager and HR, which actually doesn't work with you on a day-to-day basis." 

Shaw's challenges in the workplace aren't unique. People who are "neurodiverse" — the broad term used to describe people who have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), are on the autism spectrum, or have a disability that affects their ability to focus and keep things in working memory — often face additional challenges in a working environment, says Margaret Gibson, an associate professor of social development studies and social work at the University of Waterloo. They may also struggle with social behaviour and communication, she adds.

Neurodiverse people have long been unfairly accused of laziness or procrastination, but in reality they just have an atypical way of thinking — and it benefits both employees and the employer if neurodiversity can be accommodated, Gibson says.

According to the Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada, around two million Canadians — or five per cent — have some form of  neurodiversity. But experts say that in reality, that number is likely higher. And if you have a neurodivergent disability, you're much more likely to struggle to hold down a job, according to the agency.

For those who do have a job, performing daily work tasks and communicating with colleagues can be a major source of anxiety. 

Many neurodivergent adults try to hide their diagnosis for fear of stigma, further increasing that anxiety, Gibson says.

"Workplace stress [among neurodivergent employees] is probably one of the biggest things that drives people to come in for counselling, and it's just one of those things that builds on top of everything else that they're already coping with in their life," said Dori Zener, a Toronto therapist who specializes in treating — and advocating for — neurodivergent adults.

"Being in a workplace of lots of people around can be very anxiety provoking, and it's very overwhelming for their system — which makes it harder to learn and to focus and to work."

For many neurodiverse adults, the actions that many take for granted — writing an email, sitting still in a meeting, engaging in general office chatter — can feel like insurmountable challenges, Zener said. Even the noise of an air conditioner can make it impossible to focus.

"We often work with our clients to advocate for incremental changes. So things like a private workspace or workspace where they're in the corner, if it's an open-concept space, so at least they have limited distractions. They can wear noise-cancelling headphones to block the noise, and be in a space with adjustable lighting," she said.

But it's more helpful if employers are able to better situate all workers in conditions that minimize anxiety. Gibson says that some workplaces have become very flexible, with team structures that allow people to work when and where they are most comfortable.