Neurodiversity Now > Next > How? Driving neurodiversity inclusion

Uzma Waseem, senior DEI consultant content specialist at Neurodiversity in Business shares ideas on how an ecosystem approach can improve inclusivity for neurodiverse individuals.

The theme?

Creating inclusive workplaces for neurodiversity using an ecosystem approach.

Where are we now?  

Individuals, organisations, and society play a crucial role in driving neurodiversity inclusion. Neurodiversity refers to the range of thinking and learning styles amongst the population. We at Neurodiversity in Business (NiB) support workplace neuroinclusion, which extends diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes to the 15-20% of the population who are neurodivergent (also known as neurovariance or neurominority), including autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, amongst others.

We are seeing a shift away from what companies traditionally stood for and who they consider as the people contributing to their success, as well as the boundaries defining external versus internal stakeholders becoming more fluid. 

But how effectively are these key agents coming together to build a community of shared practice that realises actual results? There’s still a long way to go before inclusion efforts in workplaces hold significant value and meaning for both the organisation and its workforce.

Where to next? 

Stakeholders working together to create value can vary along a spectrum of individuals and groups of people. As such, organisations would benefit from widening their focus by taking on an ecosystem approach as part of their operating model design. Businesses are then more likely to succeed in developing a sustainable, inclusive work environment. 

However, it takes more than focusing on an individual or one group of individuals. It’s about acknowledging the different roles people must play within an organisational network. In the case of neurodiversity inclusion, this includes a ‘stakeholder spectrum’ of individuals, employers and organisations, educators, policy makers, community and society.

How do we get there? 

Different players can contribute to promoting more inclusive workspaces from a neurodiversity perspective. 

Individuals can:

• Increase your level of awareness and fluency in neurodiversity; 
• Embrace allyship to challenge stigma and stereotypes and treat neurodivergent individuals with respect and empathy; and 
• As managers, be proactive in engineering cohesive teams. 

Employers and organisations can:

• Set in processes ‘as standard’ that accommodate the needs and strengths of neurodiverse employees; and 
• Invest in neurodiversity integration efforts throughout the employee lifecycle, and not just during recruitment and onboarding.

Educators can: 

• Incorporate educational institutions as vendors in a value chain ecosystem to help manage the school-to-work transition for early (neurodivergent) talent; and  
• Use educators as a resource hub to exchange specialised training and thought leadership (for example, shifting accommodations and adjustments from classroom to workspace).

Policy makers can: 

• Enact legislation that protects the rights of neurodivergent workers; 
• Promote company-led neurodiversity training and awareness; and 
• Develop remuneration packages into your employee value proposition that specifically support and celebrate neurodivergent workers.

Community and society can: 

• Engage in collaborative activities between organisations, its stakeholders and the public; and 
• Develop outreach programmes that foster a culture of acceptance as part of a wider corporate social responsibility agenda. 

At NiB, we believe businesses should incorporate multiple players in the design and scope of their internal operations as ‘standard’. It's only through participatory and collaborative efforts that workplaces can truly understand, value and celebrate the unique strengths and diverse perspectives of all neurotypes. 

Uzma Waseem, senior DEI consultant, HCPC registered occupational psychologist, doctoral candidate researching neurodiversity at work and content specialist at Neurodiversity in Business.