Mental Health at Work: Supporting Neurodiverse Employees for Inclusive Growth

Do you know that 15-20% of the world's population is neurodivergent? This means that a significant portion of our workforce experiences the world in unique ways due to conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. Embracing neurodiversity is not just an act of inclusivity, it’s about unleashing the full potential of our teams.

Neurodiversity refers to individual differences in the way that humans' brain and mind works. Just like we all have unique personalities and strengths, people with neurodiverse conditions have their own unique ways of thinking and processing information. Neurodivergent people are often very exceptional individuals who possess outstanding strengths to make up for many difficulties they may encounter-for example, exceptional attention to detail, creativity, or analytical skills that make them invaluable in a workplace.

However, neurodivergent people are significantly at risk of mental health problems due to societal barriers and misunderstanding. Living with a continuous mask to cover the real self could further lead to high anxiety and depression. Therefore, neurodivergence and mental health link up to require an environment where one can live their truest self at the workplace.

In India, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, mandates equal opportunities, non-discrimination, and accessibility for neurodivergent individuals. The legal protection of their rights would ensure that they receive the necessary support because of the legal framework in place. Around the world, many countries, including the United States, have an equivalent act known as the Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides similar protections and accommodations. These laws play a vital role in the promotion and protection of rights for neurodivergent people in the workplace.

The truth, however, is that despite the huge benefits that neurodiverse workforce can bring to the workplace, they still face a lot of barriers. Fear of acceptance leads to non-disclosure and therefore lack of access to reasonable accommodations. This further leads to their inability to be the best at their job. Social ineptness or fear of rejection often leads to isolation. Even if there is disclosure. Lack of awareness and hesitation on the part of neurotypical individuals leads to a tacit barrier. So while the acts are in place, the implementation in letter and spirit, mindset shift and complete integration is still a long journey.

Neurodiverse individuals, since the ways in which they grasp and analyze information are often especially good at jobs that demand analytical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. Companies embracing neurodiversity tend to see increased levels of productivity, innovation, and retention among their employees. For example, some studies have shown neurodivergent teams are more productive and creative than those without, as they bring unique perspectives and skills to the table. Such teams also have higher collaboration and empathy, thereby creating a great work culture where people like to work.

Then how can the organization support neurodiverse workers over the life cycle of an employee?

Inclusion begins with awareness. Before stepping into hiring, asking for disclosure, we need to ensure that we normalize conversations around neurodivergence and de-stigmatize conditions like being on Autism spectrum, or ADHD, or Dyslexia or sensory sensitivity. Building empathy is Managers, co-workers, creating inclusive policies and communicating them, creating a robust process for individuals to apply for reasonable accommodations, all of these will encourage employees within the organization with invisible disabilities to disclose and come forward voluntarily. This will establish the organization as a disability confident organization. As these employees come forward, organization will also need to learn and evolve to keep pace with their needs and requirements in terms of infrastructure and accessibility needs. An organization can prioritize and pace out implementation on the basis of urgency, budgets and criticality.

Once the organization starts to feel confident, they can step up on hiring. Partner with agencies specializing in neurodiversity and coordinate structured interviews and assessments focusing on abilities and potential rather than traditional qualifications can make a big difference. Job descriptions should be clear and accurate, outlining the necessary tasks and competencies for the position. During the recruitment process, provide candidates with detailed information about what to expect at each stage to help alleviate anxiety. At this stage, simultaneously building internal capability of hiring managers will help in driving this agenda long term sustainably.

Once an employee is hired, step-by-step onboarding procedures with appropriate accessibility tools, reasonable accommodation and the choice for them to disclose to their new peers voluntarily helps create a welcoming and comforting joining process. The assignments of mentors to offer personalized support and guidance help in navigating the culture and expectations of the workplace and provide an individual to contact for questions that may arise.

Training and development will need to be tailored to different learning styles. There should always be a combination of visual, auditory, and hands-on learning styles so that everyone learns, grow and thrive. Diversity hiring is not just about statistics. These are people with ambitions, aspirations and dreams. And hence providing multiple modalities for people to access learning material is critical.

Offering continuous learning opportunities and creating pathways for career advancement can help neurodiverse employees grow within the company. On the other hand, providing clear instructions and expectations for tasks can reduce misunderstandings and improve job performance.

Everyone wants to be enabled to do their job to the nest of their ability and that is where reasonable accommodations such as flexible work hours, quiet workspaces, and assistive technology come into play. Regular check-ins on the employees' needs can also make a change. Having an open conversation where employees can express their needs with no fear of stigma or discrimination is important.

Another aspect of supporting neurodiverse employees is having access to mental health resources. Counseling services and support groups can be provided to employees to assist them in managing the mental health concerns they may have. Being transparent about the importance of mental health in providing a supportive and respectful culture for neurodiverse employees brings value to the workforce. More broadly, providing stress management programs and training them in mindfulness tends to enhance general well-being. Most companies do have Employee assistance programs and counsellors. It is important to verify if there are counsellors who specialize in dealing with neurodiverse individuals.

This holistic approach for inclusion of neurodiverse employees ensures their success and brings diversity of thought and experience within the workplace. Neurodiversity is hence an absolute win-win for everyone, adding to the richness of a more inclusive and innovative workplace.

It is estimated that 15-20% of the world’s population is neurodivergent. That is a significant number of people. Therefore, it is critical that we take the right initiatives, with the right intent and drive them with rigor and authenticity. This will mean collective effort and commitment in creating not just a workplace, but an inclusive world that could provide a good environment for neurodivergent workers to flourish.

(The author is Founded and CEO marching sheep )