Promoting Neurodiversity Awareness: Training and Education for Employees

Promoting Neurodiversity Awareness: Training and Education for Employees

by GM Malik
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Introduction: What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is an aspect that has been overlooked and even stigmatised in many workplaces. Lack of awareness and deep understanding of the neurodiversity concept has made it challenging for individuals with special. And unique abilities to secure employment in their field of choice.

As most businesses design their own hiring processes, governance practices. And workplaces with neurotypical employees in mind, the neurodiverse individuals’ challenges only continue to mount. Employers should keep in mind that a diverse and inclusive workplace is vital for success.

Businesses that hire workers with diverse life experiences. And backgrounds open up their work environments to an array of fresh perspectives and ideas as well as a wide range of characteristics. In fact, the employment law advisory service requires every employer to create a workplace where all workers feel included, respected, valued and comfortable, including neurodiverse workforces.

What’s Neurodiversity?

People interact with the environment around them in different ways. Not all individuals think, learn and behave the same way, and the differences aren’t considered deficits. The brain of neurodiverse individuals functions, learns, and uniquely processes data. Several conditions, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia, come under the neurodiversity umbrella.

While neurodiverse adult individuals make up more than 10% of the population, they, in most cases. Find themselves not being considered in the job market, meaning they’re at a huge disadvantage when it comes to employment. Neurodiverse workers are known to be higher achievers and sensitive strivers with tremendous potential.

Benefits of Training Programs on Neurodiversity for Employees in Office Environments

Many neurodivergent individuals are overlooked for job positions that they can manage excellently just because their habits and behaviours seem unfamiliar or strange to employers. Most employers look for workers with top-notch communication skills, emotional intelligence, solid teamwork abilities, and social or influence skills.

While neurodivergent individuals have these skills, they express them in a unique way than most employers are accustomed to. If you shift your focus to innovation, you can see how having individuals with unique approaches to problems can benefit your organisation.

Additionally, neurodivergent people usually bring a fresh perspective to an organisation’s efforts, boosting new energies and initiatives in different projects. For example, most autistic individuals are skilful at noticing patterns normal people can’t see.

Also, neurodiverse individuals at work are over 30% more productive compared to neurotypical workers. While disorders like ADHD are known for causing individuals to be disorganised and unfocused. Most people with ADHD can hyper-focus, which means they can begin a task and complete it more quickly and uninterrupted compared to their neurotypical counterparts.

So taking into consideration these unique traits, helping individuals present their special talents and strengths can take an organisation to a new level in terms of output and productivity.

How to Increase Empathy and Understanding towards Neurodiverse Colleagues

Each person is empathetic by nature; it’s the extent that varies. The empathy degree depends on how far an individual is willing to extend it, from children. Family members and friends to co-employees, community, state, country and the universe at large.

Empathy is vital when it comes to the inclusion of neurodiversity in the workplace. Lack of empathy and understanding towards neurodiversity can pose major barriers to the growth and performance of an organisation.

To increase empathy and understanding towards neurodiverse individuals, companies need to participate in mentoring programs, bring in external professionals, communicate and reinforce, and try as much as possible to bring everyone together, raise awareness and start conversations.

Collaborate with Neurodiversity Advocates and Organisations for Effective Training Initiatives

Companies should support managers and other workers with training opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills by collaborating with Neurodiversity advocates and organisations. They can achieve this by offering workshops and extra information on neurodiversity.

As a business owner, you should find neurodiversity training service providers that train on all employment law aspects to ensure your policies and strategies are inclusive.

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