Talents Hidden in Plain Sight: The Unique Strengths in Neurodiversity
By Hayley Mah
Imagine every problem is a lock you need to open. Would you rather have 200 of the same key—working or not—or 200 different keys, each with their own pattern of ridges? Or you could take it even further, bring in lockpicks, dynamite, screwdrivers, and more.
Companies all over the world have been focused on gathering identical keys, hindering themselves from opening the lock as they filter out highly qualified neurodiverse workers. These prospective neurodivergent employees end up settling for jobs they are largely overqualified for when their skill sets are filled with impressive strengths.
Anyone who is neurodiverse may think, learn, interact, and perceive information differently. The numbers of diagnoses continue to rise, and new research allows us to better understand neurodiversity. An estimated 15-20 percent of the global population have some form of neurodivergence, and 1 in 66 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Canada. Neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, ADHD, learning disabilities and more don’t mean someone is broken or diseased, rather, these unique patterns of thinking and perceptions prove extremely valuable to humanity.
With diverse minds come diverse solutions. To solve problems quickly and effectively, you need a range of people to come up with a range of solutions. Neurodiverse workers bring a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Though not immediately recognizable, neurodiverse individuals have strengths such as complex non-linear thinking, which allow for innovation and associating distinct ideas. Because they perceive and interact with the world differently, their patterns of thinking are different, which create strengths such as technical, design, and creative skills. Neurodiversity brings accuracy and error-detection skills, and the ability to excel at repetitive work. They exhibit special skills in pattern recognition, memory, or mathematics, as well as high levels of concentration. Neurodiverse individuals display reliability and perseverance, and the ability to withhold an in-depth knowledge of facts and statistics. Autistic people are capable of being extremely detail-oriented, and people with ADHD report higher levels of creativity and resilience. Dyslexic individuals generally have a talent for visual thinking and 3-D Mechanics, and people with Tourette Syndrome see a higher capacity for observational skills.
But the world has never been optimized for any sort of diversity, and before many people’s priceless skills can be recognized, neurodiverse people are labeled as too “awkward”, “weird”, or “different”. Job hiring practices aren’t suited towards each individual’s needs, and many workers who could’ve been the perfect fit can’t make it past the interview stage because HR workers tend to fall on preconceived notions to speed up their job. “Good employees” are supposed to carry communication skills and emotional intelligence. Networking and uniformity also both have high value in the workforce. Yet all of these things may not come as easily to some than others, essentially shutting them out of the hiring process.
It’s important to make accommodations even if it needs a little bit of time and energy. Do you want it to be easier for some while others suffer, or do you want your workplace to achieve its goals and every employee to be satisfied? Some examples of accommodations include captions for videos, frequent breaks, private spaces to work upon request, and providing online options versus in-person. To optimize communication, use clear and concise language, and send out information in multiple forms, including audio, infographics, bullet points, and illustrations. Mentorships and training programs have also seen immense success regarding integration.
Continue to educate yourself and others, but don’t rely on neurodiverse individuals to do it for you. Consider your tone of voice and emotional presentation to avoid pushing neurodivergent employees away. Openly acknowledge and discuss neurodiversity, so that people feel comfortable sharing what they need to thrive. Ask everyone what they need to succeed—not just workers who label themselves as neurodiverse. Everyone has specific preferences and priorities, as well as strengths and weaknesses. Harness your newfound knowledge and approach the world in a different way. The best talents and abilities need your empathy to be discovered and nurtured.
