Blog: Workplaces that Work For All Brains

Mel Houser, M.D., Executive Director, All Brains Belong VT (7/15/2024)

Often mainstream articles about neurodiversity and the workplace miss the mark – often they perpetuate stereotypes and otherwise do little to advance the community conversation on neurodiversity. But not this one. Steven Kurutz of the New York Times did a fantastic job highlighting authentic challenges and realistic solutions about creating workplaces that work for everyone.

I’ll elaborate on some of the take-aways:

Two coworkers work quietly side by side. One reclines on a couch, the other on the floor with a hot pink beanbag chair. Dim lights and space make it easier to work.
What if everyone could work the way they work best?

Neurodivergence is common.

Though this article focuses on autistic employment experiences, neurodivergence is far more than autism. At least 1 in 5 people learn, think, and/or communicate in ways that significantly depart from the ways that society has deemed normative. There is no such actual thing as a “normal” brain. Some neurodivergent people have specific diagnoses – autism (as discussed in the above article), ADHD, bipolar disorder, Tourette’s, etc. Many do not. They may just be struggling to varying degrees, depending on the mismatch between their needs and their environments, or how closely aligned the demands of their lives are with their strengths. We find it more helpful to discuss designing workplace environments where people whose minds work in all kinds of ways can get their needs met.

Optimizing work experiences for everyone.

Some of the practices discussed in the above New York Times article include:

  • interview questions provided in writing
  • “focus rooms” with dim lights and quiet
  • meeting agendas sent ahead of time
  • asking about and keeping track of employees’ communication preferences
  • cultures where people can show up authentically, not only a “masked” version of themselves

Paying attention to this benefits people with all types of brains. Universal design — that is, offering everything in multiple, flexible ways — allows the most people to be able to access and participate.

This doesn’t need to be hard.

Kurutz described that large global companies like Microsoft, Dell, and Ford have skilled up on the topic of neurodiversity. They’ve had neurodiversity training and have intentionally structured their environments so that everyone can get their needs met.

Here’s how Blake Sturcke, Co-CEO of Encore Renewable Energy in Burlington VT describes his experience receiving neurodiversity training from All Brains Belong: “What the training did was to give us an understanding of how different individuals’ minds work differently. An awareness of this gives [everyone] an opportunity to excel and contribute in the most impactful way to the team.”

Want to learn more? Visit our Neurodiversity & Employment Education page to learn more about neurodiversity trainings as well as a collection of free resources.