Neurodiversity as The New Normal

Last week, we discussed why and how diversity can lead to innovation and excellence at our institution. This week, we will also learn about a different type of diversity: Neurodiversity (or Neurodivergence). Neurodiversity means that there are many ways that people’s brains can be “wired” (such as people with dyslexia, autism, and ADHD) that produce different ways of thinking, problem-solving, and learning. Part of recognizing neurodiversity entails acknowledging that there isn’t a single “normal” way of thinking. A history of ableism, however, has taught us to believe that there is one kind of body and, by extension, one kind of brain that is normal and produces normal behavior. While the data on neurodivergent employees on our campus is not available, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism suggests that employees work directly or indirectly with neurodivergent colleagues on campus, as the Center for Disease Control reports the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders at 1 in 54. We hope this episode of Ally Tips helps you (1) unlearn certain ableist perspectives that may affect your workplace and (2) learn the strengths and challenges of individuals who are often marginalized due to our lack of understanding about neurodiversity.

Lastly, our upcoming workshop on bystander intervention & gender allyship will be a great opportunity to engage in discussions on how to become an upstander to enact the types of diversity that Ally Tips has covered.  

Neurodiversity: the diverse ways that brains work

Neurodiversity (or Neurodivergence) was coined in 1998 by Judy Singer as an advocacy term for a civil rights movement for psycho-medically labeled minorities and as an intersectional factor that defines a continuum of advantages and disadvantages.1 Rather than being viewed as simply different, they are often viewed as less intelligent, less competent, and less capable of functioning due to the prevalence of ableism in society and in academia. Nonetheless, increasing evidence has been challenging the negative stereotypes about neurodivergent individuals. For instance, Remington and colleagues found that employees with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) “have a greater than normal capacity for processing information even from rapid presentations and are better able to detect information defined as ‘critical.’” And, in a case study by JP Morgan Chase, professionals with ASD “made fewer errors and were 90% to 140% more productive than neurotypical employees”. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)  has also experienced that its neurodivergent employees take innovative perspectives in problem-solving.2   

Individuals with dyslexia were also found to have the same strength: finding connections, creating narratives, and simplifying complex products or tasks in ways that others cannot.3 In fact, many corporations have taken hiring initiatives, modifying their hiring process to open the gate for neurodivergent individuals and changing the work environment for those individuals to be able to leverage their strengths in the right ways. 4,5 An important reminder here is that we should also avoid expecting neurodivergent colleagues to fit into the stereotypes of ‘savant’ and valuing them only for a standard of high performance.

Can neurodivergent academics and students thrive in higher education?

With higher education currently built as it is on the values of ableism and neurotypical individuals, the answer is “No”. Despite the fact that disability visibility in higher education is growing, the struggles of neurodivergent employees and students are common. The difficulty of receiving accommodations for neurodiverse and other disabled academics translates to low morale and attrition.6,7Even in STEM fields ,8 generally considered  more conducive to and accepting of neurodiverse thought patterns, people on the autism spectrum are far less likely to be employed, even with respect to educational attainment.9 Another barrier to the persistence of neurodiverse students, faculty, and staff is that white, cisgender men have been the primary subject of neurodiversity studies.10 This bias has led to gendered and racial/ethnic disparities in diagnosis, such as in the timing and prevalence of autism diagnoses.11,12, There has been little research into the experiences of neurodiverse people with other marginalized identities in the workplace. Women with “invisible disabilities,” such as ADHD, often have their disabilities discounted, are perceived as helpless, or are subject to uncomfortably invasive questions.13 The prevalence of lower wages and workplace stress for both women and women with disabilities means that neurodivergent women are likely to feel even more acute psychological harm from these experiences.14

Action Tips for Allies

  • Engage Universal Design: Universal Design is a philosophy that examines the essential elements of how we communicate and interact with one another to increase accessibility. UD for Learning looks at engagement, representation, and expression of knowledge through multiple means in the classroom and beyond. Consider incorporating different ways of sharing information as well as other ways for people to share their thoughts (e.g., besides raising one’s hand). Consider how your meeting space might be more or less conducive to maintaining one’s attention.
  • Referring to people with disabilities: Language around disability is complicated. Many people debate whether person-first or disability-first language (“person with disabilities” vs. “disabled person”) is more empowering. Defer to how an individual with a disability refers to themselves, and if you don’t know, use person-first language. If you are looking to refer to someone via their disability without knowing how they refer to it, consider why you feel the need to share that information with others without knowing that person well enough to understand what kind of language they use.
  • Rethinking your language: There are common terms that can be easily understood as ableist, like the r-slur, and more colloquial phrases that people don’t understand as ableist (e.g., “you’re so crazy,” “stop being spastic,” “I’m so OCD”); however, some accepted medical terminology has actually been criticized for being ableist – such as denoting someone as “high-functioning.” Terms like these imply that the individual is successful despite their condition, which erases the reality of living within an ableist society.

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Learn more about Advocates and Allies for Equity

Weekly Resources

  • Book: Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of A Female Life on the Spectrum – The book is a memoir of Jennifer O’Toole, an award-winning author. She was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome for the first time at thirty-five, helping things finally make sense for her. She understood why she struggled between a carefully crafted persona and an authentic existence. The book describes her reverse self-discovery journey as an Aspie and, more importantly, as a modern woman.
  • Video: Neurodiversity: The New Normal –Cynthia is a Speech Language Pathologist committed to transforming traditional systems to serve people with special needs better. She is also self-diagnosed neurodivergent and raised a daughter with autism and ADHD. She shares how to transform educational and work environments to employ a strengths-based approach for neurodivergent individuals.
  • Podcast: The Neurodiversity –This is a long-running podcast by Emily Kircher-Morris. The podcast covers various struggles that neurodivergent individuals go through, since most social and institutional systems are not built for them. The podcast also introduces examples of how these individuals can thrive.
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