With awareness of neurodiversity rising exponentially, the need for adequate support and inclusion in the workplace is becoming increasingly important. This 2023 study explores the impact of biopsychosocial approaches aiming to improve neurodiversity and inclusion at work. Are we missing out by not adequately supporting neurodiverse teams?
Study Overview:
The author’s research explores how neurodivergent individuals perceive and react to stereotype threats in the workplace. Delving into the similarities and differences between neurodivergent individuals and those with visible differences. This perspective gives us a unique window into understanding neurodiversity in a professional setting.
Key Findings of the Study:
- Under the right conditions, neurodivergent employees are more motivated and productive than their neurotypical counterparts.
- Implementing biopsychosocial strategies helps to decrease neurodivergent employee turnover.
- Improving the support and inclusion of neurodivergent employees lowers defect rates and increases productivity; offering improved sales, services, and products.
- Having policies in place to avoid unnecessary and ambiguous communication garners an overall improvement in communication for all employees.
- Through their involvement in these programs, neurotypical employees have reported improvements in their morale, and find their work becomes more meaningful.
Implications for Organisations:
This study offers valuable suggestions for organisations:
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- Failure to fully support and include neurodivergent individuals ultimately hinders the workplace.
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- Through improved understanding of communication differences, the whole team benefits from more effective and efficient interpersonal communication.
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- Neurodiversity support and inclusion is vital in retaining neurodivergent staff members.
- Fully supported and included neurodivergent employees provide competitive advantages within the workplace.
- Neurodiversity support and inclusion is vital in retaining neurodivergent staff members.
This study offers an enlightening perspective on workplace neurodiversity. Highlighting the wealth of benefits a properly supported and included neurodiverse team can offer. Neurodiversity understanding is only going to increase; and workplaces are responsible for adapting to truly accommodate their neurodiverse teams.
A finding from this study we feel is of exceptional importance is the impact of neurodiversity programs upon the neurotypical employee population. We were delighted to see how this positively influenced the neurotypical’s work experience. At NeuroBridge, our passion lies in improving workplace neurodiversity support for the benefit of the entire team, not just those directly impacted.
We would love to hear your thoughts! Is your workplace a truly supportive and inclusive environment for neurodivergent team members?
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