#MyLifeMatters: an article on neurodiversity

For someone with dyslexia, their workplace strengths are represented in this diagram and include the ability to use visual and 3D thinking to solve problems in new ways. In my view, the need to consider the difficulties faced by someone with dyslexia and to implement tools to help them can only improve an office culture. Their needs will require investigation into tools to help them, which will also help others as awareness grows within an organisation. According to this diagram they are empathetic and able to interpret events and justifications into stories. These storytelling qualities will subsequently help to develop a stronger marketing presence and align teams to focus on a united goal. As the need for great user interfaces will only increase, these individuals with strong design skills will be able to contribute at a very high level, both increasing usability and being great testers for new interfaces and Web tools. A fantastic group to recruit! So to all the companies out there that don’t have something in place: Are you serious about championing your employees and creating a more diverse and inclusive environment?

Mental health conditions

Mental health is ultimately invisible to others apart from any resulting unusual behaviour. As a result, it can be very challenging to relate to and adapt to someone who is suffering from a mental health condition. It can also look like poor performance or deliberate obstinacy instead of being a genuine condition. So how can organisations adapt to ensuring the mental well-being of all, minimising impact on the organisation and individual and offering the most appropriate support to that person and their colleagues?

For people with mental health conditions, there may be an increased sensitivity of the emotions of others. While this may look like a difficult characteristic to integrate within a team, it could actually help that individual show compassion for others, which could be an asset in customer service or team building roles.

Depression

For someone who does not or has not yet been depressed, this condition may be seen as just sadness. However, sadness usually has a direct cause, depression does not. Depression can be difficult to cope with for the individual and their colleagues, as sitting next to someone who is sad for no reason can lower your own mood. It’s difficult for the individual who may feel the need to pretend to be happy in order to cope; it’s difficult for their colleagues who may want to help but do not know how, or who find it hard to deal with their own mood becoming sadder as a result. There is no easy solution, but compassion and understanding go a long way to supporting both parties.

The benefits of a depressive individual are difficult to identify but supporting someone who is sad does reveal the true nature of colleagues and leaders. Would you want to promote someone to a leadership role when they cannot show compassion and support their colleague in distress? Supportive and responsive behaviour is essential at the top to ensure staff retention, mental well-being and intuitive decision making. In addition, the individual suffering from depressive episodes may be exceptionally bright and contributing at the highest level of performance despite their illness. Please bear in mind the saying that ‘Depression is the curse of the intelligent.’ These individuals identify problems and barriers to implementation early, are generally able to cope even under duress and are sensitive to the feelings of team members and the broader culture. Attributes that are very useful in any organisation.

Bipolar disorder

Mood fluctuation is the primary characteristic of Bipolar. The highs are usually very high and the lows very low. What is not often discussed is bipolar rage, high sex drive which can look like charisma and tempestuous sorrow. Unpredictability is often the most difficult factor in supporting someone with this condition, as you never know what mood you will be faced with on what day! There is also a risk of psychosis, particularly when under exceptional stress or when the individual is experiencing a combination of life events, oddly positive or negative ones. A bereavement, a new love or a relationship breakdown, moving house, changing jobs or simply a dependent child becoming ill unexpectedly. Depression is also a factor, and usually the most apparent characteristic of the illness and many people are misdiagnosed because the highs look like ambition or energy, where depression looks like extreme sadness.

For people who experience bipolar, managing stress and having a routine which includes ‘reset’ time is critical. By reset time, I mean a period when there is no external stimuli, no need to interact positively with others, and where work is parked for a time. This allows the individual to manage their emotions, particularly any reaction to stress or criticism, and re-enter the human world a more balanced, reasonable person! It’s great if colleagues and managers understand this need and do not view it as absenting yourself or being anti-social, as it’s merely a need that needs to be met to ensure future, productive participation.

Schizophrenia

Hallucinations are a central part of schizophrenia, with some individuals experiencing a kind of split personality. As this person is likely to be emotionally changeable and vulnerable to stress, it is useful to establish a supportive environment with an understandable set of structures and routines. Under the hallucinations, particularly where someone has multiple personalities that may emerge, it can be very difficult to maintain socially acceptable behaviour. Needless to say, this would at least look eccentric and at worse erratic or disruptive.

The benefits of employing someone actively experiencing schizophrenia may be difficult to quantify at first. On the one hand, if the individual is on the right drugs to manage hallucinations with the right support then they likely operate close to a neurotypical individual. As a result, they will not need many adjustments, only that of recognising if their behaviour and mental health deteriorates and helping them to get help. Ironically, this understanding could create a more compassionate culture with a high awareness of mental health issues and their impact. Everyone then benefits from the increased compassion in the organisation, as people see neuro-difference as normal and have a more human approach to managing and incorporating appropriate support and well-being techniques into the day to day operation.

Borderline personality disorder

When a person is struggling with borderline personality disorder, they are hypersensitized to the world around them, as shown in the quote below:

“Everything in the world hurts more than it seems to for everyone else and any ‘thick skin’ [I am] supposed to have just isn’t there.”

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/borderline-personality-disorder-bpd/about-bpd/

Historically in the UK we have expected people to have a ‘stiff upper lip’ or a ‘thick skin’ and to be able to cope with criticism, negativity, or general difficulties in life. For someone with this condition, the expected response is just not possible and as a consequence they may both feel the disappointment around them as well as the sting of the emotional reaction. Double trouble for this person! In experiencing this level of hurt, their response may be considered anti-social or inappropriate, as it is outside of normal expectation and thus dismissed as hysterical. However, this unusual reaction to situations or negative stimulation is not that individual’s fault; it may stem from childhood abuse or be a side effect of historical trauma or stress.

The advantage of borderline personality disorder is that the individual is likely to sense a destructive culture a mile off. They will literally perish or wither within it. So, for the management teams and organisational structure, these individuals are an excellent and early indication of negative behaviours and unhealthy cultural trends. All the senior management need to do is notice the reaction and adjust policy, leadership style or even the company strategy and approach to resourcing. If integrated well, a ‘sensitive’ type can prevent rising attrition rates, correct negative team dynamics, and essentially keep the senior leadership in check with a ‘warning light’ when things are going wrong internally.

Narcissism

Narcissism is essentially being exceptionally self-centred, resulting in an inability to see another’s perspective or walk in someone else’s shoes. This can create very negative relationship issues and disrupt the team dynamic, as this person just does not see the boundaries or concerns others may have. It’s not their fault, they just don’t see it. However, team members may find themselves reluctant to work with a narcissistic individual without always understanding why they feel that way, and ultimately may increasingly exclude that individual. This leaves the person with narcissism being left out without understanding why, creating even more anxiety, and likely making their behaviour even more self-centred as a coping mechanism. Needless to say, the team will quickly disintegrate around them.

Management of this dynamic and the resulting negativity may be very difficult as the narcissist may require a great deal of support to see the impact of their behaviour and find it harder still to change it. On the other hand, an individual with narcissistic tendencies is likely to have an innate drive to achieve the goals they set or are agreed with their line manager, almost without hesitation. Perhaps then the best way to benefit from someone who experiences narcissism is to set them challenging goals that no-one else would attempt or believe possible, and have the need to work in a team environment minimised so they can just get on with it. A facilitator to sit between them and the wider team may be helpful to reduce exclusion and misunderstanding.

Psychopathic behaviour

A psychopath does not sense or consider the feeling of others, potentially not at all. It is not a case of being selfish or self-centred, they simply do not see that other people have feelings and needs. We associate psychopathic behaviour with the tendency to commit murder, but this is rarely the case. Most psychopaths simply sit outside any sense of community as they have no awareness of that need in others and do not need it themselves. In that way, they could be seen as truly independent which is generally seen as a positive trait. In a team environment, they are unlikely to be effective managers but may operate well as long as they have clear guidance on what they are required to do. Much like narcissists, they are probably excellent at delivering difficult tasks simply because they do not see the potential emotional response or resistance of others and as a result have complete faith that it can be done.

Working with a psychopath could actually be very interesting as they may have a vision way beyond the average, just because they see no ‘people boundaries’ to delivering that vision. What’s possible becomes substantially greater that an organisation may ever have envisaged. Clearly there needs to be some moderation to make a required cultural shift or explain in a way others can understand, but with this in place a psychopath could create seismic change ever thought possible by a neurotypical individual.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD can arise from many different situations, ranging from childhood trauma and abuse to rape or violence that has been experienced by the individual. The condition is unpredictable, can be debilitating and results in exceptionally erratic responses to stress. Negative stimuli that may look like nothing to other people can cause extreme reactions. For example, something as simple as a small piece of negative feedback associated with a familiar and disturbing gesture can trigger distress, including hysterical tears and anger. What would seem trivial to a normal person, can be highly distressing for someone who recollects trauma similar to the trigger of the feedback given. In many cases PTSD results in hypervigilance, where the individual is constantly looking for perceived threat even when there is no actual threat at all.

As you can imagine, appearing irrational and becoming angry over minor triggers, certain words, or gestures, can be humiliating in a work environment. No one like to cry in front of their boss, but many people have including me. The other difficulty can arise when feelings of aggression when under stress, where others do not understand that the cause is related to previous experience not what is happening now. Ranting through hysterical distress proves very embarrassing and unwarranted for many work colleagues, who just wanted to have a sensible discussion! When there is seemingly little cause, individuals may be discredited or even disciplined for inappropriate behaviour which adds to the traumatised response mechanism (usually because their hippocampus has endured severe pressure under stress and develops an uncontrolled response when the individual sees echoes of that trauma).

If PTSD is well understood, acknowledged, and is handled well when triggered, the individual can and will make a positive contribution. They need an environment where stress triggers can be minimised to avoid too many outbursts and can help in identifying cultural issues much like someone with borderline personality disorder due to their sensitivity to negative behaviours. When treated with compassion, these individuals gradually recover and are less likely to have an unusual reaction to negative stimuli as time goes on.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Many people get bored. Many people have issues with concentration. However, for people with ADHD this is a fundamental reality and a major barrier to working in an office environment. In an office, you’re supposed to sit still at your desk for hours! You’re not supposed to flit between different projects or zone out in a meeting, but these expectations can be near impossible to achieve with ADHD. In addition, individuals with ADHD may have sleep and anxiety issues which are not going to help concentration over long periods.

For someone with ADHD, I suspect a desk which can be adjusted for a seating or standing position and the ability to hot desk around the office would help substantially. In addition, a line manager should acknowledge that doing a single project or task for long periods of time would be detrimental to this individual’s performance. Instead they could try setting an expectation that tasks can be completed as best suited to the individual with ADHD, in order to provide variety and cater positively towards coping with an inability to concentrate for long periods, including breaks as necessary. Obviously, deadlines can still be set but the path to achieving them may vary from the average person.

Someone with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be quite exciting to work with. The chances are that they will produce multiple streams of ideas and contribute a high level of energy to the group. I have also found people with ADHD have a highly developed sense of humour, so hopefully would cheer colleagues up under pressure!

Brain injury and stroke

Brain injury and stroke usually stems from an accident or unexpected physical condition. As a result, these individuals have gone from being fully functional and probably neurotypical, to experiencing many layers of frustration. From speech difficulties to the inability to process information at a normal speed to an unusual response to stimuli, they face constant challenges. They are also likely to have a before and after scenario within their current job, if indeed they manage to return to work.

Having seen James Cracknell on Celebrity Masterchef after his brain injury, and seen the effort he needed to apply to maintain pace with the competition, I started to understand the devastating effect of an injury like this for a previously healthy individual. The level of determination, focus and humour required to overcome his constraints would have been valuable for any organisation, if for nothing else than to inspire others around him.

Learning difficulties

My daughter has real difficulty in absorbing information that is delivered in multiple formats at the same time. I have difficulty absorbing and understanding information that is written, especially in dense text. Of course, there are much more serious learning difficulties, which are much harder to overcome. The lesson I have taken from my experience is that an individual can ask for an alternative and easier format for them to understand. And that an understanding teacher or boss will accept this need and be able to adapt their style, without dismissing the question. Ultimately it helps for the aim of the information to be more rapidly delivered and prevents misunderstanding or just confusion for the recipient.

Sara Rankin, a Professor at Imperial College Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, speaks of how she has overcome learning difficulties, particularly with literacy, and gone on to succeed in an academic environment:

https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/diversity-in-science/scientists-with-disabilities/sara-rankin/

Someone with learning difficulties within any organisation, offers a unique opportunity to extend our view of the potential market, particularly for a technology organisation. Where we often look at neurotypical personas with which to define products and user experience, these individuals could make us question the real needs of every individual. Apart from being a great testing opportunity, the problems they experience (whether in literacy, learning style or their capacity to learn a new interface) could force designers to design in a totally different way. We need to offer inclusivity and someone like this could really bring the challenge home, to define a unique set of user stories.

Savant or genius traits

For an individual who has an exceptional IQ or a specialist skill which far exceeds their peers, life can be challenging, which may sound strange and unfounded. It’s challenging because no one else can keep up with their pace of thought! This regularly leads to frustration as colleagues may not be able to understand the thought process to reach the conclusion or even the conclusion itself. As the savant is often called on to explain in great detail and make their thought process transparent to others, the individual may feel frustrated at the need to be so specific and take so much time in explanation and creating understanding. This may sound like a nice problem to have but is actually quite difficult.

To lubricate the wheels of communication, it can be helpful to have a ‘translator’. A bit like someone who can talk technology and can interpret this for the lay people in a business. The most helpful approach is not to dismiss the approach or the conclusions reached, but perhaps to ask where the idea started, what steps were taken generally to reach the conclusion and what the next steps would be. This enables the genius to explain but not at a level of detail that is painful. The translator can then communicate the theories onto other colleagues and come back to the source of the ideas with questions. It just helps, preventing frustration, miscommunication, or outright rejection.

The benefits of having savant or genius traits within an organisation are probably obvious. New and inventive solutions, turning complex problems into simple solutions, and being truly original offering a unique selling point for your organisation. I believe Steve Jobs was a savant (unfortunately a very lonely one when he died). His story brought home to me the incredible impact a new and revolutionary way of designing something can have, but also the risk to this genius of being excluded because his manner did not fit with office politics, as initially Apple fired him. However, their subsequent profit margins were a direct result of his inventiveness.