Neurodivergent in a World That Doesn’t Get It

seen, unseen, and everything in between

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The challenges of being Neurodivergent: seen, unseen, and everything in between.

Shall we begin?

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SILENCED, NOT SILENT

We shouldn’t conflate the increase in awareness of Neurodiversity through articles, resources, and advocacy with actual progress in changing societal attitudes.

Don’t get me wrong, I am happy with the increase in awareness but awareness alone won’t lead to meaningful change for Neurodivergent people.

• We have awareness but little action.

• We have conferences but little change.

• We have initiatives but little impact.

#ThisIsNotFine

We need to address the lack of empathy, accountability and unwillingness to be inclusive of Neurodivergent people in many spaces.

The harsh reality is that some people just don’t care.

This includes people working in education, managers, leaders across various sectors, people in hobby clubs and the general public.

• Many Neurodivergent people don’t feel comfortable speaking about their experiences because of what others have experienced:

  • Disclosed they are Neurodivergent = Employer found an excuse to lay them off.

  • Requested accommodations = Told they were asking for too much.

  • Shared information about their diagnosis = The person was uninterested and downplayed the impact of Neurodivergence.

  • Advocated for themselves = Many of us are gaslighted and not given the benefit of the doubt.

Also, reasonable adjustments we request are seen by some as ‘receiving special treatment’.

So should we remain silent?

This is a question I asked myself when I experienced one of the above circumstances.

#ThisIsNotFine

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#ThisIsNotFine

As most of you know, I was formally diagnosed with ADHD Combined Type over 5 years ago by the UK NHS.

I have done a lot of inner work to rid myself of guilt, shame, embarrassment and stigma.

The hard part has been:

• Explaining to people that those with neurodevelopmental conditions might experience different challenges than someone without one, tailoring approaches can make things fairer and more supportive for everyone.

• Doing mental gymnastics when navigating spaces where I don’t feel comfortable or supported.

• Being the outsider.

#ThisIsNotFine

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The changes I’d like to see

Image from Canva

So many amazing people have been doing great work on Disability and Neuroinclusion. Let’s celebrate that!

Since my diagnosis, I’ve been an ADHD/Neurodiversity advocate and I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest speaker in companies across sectors, featured in news publications and podcasts and speaking at conferences.

I would like to see a people-centred approach. An organisation, a school, or an industry can be seen to be doing the right things and have the correct policies in place, but if the people there are not willing to be inclusive, efforts could fall flat.

A review of different continents that assesses:

• How many Neurodivergent people have been employed at companies signed up to the Disability Confidence Scheme?

• Lessons learned and case studies from the top-ranked employers

• Stats of Neurodivergent kids in Schools who are Supported vs Unsupported

• Changes companies have implemented following a training session or conference attendance

• Inclusion of people with lived experience in education, in the workplace, and the industry in key discussions.

Neurodivergent folk! Some of us have had good experiences, some of us have had terrible experiences. Feel free to share situations where you thought #ThisIsNotFine

That’s all from me!

Rach, with ADHD