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The Government is failing so many adults of tomorrow, by not supporting our children, today.
Did you know that more than 15% of people in the UK are neurodivergent!
So, with a population of 67,736,802 people, that's 10,160,5203 people managing Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia & Dyspraxia every day.
With over 33 million people employed in the UK (May 2023), we can guestimate that almost 5 million people in employment are also facing challenges whilst at work, meaning any organisation of a fair size is likely to have neurodiversity within their workforce.
As the Co-founder of a recruitment agency, the impact of neurodiversity in the workplace has really got my attention lately. What sits even closer to home, is how adult/workplace difficulties could be far better supported, if children were just able to receive a diagnosis and treatment plan, much easier and quicker!!
WHAT IS NEURODIVERSITY?
Neurodiversity, neurotypical, and neurodivergent are terms that are relatively new and they’ve only come to the forefront over the past few decades by professionals in academic domains such as educational psychology, disability studies, and sociology, to name a few.
Neurotypical individuals often suffer from conditions such as ADHD, autism, anxiety, OCD, and dyslexia.
They are often diagnosed with intellectual or developmental disabilities or neurological disorders.
When we take into consideration the context of the workplace, these labels can often raise questions about a person’s ability to collaborate and integrate into the workplace culture and bring something of value to the table.
However, it’s important to remember that neurodiversity simply means that there’s a difference in the way a person’s brain functions. It does not mean that they’re less intelligent than those who are neurotypical.
WHY AM 'I' TALKING ABOUT NEURODIVERSITY:
I am currently on the long and arduous journey of having my 6-year-old diagnosed with (likely) ADHD.
7 months ago, I had a very limited knowledge of any neurodivergent conditions (apart from dyslexia, which I have).
Since starting school, my daughter has really struggled, socially and academically.
Everyone put this down to COVID, or our house moves, or the family break-up (which was years before).
Fast forward to today; numerous MY PLAN meetings, Educational Phycologist reports, play therapy sessions, GP appointments and suspensions from school, not to mention all the tears (mine and hers), we are finally talking about getting a diagnosis for ADHD.
This has taken us 24 months.
I have been gobsmacked at how challenging it has been to get the help my daughter needs.
Ultimately, the government want you to complete an EHCP assessment (which takes 12-18 months to complete) before any additional funding is given to the school. For us this journey will formally start in Sept.
In the meantime, this leaves children continuing to struggle in mainstream schools, where they are being taught in a 'one size-fits-all' approach. Which is failing them.
If her EHCP application is even successful, my daughter will only start to get bespoke support/a dedicated TA, by the time she is 8.
We're classed as some of the 'lucky' ones, as we spotted and are addressing Imogen's struggles, early...
THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING A NEURODIVERGENT DIAGNOSIS IN EARLY LIFE:
If a child displays any neurodivergent tendencies, they are often considered naughty.
The typical cycle that then follows in school, is that the child struggles to 'keep up' and feels embarrassed, they then withdraw from learning, struggle to integrate with the rest of their peers, get into trouble, achieve poor grades, have very low self-esteem, and can become disengaged with school altogether. My daughter has experienced all of this.
Left undiagnosed, this can creep into your teen years and impact your relationships/ ability to get and retain a Saturday job, pass exams and attend University and ultimately secure a professional vocation/job of their choice (and keep it!).
ADHD often includes impulsive behaviours, trouble focusing, and in some people, hyperactivity, which can still be displayed in adults.
If those symptoms aren't managed well, they may lead to workplace problems where employees struggling to interact with peers and management, meet deadlines or focus on tasks.
Attendance is sometimes poor and lateness can be an ADHD trait too. Learning new material can be a challenge and appraisals or evaluations can be poor. It is often hard to keep on top of office organisations.
Many people with ADHD experience anxiety, as the constant struggle with attention and organization can create a sense of unease and overwhelm.
People with ADHD often struggle with impulsivity, finding it challenging to think before acting and these traits are not overly conducive to employment. Which is why it's SOOOO important to get a diagnosis and suitable support, as early as possible in life!
NB: There are many jobs that people with ADHD can thrive in. According to Verywell Mind, some of the jobs that people with ADHD would do well in include sales representative, small business owner, hospitality worker, chef, teacher, emergency first responder, computer technician, artist or writer.
In addition to this, employers can make reasonable adjustments to help employees with ADHD work effectively, which I touch on later in this blog.
NEURODIVERSITY SUPPORT IN THE WORKPLACE:
Different neurotypical employees will require different solutions and you should work to provide tailored work environments for these individuals. For instance, providing noise-cancelling headphones for employees with sensory sensitivities, investing in text-to-speech software, and creating spaces for those with spatial sensitivities can go a long way.
We also need to rethink our sourcing efforts!
A candidate with autism may find it difficult to make eye contact during an interview, whilst a candidate with ADHD may appear to be distracted.
This is why hiring panels should include neurodiverse individuals who can look out for these signs. It’s also important to ask the right questions to assess their full range of skills and not just the skills a few people may think are important for the business.
Neurodivergent candidates aren’t mandated to disclose their conditions at any point in the interview process, so it is important the interviewers keeps an open-mind.
YOUR EXPERIENCES:
***If you have a personal story about how early diagnosis and treatment helped you or your child, or if you suffer with any neurodivergent conditions yourself as an adult today and it DOES impact your day-to-day job, please do share your experience.
This will help to raise awareness of the issue and encourage others to seek help too!
DISCUSSION POINTS COVERED IN THIS BLOG:
The benefits of early diagnosis and treatment for neurodivergent children.
The challenges of getting a diagnosis and treatment for neurodivergent children in the UK.
What the government can do to make it easier for children to get diagnosed and treated for neurodivergent conditions.
The impact of neurodiversity in the workplace.
How employers can create a more inclusive workplace for neurodivergent employees.
Successful DEI strategies for a neurodiverse workforce
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