Why neurodiversity is a superpower in the workplace

Opinion: Society's view of neurodiversity is often directed towards the challenges, but this doesn't show the value of neurodivergent strengths

Albert Einstein was a genius physicist who developed the theories of relativity. In 1921, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the photoelectric effect. It's widely accepted that Einstein had Asperger’s Syndrome, which falls within autism spectrum disorder. Einstein could see the world differently from his peers and his ability to hyperfocus allowed him to capture the problem at hand and work tirelessly to solve it.

ASD or autism affects approximately 1% of the population. Autistic people have skills in logical thinking, have extraordinarily good memory, and are detail-orientated. Many people with autism have a talent for grasping complex systems such as computer programming, musical techniques, mathematics, and physics, to name but a few. In the workplace, many autistic people can create, develop, and establish complex products/projects.

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From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Una Kelly reports on how Dublin is to become the first autism-friendly capital

Emma Watson is a world-famous actress and activist. She plays Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, Meg March in Little Women and is a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador - not to mention the numerous beauty brands she has been the face of. But you may not know that Watson is also an ADHDer (a person with ADHD) and attributes her success in the creative arts to her ADHD.

ADHD affects approximately 2 to 7% of the population and is the second most inheritable trait, after height. ADHDers are highly empathetic, resilient, and energetic. They can be incredibly intuitive and have highly creative minds. They also have the incredible ability to hyperfocus on things that stimulate and interest them. This hyperfocus and passion can lead to exceptional attention to detail in the workplace. ADHDers work great both in a team and individually.

Steve Jobs was the co-founder of the Apple empire. The world we live in was forever changed by his ability to create a best-in-class technology company that brought mass music storage to all, establishing the tablet trend we see today and revolutionising the smartphone industry.

From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland in 2011, Ailbhe Conneely reports on the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs

Jobs was dyslexic and dyslexia may affect up to one in five people. Dyslexic individuals have skills in verbal communication, outside-the-box thinking, problem-solving and spatial awareness. Dyslexic people also have skills in reading people (intuition) and are excellent visual thinkers. This makes them fantastic at presentations and great at explaining complex ideas to co-workers.

The narrative surrounding dyslexia has always been on the challenges of the diagnosis. However, there has been a culture shift regarding the learning difference in recent years, with companies like EY and Meta actively recruiting dyslexic individuals. In 2022, the term 'dyslexic thinking' was added to the dictionary as a noun, and ‘dyslexic thinking’ was added as a skill to the LinkedIn platform.

So what do all of these high achievers have in common, I hear you ask? They are all neurodiverse. The term neurodiversity was coined by Judy Singer in 1998. It's a political term, not a medical one. Neurodiversity is defined as ‘a range of variation in mental or neurological functioning in a group'. In a more straightforward sense, neurodiversity is a spectrum that encompasses all the differences in our brains. There is even evidence to suggest that neurodiversity is the latest form of evolution.

From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, 85% of people who are neurodivergent are unemployed or underemployed

Neurodiverse or neurodivergent people have perceptual and cognitive differences. Neurodiversity embodies the notion that developmental disorders are normal variations in the brain. These variations include diagnoses such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), OCD and Tourette’s syndrome, to name but a few.

Neurodiversity is typically genetic so a parent, sibling and other relatives often have the same or similar traits and diagnoses. Co-occurrence is also common in neurodiversity, with many neurodiverse people having multiple diagnoses.

It is estimated that 15 to 20% of the population are neurodiverse. The uneven cognitive profile of neurodiverse people compared to a neurotypical cognitive profile means that neurodiverse individuals literally think differently. Society’s view of neurodiversity is directed towards the challenges. This effort is well-intended but does not show the value of neurodivergent strengths.

From RTÉ Radio 1's Brendan O'Connor Show, Brianna Parkins, Rachel Merriman and Paddy Fagan talk about the challenges of navigating the workplace as a neurodiverse person

The world of work is changing fast. A revolution in the skillset required for societal and industrial growth has begun. A transformative approach to the workplace is essential to enable a diverse talent pool and address the skills needs of our society.

As a result, we must support and develop the skills of neurodiverse individuals. The perception of neurodiversity needs to be reframed. As a society, we must enable everyone in the workplace by embedding an inclusive culture and allowing people to fulfil their full potential, in turn addressing the current skills gap. With ever-expanding knowledge around the neurodiverse skillset, it is time we as a society capture neurodiverse superpowers.

The author's research is funded by the National University of Ireland Dr Garret FitzGerald Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Higher Education Studies and the Royal Society of Chemistry Inclusion and Diversity Fund.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

Why neurodiversity is a superpower in the workplace

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Niamh O'Mahoney