Neurodiversity at work: Definitions, benefits, and tips for businesses
Neurodivergence in the workplace has impressive benefits – learn about them and how to create a neuro-inclusive work culture.
Two and a half years ago, I was sitting in a psychologist’s office staring at a very faded print-out of ADHD symptoms and behaviors. It said having five or more of the listed symptoms for six months or more made me a prime candidate for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. I had 17.
After being formally diagnosed and starting treatment for ADHD, I ran into a more disconcerting obstacle: how very little my managers and company leaders actually knew about the condition and the challenges of ADHD at work. Or worse—that they classified my symptoms as laziness, negligence, and ineptitude.
Unfortunately, there’s a big disconnect between the truth about employees like me who are living with ADHD and what coworkers, managers, and leaders believe to be true.
In a study conducted by Akili and Wakefield Research that focused on ADHD in the workplace, 74% of managers and 92% of employees said that misconceptions about the condition exist in their workplace. This lack of understanding isn’t likely due to malice or ill will, but a need for accurate information.
Setting the record straight: ADHD at work
The fact is that ADHD is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, meaning an ADHD brain looks and acts differently than a neurotypical person’s brain.
Moreover, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recognizes ADHD as a disability and says those with ADHD have the right to reasonable accommodations in educational and workplace settings.
Even without those pesky facts, we know neurodiversity, or the inclusion of people with different types of brain functioning in a group or organization, is indisputably good for business.
Research shows that neurodivergent employees bring a wealth of unique talents to the workplace, boost productivity, are loyal, and drive profitability.
Neurodivergent employees have brains that process information differently than what’s considered “typical” and commonly used to refer to those affected by a neurological or developmental condition, such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Here are some common myths about ADHD at work that illustrate the challenges employees with ADHD face:
- “Everybody” has ADHD
- Doctors are over-diagnosing the condition
- ADHD is a juvenile or academic disorder
- It’s an American condition
- ADHD is an excuse for laziness or a poor work ethic
- You can’t have ADHD if you’re successful
- If you’ve coped without treatment so far, you don’t need it
1. “Everybody” has ADHD
Not only is this categorically false, it’s incredibly dismissive. In the US, an estimated 15.5 million adults have ADHD, according to the Center for Disease Control.
ADHD impairs the brain’s frontal lobe, which makes executive function, impulse control, attention regulation, and emotional regulation much more challenging. It also dysregulates dopamine so that the ADHD brain is operating with a dopamine deficiency.
ADHD expert Russell Barkley coined the term “motivation deficit disorder” to emphasize how hard it is for those with a dopamine deficiency to motivate themselves to begin and complete tasks, no matter how complex or simple.
To imply that everyone has this disorder implies that it’s the status quo and no new information is needed to address it. It also creates an environment where people’s real difficulties due to ADHD are chalked up to other causes, like laziness or ineptitude.
2. Doctors are over-diagnosing people with it
While it’s true that medical statistics show a consistent rise in ADHD diagnoses over the past few decades, this isn’t due to doctors being overly eager to hand out diagnoses and prescriptions. In reality, these increases come from a heightened awareness of the disorder and its symptoms, better diagnostic criteria, and greater recognition of symptoms among healthcare providers and the general public.
Even so, only 10.5% of children and adolescents in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD, and 6% of adults.
Even with a clinical diagnosis, treatment for adults and children can vary, and not everyone who is diagnosed chooses or has access to medical treatment. Of adults in the U.S. diagnosed with ADHD, 62% report taking ADHD medication to help with symptoms, while 54% of children do.
3. ADHD is a juvenile or “academic” disorder
ADHD can be easier to diagnose in school-age children because they’re expected to behave and perform similarly in a classroom setting, as opposed to self-directed employees in an office setting. Children who are hyperactive or inattentive stand out in stark contrast to their neurotypical classmates.
Since childhood is typically when ADHD intervention and diagnosis frequently occur, there’s a quietly held assumption that children “outgrow” ADHD when they reach adulthood. However, ADHD is a lifelong disorder that is caused by differences in brain development that cannot be outgrown.
Eighty percent of those diagnosed with ADHD in childhood continue to struggle with symptoms as an adult.
4. An American condition
ADHD has been extensively studied in the U.S. for over 40 years. Since it’s been studied for a longer amount of time and to a greater degree than other places, there’s a persistent myth that it’s an American disorder and less prevalent elsewhere in the globe. For example, 5% of children in the UK are estimated to have ADHD compared to 11% of children in the U.S.
These numbers appear to suggest that this disorder is more prevalent in America, but the differences in diagnostic rates are due to inconsistent diagnostic practices, cultural attitudes, medical criteria, or how strictly medical professionals apply the diagnosis.
Studies suggest there’s no convincing difference between the prevalence of ADHD in the U.S. and most other countries or cultures, and ADHD exists across all populations.
5. An excuse for laziness or a poor work ethic
This myth perpetuates a belief that workers with ADHD should just “try harder” when in reality they’re already trying harder. Workers with ADHD consistently work longer hours than their neurotypical counterparts to compensate for difficulties their symptoms create.
Not only are they working harder, but they now feel the need to mask their struggles for fear of being perceived as weak. This can lead to these same workers experiencing burnout, anxiety, depression, and emotional overwhelm that further inhibits their job performance.
When significant stress at a previous job led me to forget tasks or fail to complete a step, I thought my mistakes would be viewed through a compassionate lens because I’d been upfront about my ADHD diagnosis and struggles. I needed my manager or leaders to say “We know you’re typically a high performer, but you’re making careless mistakes and stress is making things worse. How can we help?”
Instead, I was admonished for negligence and poor performance, which made me feel alone and worthless. A few weeks later, I was fired.
My story is not unique: 87% of workers with ADHD have faced rejection, punishment, demotion, humiliation, or job loss because of their condition, according to the Akili study.
6. ADHD at work: You can’t have it if you’re successful
An ADHD diagnosis is neither determined or denied based on the degree of one’s professional “success,” but by the presence of executive brain dysfunction and how that shows up in their day-to-day life.
Adults diagnosed later in their lives have often learned to be successful by building an arsenal of well-honed coping mechanisms to mitigate, shortcut, or mask symptoms.
And more than one study has found that individuals with ADHD are likely to be innovative entrepreneurs. Examples include IKEA Founder and CEO Ingvar Kamprad and Virgin Founder and CEO Richard Branson.
7. Adults who’ve coped without treatment don’t need it
This misconception stems from adults who received a late-in-life diagnosis. They’ve lived their lives navigating the challenges of a neurological development disorder, and have done reasonably well for themselves with a good job, happy family, and stable life. If it’s not broken, why fix it?
However, one of the biggest challenges to those with ADHD, whether they realize it or not, is living with a dopamine deficiency. They have difficulty producing, releasing, or efficiently using dopamine–a neurotransmitter responsible for motivation, focus, and reward processing.
Dopamine deficiency can reduce quality of life by making it difficult to derive enjoyment from things. This deficiency can also cause clinical anxiety and depression, conditions for which an individual can feel compelled to self-medicate with substances, addictions, or dangerous activities.
Adults who received a later-in-life diagnosis of ADHD can increase their quality of life with medical treatment. Prescription stimulants help normalize dopamine levels and “even out” the brain’s chemistry. One analysis of ADHD treatment studies found that 75% of individuals respond well to stimulant medications.
Supporting ADHD employees at work
As long as they go unchecked, the false information and beliefs fueling these misconceptions can damage employees’ careers and mental health, company morale, and overall neurodiversity at your company.
Workers who have been diagnosed with ADHD rely on medical treatment and therapy for improving their quality of life will exponentially benefit from their workplace having a balanced understanding of ADHD and its symptoms– one that acknowledges the array of strengths these workers bring to the table AND the challenges it creates at work.
Offering education and helpful resources to support employees with ADHD will help your organization retain talent, increase productivity, and create an environment where ALL employees can thrive.
