It’s not charity

Let’s be clear, you are already working with neurodivergent people (they just might not have told you).

Making your workplace more neuro-inclusive isn’t charity or a  nice to have. 

It’s thinking about if your workplace actually works for the people in it. 

I often hear things like,  “you’re doing such a great thing, helping neurodivergent people.” Whilst I get where it comes from, it misses the point. 

Neurodivergent people don’t need fixing or saving. 

What’s needed is acceptance, and workplaces that aren’t full of unnecessary barriers to begin with. Right now, a lot of people are using far more energy than they should have to just get through the day, trying to fit into environments that weren’t designed with them in mind. 

...it's not a personal failing, it’s a design issue 

...an accessible workplace isn’t a tick-box. 

...it can be the difference between someone feeling safe or not. 

...between staying or leaving. 

Everyone deserves a fair chance to function at work because if someone in fight or flight mode just to keep up, you’re not seeing what they’re really capable of anyway. 

Often, businesses are worried that this means making drastic changes, but the small things make a big difference. 

• How information is shared.

• How expectations are communicated.

• What flexibility actually looks like day to day. 

That’s the kind of work we do through Ripples Coaching, providing training and helping workplaces make changes  that work in practice, not just on paper. 

Anthony (HR perspective) -

“But surely they have to prove it...”

“I know someone who is ADHD and how I approach it is...”

“I am open to change but...”

These are some of the phrases I hear on a regular basis from people in the workplace. These managers are not bad people, and they genuinely want to do what is best for the organisation and their people – but something gets in the way.

It is not arrogance or ignorance; in my experience it invariably comes down to knowledge and confidence. As a HR professional, so much of my job is helping managers to find their own way of managing situations and empowering them to make the decisions they need to. 

When a good, well trained, confident manager is empowered to make any decision in relation to their people, my experience is that they make the right one. 

We can’t help a manager with everything that the professional world will throw at them, but we can offer professional training and coaching along with the tools to help them drive a neuroinclusive culture.