Understanding neurodiversity at work

It’s important to note that neurodivergent people are not a monolith. There are different ways of talking about what it means to be neurodiverse.

Frances appreciates the term neurodivergent because, she says, “It adds a sense of gravitas and science to it. We’re not only talking about whether someone speaks more loudly or softly or whether they’re comfortable in person-to-person interactions. We’re talking about brain wiring and cognitive differences inherent to who we are and our neurological makeup.”

While conditions like ADHD, ASD, Tourette syndrome, dyslexia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder all fall under the umbrella of neurodiversity, Frances explained that even extroversion and introversion are on the spectrum.

Recognising and celebrating the differences in how people’s brains are wired can transform organisations in significant ways. Neurodivergent employees bring many valuable skills to the table—creative problem-solving, empathy, hyperfocus, attention to detail—if they are given an environment where they can thrive.

“If everyone comes into the workplace and has the same wiring, cognitive understanding, and social and educational background, it just keeps reinforcing the same thinking,” said Frances. “But people are diverse. Clients are diverse. When you have a mix of individuals in the workplace, there’s such a business case for creativity, innovation, and empathy.”

Lorem ipsum to Cicero

The discovery of the text’s origin is attributed to Richard McClintock, a Latin scholar at Hampden–Sydney College. McClintock connected Lorem ipsum to Cicero’s writing sometime before 1982 while searching for instances of the Latin word consectetur, which was rarely used in classical literature.^[2] McClintock first published his discovery in a 1994 letter to the editor of Before & After magazine,^[8] contesting the editor’s earlier claim that Lorem ipsum held no meaning.