Neurodiversity is a naturally occurring variation in all humans just like fingerprints or hair.

Dr Nick Walker defines Neurodiversity as “the diversity of human minds, the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species."

So neurodiversity doesn’t relate to a specific group of people; it relates to all humans in the same way as hair colour is varied across all humans.  

Hair has infinite variation. Our brains also have infinite variation.

We all recognise this variation, for example:

Neurodivergence is the term that describes those people whose neurocognitive functioning is significantly different from what society perceives as the ‘norm’.  

If we take hair colour as an example, people might think mousy brown hair is the norm. 

When we bring redheads into the mix we see an example that is significantly different to this norm.

In talking about neurodivergent individuals, we’re referring to those people whose brains are wired in a way that sets them apart from society’s idea of the norm in neurodiversity.

This norm is referred to as Neurotypical.

We’re all familiar with the models for differences in learning styles, team roles and personality profiling. Our individual neurodiversity impacts how we communicate, manage our time and tasks and how we relate to others socially.

Our brains also play a huge part in our strengths and weaknesses and understanding this about ourselves and our colleagues helps us to work well together.

We all recognise that we’re better at some things than others. 

The great thing about working in teams is that we can draw on each other’s strengths and challenges. Each person can play a valuable role in supporting the wider team to move forwards.

Individuals typically recognised as Neurotypical have strengths and challenges in their cognitive abilities that show up as a wavy profile with only slight differentiation between polarities. In contrast, Neurodivergent individuals experience a spiky profile which means that both their strengths and their challenges are amplified. The differentiation is much greater.

At the top of the spike (the strengths), might be abilities such as concentration and focus, creativity and innovation, or the way that we pull information together and we process it.  

At the bottom of the spike (the challenges), might be abilities in communication, time management, multitasking or working memory.

It can take significant resources for neurodivergent individuals to manage their challenges which often prevents them from expressing their strengths. This can be compounded by the common focus on deficit rather than the advantages in difference.

Within a work environment, neurodivergent strengths offer magic and genius for an organisation and support significant improvements in performance. 

However, neurodivergent challenges can mean that highly competent individuals are struggling to deliver their workload because there are so many other things affecting them which impacts their capacity.

When we support neurodivergent individuals to thrive, not only do they begin to contribute to their organisation fully, but their job satisfaction and well-being increase also. 

This, in turn, can have a profoundly positive impact on companies in a number of different ways, including: 

If you want your organisation and its employees to thrive, then it’s important to understand that Neurodiversity is not just a buzzword.  

Creating an inclusive environment for your neurodivergent colleagues to flourish can not only allow people to be seen, heard and be more productive but will actively support you in accelerating your business goals and overall growth objectives.

If you'd like to find out more about how Neurodiversity training can support you and your teams, let's talk.