You've probably come across the terms neuroinclusive, neurodiversity, neurodivergent, and neurotypical. You're also probably wondering what does it all mean?
In this article, we introduce you to the wonderful new world of neurodiversity and neuroinclusive communication.
So, what does all of these terminology even mean?
- Neurodiversity refers to vast variety of brains on the planet, it celebrates the differences in expression, thinking, communicating, styles and being.
- Neurodivergent refers to brains that are wired different and have a difference in neurological function from what is considered normal or typical. It includes brains wired with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyscalculia, developmental language disorder, and dyspraxia.
- Neurotypical refers to brains that are wired with neurological function that is considered normal or typical, brain that aren't showing neurologically atypical patterns or thought or behaviour.
- Neuroinclusive or neuroinclusion refers to the acceptance of the diversity in brain types and catering to the variety.
Personally, I don't believe there is such a thing as 'neurotypical' because there is no one brain that is "normal". This means naturally every workplace has neurodiversity. Some are unaware of their difference and others have received diagnoses. But yes - we are among you or you may be one of us.
Michael discovered he was neurodivergent in his mid-forties when he was diagnosed with Adult ADHD. This discovery effectively made the last puzzle piece lock in place. It explained so much of why he struggled in school, why his way of thinking was different, and how he's able to see things and connect dots that others couldn't.
And that is the power of neurodiversity, each brain brings forth strengths to the table, new solutions or different approaches, challenging what is considered the only path, simplifying processes, and break through barriers; making what seems impossible achievable.
There are many notable figures in history and currently who are discovering and embracing their neurodivergence, and through their successes they are showcasing the value of embracing, supporting, and including neurodivergent thinking across multitudes of industries.
So what is neuroinclusive communication anyway?
As there are a variety of brains with a variety of learning, communication, expression, and styles. We are discovering that being aware of the differences and accommodating to engage and meet these differences is what neuroinclusive communication is about.
Effectively, it's ensuring that communication is understood and lands with every brain in the room. So those PowerPoints with long lists of bullet points and 10pt font text need to go!!!
It's about using a wider toolkit when communicating so no one feels left out or left behind.
Making an effort at the start to include neurodivergent brains in your communication, whether one-to-one or one-to-many fosters a neurodiverse workplace and embraces neurodiversity.
What can you do to be more neuroinclusive?
1. Keep it simple and to the point
With ADHD people, they can get distracted easily so sitting in a meeting and taking an hour to get your point across losses them.
Start with the end in mind. We tend to start by laying the foundations to make a compelling case and then at the end say what it is we want/need or why it is important. Flip it on its head and start with the end. It's also called a frame.
For example: "Imagine a world where fossil fuels no longer exist and the world is flourishing for future generations."
It gives a reason as to why it is important to listen to what you're suggesting or communicating. It encourages the listener to want to take in the information your sharing.
2. Provide options
Use both verbal and non-verbal communication methods, that means using written material such as a handout to accompany your presentation or a summary email or text when you finish your presentation.
Neurodivergent people need the time and space to absorb what you've communicated and sometimes they need to be able to refer back to the information.
But please whatever you do, and we see this time and time again, STOP using your slides as a handout! Your slides should never be the information reference, that's how you end up with slides that are basically reports with 10pt font text and no images. Again refer to the first point 'Keep it simple and to the point'.
Give them the space to reach out to you if they have any questions. This may come days later as they digest and consider what it all means.
3. Use friendly spaces
When communicating with neurodivergent people, consider the space that you're going to use. Could it be overstimulating or understimulating? Do you need to be in a meeting room or can you be in a nearby park? Have you provided tools for them that allows them to seat for a long duration if you require them to sit for a period of 30 mins or longer. We use koosh balls whenever we run training sessions and every time we see people engage with them and at times at the end thank us for providing a very valuable resource that keeps them engaged and in the room. It is also a great tool that isn't distracting for others as it doesn't make any noise when played with.
4. Ask questions and check for understanding
A great coaching tool, question clarify question, and this isn't reserved only for neurodivergent folks. It works greatly with every brain.
Never underestimate the power of understanding, the purpose of sharing information is also ensuring that it is understood. Some brains may need more examples or a better breakdown, that's where storytelling is a great tool to use as it provides relatable examples. You'll find some people with ADHD will share a similar story in return to show understanding and empathise with the concept being discussed.
This seemingly small gesture prevents people from being left behind, so make sure you give time and space to check in for understanding.
5. Summarise the action points
If at the end there are tasks that need to be actioned as part of the conversation, do a quick summary of what these are and check that they are correct. Sometimes neurodivergent people will note their tasks and it may be off mark or it may be blown out of proportion. People who have had to mask their neurodivergence have learned to overcompensate for their differences and tend to over deliver on what is needed or completely miss the mark as it may have been interpreted to be bigger than what is actually required. It's the dot connecting in their brains; in order to achieve X, we will need to change XYZ.
To summarise...
This is a growing topic and as the number of people being diagnosed with neurodivergence rise so is the research within this area expanding. There are constantly new discoveries being made neurologically and psychologically and remember no one brain is the same because it is both in how the brain is structured and the experiences that we have that shape our way of processing, expressing, and communicating.
Till next time, stay awesome!
Cheers,
A