Neurodiversity In the Workplace: Neurodiversity celebration Week 2025
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Many staff in TU Dublin are neurodivergent, and many managers and supervisors will have neurodivergent staff on their teams, whether they are aware of it or not To ensure that we create a welcoming environment where everyone can thrive, TU Dublin’s Dr Keith Murphy has put together a list of tips for managers and supervisors to help them support neurodivergent staff and colleagues and create a more inclusive environment for all.
And if you are not a manager or supervisor, many of these will also be helpful for all staff working to create a more inclusive and welcoming TU Dublin.
1. Create a Neurodiversity-Friendly Culture
- Education & Awareness: Support staff to attend training about neurodiversity to increase awareness and reduce stigma. This can include understanding different conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others.
- Inclusive Language: Use respectful and inclusive language when discussing neurodivergence. Avoid terms that could be perceived as patronising or diminishing.
2. Adjust Communication Methods
- Clear Instructions: Provide clear, concise instructions both in writing and verbally. Use multiple formats (written, visual aids) to ensure understanding.
- Use of Assistive Technologies: Encourage the use of tools that support neurodivergent employees, such as screen readers, speech-to-text software, or noise-cancelling headphones.
- Alternative Communication: For some neurodivergent individuals, email or written communication may be easier than phone calls or meetings, so offering alternatives wherever possible can be important and helpful.
3. Create a Sensory-Friendly Environment
- Reduce Sensory Overload: Ensure all employees are aware of quiet rooms where they can retreat if they feel overwhelmed by noise, bright lights, or other sensory triggers, and support staff to use them.
- Quiet Zones: When you can, offer designated quiet spaces or rooms with fewer distractions for employees who need to focus.
4. Support Training and Development
- Professional Growth: Ensure that neurodivergent employees have equal access to career development opportunities. This might include providing mentorship, leadership training, or specific skill-building opportunities offered by People Development.
- Explore different methods to use for neurodivergent’s in your recruitment process to ensure all staff feel they can apply without the process been daunting or it becoming overwhelming.
- Learning Preferences: Adapt training programs to cater to different learning preferences (visual, auditory, hands-on).
5. Listen and Adapt
- Solicit Feedback: Regularly ask for feedback from neurodivergent employees about their experiences and needs in the workplace. This helps identify areas for improvement.
- Ongoing Adaptation: Inclusion should be an ongoing process. Keep revisiting policies, procedures, and workplace culture to ensure they remain inclusive as needs evolve.
Diversity refers to the wide range of life forms on Earth, including plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms, and the ecosystems they create. Neurodiversity is a key component of the natural world, is also highly relevant in the workplace. It encompasses a variety of skills, backgrounds, and perspectives. Neurodiverse employees contribute to innovation, teamwork, adaptability, decision-making, and ethical practices, playing a vital role in both organisational and individual success.