Why We Can't Wait for a Diagnosis to be Neuro-inclusive
Genie Love • April 2, 2025
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It’s World Autism Awareness Day, and I want to say how much I appreciate all of you who are actively supporting your autistic employees and team members.
In my trainings, I often hear some version of, “I’m happy to do whatever my people need to support them.” And, of course, that’s a great place to start. But, we can’t wait for diagnosed individuals to tell us what they need in order to create a supportive environment. This isn’t just about autism, it applies to all types of neurodivergence.
Here are a few reasons why:
- They may be afraid to disclose their diagnosis. You may be open and supportive, but these diagnoses still carry stigma and a lot of assumptions. That can make it hard to speak up.
- They may not know they’re neurodivergent. If you’ve never been exposed to the language or information, you don’t realize there’s a name for the way your brain works. I coach people of all ages (including folks in their 70s) who are just now discovering they’re neurodivergent.
- They may not know what they need. I once spoke to someone with a recent autism diagnosis who worked up the courage to tell their employer. The employer was very supportive and responded, “Happy to help. Just tell us what you need.” But this was all new to them, too. They had no idea what support would benefit them.
- There can be huge hurdles to getting a diagnosis.
- It can be hard to find a provider qualified to diagnose adults.
- It’s often expensive and not covered by insurance.
- And if it is covered, the insurance company might refuse to cover and evaluation saying, “You’ve made it this far in your life, why do you need a diagnosis now?”
So, thank you for your acceptance, your support, and your willingness to learn.
And on behalf of those who don’t know they’re autistic yet...or who don’t know what they need, maybe take one more step. You could even ask ChatGPT a few simple questions like:
- What challenges might someone who is autistic face in this environment?
- What are some easy things I could try to better support them?
Try out a few of those strategies. See what happens. (Hint: They almost always help more than just neurodivergent folks. Neurotypical people appreciate them too.)
P.S. If you’d rather get support from a human (hi 👋) with more than 20 years of experience working with all kinds of neurodivergent brains, you know where to find me.
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Neurodiversity Unboxed: Insights and Strategies for Inclusive Workplaces
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IWe live in a culture that embraces busyness. We want our people to look like they’re working. As long as we’re answering emails, attending meetings, taking thorough notes, and keeping up with messages, we feel productive. But what happens when the appearance of busyness gets in the way of the deep work that needs to be done? For most of us, shifting into deep work can feel like an uphill battle. According to Andrew Huberman, this resistance is something most of us experience and we need to work through. But for employees with executive function challenges, this resistance can be significantly more intense. The initial inertia to get started can feel like a mountain of effort. This is real. And it really is due to the way their brain works. Externally, this might look like: Procrastination Laziness A lack of motivation or work ethic Someone keeping up with emails and meetings but not making progress on deep work How Managers Can Help Fortunately, there are strategies to support employees who experience this kind of resistance to deep work. Here are a few: Provide a quiet, reliable space to work. Having a consistent, distraction-free environment makes it significantly easier to transition into focus mode. Help them develop an “opening” routine. This is a deliberate, mindful process of setting up the workspace and minimizing distractions. Encourage them to say “I’m ready to start this task.” (I actually will say this out loud.) This can help signal to the brain that it’s time to focus. Support structured transitions between tasks. When moving from one task to another, reverse the opening routine. "Close" the previous task before "opening" the next. A short movement break between tasks can also help reset focus. Be explicit about which meetings are required. Employees with executive function challenges may default to attending every meeting because it’s not always clear which are essential. Too many meetings can create unnecessary workflow disruptions for someone who already struggles with this. If you’re interested in better understanding executive functions and how they impact your employees, check out this week’s Neurodiversity Insights in 20 recording. I also dive into how sensory overwhelm affects productivity and what you can do to help.
