Understanding the needs of neurodiverse employees in the workplace

Organizations will benefit from learning effective ways to utilize the strengths of
neurodiverse workers rather than focusing only on accommodating their challenges. The specific problem with research on issues including Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is that it is focused on children and caregivers without proof that the impacts are the same in adults as children. The purpose of this qualitative, semi-structured interview study is to learn from neurodiverse adults who have had successful work experiences what their managers at the time were doing to contribute to their success. From this macro view, managers and organizations can begin to understand how to personalize their approach to maximize the positive contributions of neurodiverse adult employees. 172 participants at least 28 years old and working full time at least three of the past 5 years and who reported frequent experiences of 16 behaviors associated with
neurodiversity were asked open and closed-ended questions describing management behaviors of the manager for whom they worked during a successful employment time in their lives. Participants were residents of the United States with a full range of educational, industry, work function and responsibility backgrounds. Data were analyzed for frequency as well as themes. Findings were contrary to mass media assumptions of how to manage neurodiverse employees. The result indicated that neurodiverse adults thrive in an environment with a limited structure that has a high threshold for trial and
error, pursuing new ideas and collaborative problem solving. Recommendations for future research focus on testing the findings in specific industries and functions to better understand process implementation. Additional studies involving the neurodiverse employee and their chosen manager would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to success.