Stigma associated with neurodivergence and negative connotations in diagnostic and medical literature with use of terms like “disorder” and “disability”, focussing on deficits rather than strengths, causes many neurodivergent adults to “hide” their neurodivergence or develop coping mechanisms, such as masking their differences, creating another barrier to accessing support to enable equitable employment. 

Neurominorities have long paid the price of a lack of understanding and consideration of their experiences and needs, leading to a huge impact on their physical and mental wellbeing (Doyle, 2020).

Changes need to be made to remove disabling barriers in the workplace.

Study time: 40 minutes

Published: March 2023