Inclusive Boards Training Day: Neurodiversity
Inclusive Boards staff members meet every quarter to hold a day of training and discuss company updates. To coincide with Neurodiversity Celebration Week, the most recent training session focused on neurodiversity in the workplace and was presented by Founder of Neurodiversity Specialists, Daniel Brooke. Being dyslexic, he was open and honest about his experiences with the condition, as well as making us aware of any challenges for him that might be apparent throughout.
Insightful and thoroughly engaging, the team were invited to explore the following conditions and their strengths and challenges within the working environment: dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, ADHD and autism.
One primary constant throughout the session was observing the lexical field of neurodivergent conditions and some of the medical descriptions allocated to them. For instance, Daniel advised against using terms such as ‘disorder’, ‘disability’, ‘behavioural’ (used in the definition of ADHD) and ‘weaknesses’ due to the fact that they can not only misrepresent said conditions but can also be harmful to individuals who live with them. Instead, we were encouraged to use alternative words including ‘challenges’ and ‘differences’. This then led on to the fact that legally, neurodivergent conditions are classed as a disability under the Equality Act (2010), but that not all individuals view themselves as such.
Daniel was clear and confident in the knowledge he possessed on the topic, and was completely open to questions and discussion amongst the team, whilst not forcing anyone to participate verbally. This, as well as keen engagement from the team, contributed towards an environment in which many felt comfortable to be open about their own experiences with neurodiversity.
It is of vital importance that neurodivergent individuals are given the correct support at work, ensuring that they thrive both in terms of work and personal wellbeing. By celebrating the strengths that they hold and respecting any respective challenges, businesses are also far more likely to benefit. Our Implementing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion course which takes a deep dive into the topic of disability, can help to support your organisation in this endeavour and is available to purchase here.
Lastly, everyone at Inclusive Boards would like to thank Daniel for delivering such a powerful training session and teaching us more about the ever-developing field of neurodiversity. You can find out more about the crucial work he does here.
