One of the main things that attracted me to the chief executive role at Salvesen Mindroom is that I care passionately about neurodiversity and our mission to ensure all minds in our society are included.
Between 10 and 15% of the global population are thought to be neurodivergent, so it is an issue that impacts a large proportion of the population, yet interestingly, it is not given nearly as much prominence as other equalities issues.
The topic of neurodiversity is incredibly important, given that it is woven throughout all strands of society. In education, the economy, health and justice we have much to do to ensure we don’t assume that one size fits all.
Neurodiversity recognises that all human minds are differently wired and that there is no ‘right’ way to learn, think, communicate or interact. We all process the world differently. Just as there are no two fingerprints the same, there are no two brains the same.
Our approach is simple: it takes all kinds of minds to solve the biggest challenges we face. The reality of implementing that across society, business and education, is somewhat more complicated.
For employers, the time is now for managers and HR professionals to consider what they can do to further embrace neurodiversity within their workforce.
It is fair to say that neurodiversity is often cited as the last frontier in workplace diversity and inclusion, with misunderstanding, stigma and stereotypes creating barriers to truly understanding talents within our organisations and the pathways we might build for individuals joining the workforce.
As such, we find that there are relatively low levels of disclosure of neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia within the workplace. There could be multiple reasons for that, but a good starting point - consistent with issues such as mental health and wellbeing - is to develop a culture that offers psychological safety and provides an open space for balanced conversations about cognitive differences.
Effective workplace training and advice can support this, giving employers and employees better insights into how we each process the world around us. This often leads to a better understanding of the talent within the business and how best to harness that talent to the benefit of individuals and organisation.
Earlier this year, we launched our Neuroinclusion at Work programme with support from the Scottish Government’s Workplace Equality Fund. This supports employers and employees to celebrate neurodiversity at work, open up new pathways into work and enable people to flourish, regardless of how they are wired.
Employers which recognise, embrace and support all forms of neurodiversity can enhance their appeal to current and future employees, which lends itself well to attracting and retaining talent when we face multiple challenges, ranging from a cost of living crisis to climate change.
We’ve been delighted to work with organisations including Burness Paull, SSE, Martin Currie, Scotmid and Walter Scott & Partners this past year to demystify neurodiversity. For Mindroom, this allows us to reach far wider than ever before, providing training, tools and resources which lead to better conversations and understanding of neurodiversity in work.
For over two decades, we’ve directly supported neurodiverse families and young people to thrive.
Our team of former teachers, occupational therapists, lawyers and healthcare professionals understand where misconceptions and stereotypes can be a barrier to progress. Working collaboratively, they enable better dialogue and a meeting of minds.
We are also proud of the unique relationship we have with our sister organisation, the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, part of the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at Edinburgh University.
We have a mutually beneficial relationship in that their research informs our work, and ours theirs. In the past year, we’ve harnessed all of this to accelerate the work we’re doing in policy and public affairs, inviting opposition ministers to meet us and learn more about the work we do and the contribution we can make to designing and delivering an inclusive future for Scotland.
We’ve extended the direct support we can offer to individuals and families, setting up new regional hubs and developing new services which support neurodivergent young people.
So, while we have much to celebrate, we’re impatient for change and want to do so much more to collectively advocate for the people we serve – and of course to reach many more people.
So, if diversity is important in your workplace, we’d argue that neurodiversity is a natural next step to achieving equity.
Alan Thornburrow is the chief executive of Salvesen Mindroom Centre
