How to support, capitalize on neurodiversity in workplace

In the modern workplace, neurodiverse employees can provide an organizational advantage. Some may have a high level of focus, allowing them to excel in a variety of roles (e.g., accounting, computer programming, and journalism). Others may show a high level of creativity. Ultimately, they provide unique perspectives about work and the workplace. To tap into this pool of potentially valuable employees, however, you may need to adjust your hiring and other workplace practices.

What is 'neurodiversity'?

Neurodiversity is the idea that neurological differences such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are "the result of normal, natural variation in human genome" and "not the result of disease or injury,der Robison, author of Look Me in the Eye (a memoir detailing his life with Asperger syndrome and savant abilities).

Some estimate 10 percent of the human population have neurodiverse conditions such as autism, ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder, dyslexia, and Tourette syndrome. In fact, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Richard Branson, Mozart, Pablo Picasso, Marilyn Monroe, and Andy Warhol have all been reported to have been neurodiverse.

Rethinking the hiring process