Organizations often reach out to us at Uptimize because they feel their managers, in particular, need to know more about neurodiversity.

Often it’s a case of concern, or confusion, around the topic of neurodiversity and how best to support employees. Sometimes such organizations are experiencing direct friction or conflict, due to managers and employees misunderstanding their different thinking styles.

Managers do need to know more about neurodiversity. This, after all, is a role that is responsible for 70% of employee engagement – and one that for nearly ¾ of professionals has more impact on their mental health than their doctor or therapist! And, most managers have never had any neurodiversity training, so it is no surprise that disclosure by a colleague can be met with something other than positivity, confidence, and optimism.

But there’s also a danger of a false, ableist view here: that inevitably "the manager" in such cases must be neurotypical, and that as a result the purpose of learning about neuroinclusion is always so that such managers can better deal with their neurodiverse employees. This perspective fails to appreciate that many managers are themselves neurodivergent.

Why are........

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