Dyslexia is a term that most people will be familiar with, they may even feel like they know what it means. But in my experience, dyslexia is deeply misunderstood and misrepresented.

I’m Rosie, Director of Membership Services and I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I started high school at 12 years old.

I’m in my 30s now so I’ve had lots of time to understand this diagnosis and change my mindset from a stigmatising negative label to something I am proud of. But it hasn’t been an easy journey.

In this blog, I want to share with you some information about dyslexia, my experiences, and from a professional point of view what we can do to build inclusive workplaces for dyslexic people.

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a Specific Learning Difficulty, sometimes referred to as a Learning Difference. It is not the same as a Learning Disability in the way it impacts individuals, but it is considered a disability under the Equality Act 2010.

Dyslexic people process language, particularly written language, differently. It doesn’t mean they cannot read or write.

However, some people will find this extremely difficult. Others may be slower to process the written word but not have significant difficulties with reading or writing.

Dyslexia also has other common symptoms in addition to language processing. According to the British Dyslexia Association signs of dyslexia in adults include:

• Confusing visually similar words such as cat and cot
• Spelling erratically
• Finding it hard to scan or skim text
• Needing to re-read paragraphs to understand them
• Finding it hard to listen and maintain focus
• Finding it hard to concentrate if there are distractions
• Feeling sensations of mental overload/switching off
• Having difficulty telling left from right
• Getting confused when given several instructions at once
• Having difficulty organising thoughts on paper
• Often forgetting conversations or important dates
• Having difficulty with personal organisation, time management and prioritising tasks
• Avoiding certain types of work or study
• Finding some tasks really easy but unexpectedly challenged by others
• Having poor self-esteem, especially if dyslexic difficulties have not been identified in earlier life

There are also many crossover symptoms between dyslexia and other neurodivergence such as ADHD, autism and dyspraxia.

For example, I have hyper-sensitivity/overstimulation to touch, light and sound. This trait is most commonly found in autistic people but is not unusual for all neurodivergent people.

How does dyslexia impact people at work?

There are obvious impacts such as the speed that we can process information or work through reports and emails. But, reasonable adjustments lessen the impact of these.

The more difficult impacts are things such as low self-esteem, burnout, organisation and time management skills.

Over the years I have learned many coping mechanisms for keeping myself on track and managing my mental health. However, there are always times when things become overwhelming and my coping mechanisms no longer support my needs.

For example, I have been putting off writing this blog for weeks. Because the idea of getting my thoughts down on paper is overwhelming me and therefore, I keep “running out of time” each day.

I feel like I have planned the time but then the mental health impacts take over and my time management is no longer effective.

In a worst-case scenario, I could become burntout just at the thought of missing the deadline for this blog. Seems silly and trivial. But it’s not in my world.

Because processing language takes such a huge effort for my brain, I get stuck in a cycle of wanting to do my job well (low self-esteem) and not wanting to write the blog (overwhelming anxiety about language) and it goes round and round and round.

(I am currently writing this 4 mins before the end of the day on deadline day – but I have written it which is a win for me, even if it was planned into my diary 2 weeks ago!)

Dyslexia and stress at work can be linked closely together, it’s important to keep up to date with your colleagues to check in with them and how you can help.

Understanding dyslexia discrimination

The world we live in is ableist, it is built on ideas, ways of working, and practices that centre around the neurotypical/non-disabled person’s way of seeing the world.

Because of this, disability discrimination happens frequently. Often without people even noticing. Dyslexia is a disability under the Equality Act 2010 which means that if a dyslexic person is treated differently, unfairly, or in a way that disadvantages them they could be experiencing disability discrimination.

To avoid dyslexia discrimination at work, employers should make sure they are providing reasonable adjustments for dyslexic employees and customers.

How to deal with dyslexia at work

Here are some tips on how to deal with dyslexia at work.

• Be aware not everyone is comfortable with disclosing dyslexia at work but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be dyslexia friendly. The more you do shows how you value dyslexic people and will encourage disclosure.
• Ensure there are reasonable adjustments for dyslexia in the workplace.
• Talk to colleagues about the power of neurodiversity and how all brains are valuable brains.
• Adapt your communication styles such as having verbal meetings and written notes.
• Offer support on an individual basis and don’t make assumptions about how each person is impacted by their dyslexia.
• Raise awareness through training to break down the myths.

How Inclusive Employers can help

I am always happy to be asked to come and share my experiences in a webinar or a training session. We also have other consultants who have expertise in this field who can provide training and awareness-raising.

If you’re a member, get in touch with your account manager and explore our dyslexia factsheet. If you’re not yet a member, get in touch today to see how we can help with dyslexia training and more.

The post Understanding dyslexia in the workplace appeared first on Inclusive Employers.

Being forced to stand still as opposed to dragging myself from place A to place B and allowing myself to be on reflective mode allowed me to better understand how my brain operates, and what triggers anxious responses.

One of the watershed moments of this experience was coming to the realisation that, for as long as I can remember, I have lived with ADHD.

The frustration of not being able to focus for too long at a time, struggling to prioritise tasks, and brain going to full shutdown mode when triggered led to my actively researching what the reasons behind these actions could be.

What is ADHD?

From the NHS website: “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people’s behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.  Symptoms of ADHD tend to be noticed at an early age and may become more noticeable when a child’s circumstances change, such as when they start school. People with ADHD may also have additional problems, such as sleep and anxiety disorders.”

It is also important to know that ADHD is considered a learning difficulty characterised by hyperactivity, distractibility, and processing difficulties. ADHD falls under the umbrella of neurodiversity, and is protected as a Disability under the Equality Act 2010.

Myth busting

Understanding what it means to live with ADHD has given me context to moments of crisis or frustration, and empowered me to look for tools that can help me in difficult times.

Being part of the neurodivergent community can be extremely rewarding, as there is so much research out by the community that have truly made a difference in my experience and given me the opportunity to challenge myths and misunderstandings of ADHD.

Unfortunately, these are still pervasive, and the proliferation of these myths continue to have a negative impact on the mental health end self-esteem of people who have ADHD, perpetuating stigma and preventing a more nuanced and positive understanding off the condition.

Here I have selected only some of those myths, and some arguments to help us bust them.

– Everyone who has ADHD is hyperactive

While ‘hyperactivity’ is in the name, this is a generalisation that is not true as there are three types of ADHD:

• Inattentive ADHD – characterised with difficulties staying focused and attending to daily routine tasks. Individuals may be easily distracted by sights and sounds in their environment, change between one activity to another quickly, become easily distracted and bored, make careless mistakes and/or have a short attention span.
• Hyperactive and Impulsive ADHD – characterised with impulsivity and hyperactivity. Individuals may have difficulty trying to sit still, fidget, concentrate on tasks or may show lack of patience, talk excessively, act impulsively and/or without thinking.
• Combined ADHD – a combination of the above.

As per definitions, not everyone who has ADHD is necessarily bouncing off the walls as some people may believe.

For many of us, that hyperactivity happens internally. For example, for me it can be the inability to switch off my brain at times in which I very conscious know I just need to rest. It is also wrong to assume that all ADHD people have an extroverted preference when communicating. Some of us may just prefer our own company, as being surrounded by lots of people can also lead to sensorial overload.

– People in positions of leadership do not have ADHD

The first argument to debunk this is that many people with ADHD are not diagnosed, and therefore many do not even know that they have it.

Secondly, because there is so much misunderstanding around ADHD, a myth is that someone with ADHD (or any neurodivergence) cannot develop the skills to be a successful leader.

One of the characteristics of many ADHD people is their extreme capacity for empathy, which many will have developed over their years of navigating a society that was not designed for neurodivergent people. Empathy and the ability to connect with people is one of the key skill sets of effective leadership. ADHD people have the capacity to connect with others end tend to have very strong people skill sets, a quality that successful and inspiring leaders will demonstrate.

– People with ADHD can never focus

It is true that ADHD can have an impact on a person’s ability to concentrate on a given task for a long period of time. This can be linked to people with ADHD having lower levels of dopamine in their brains, which can affect a person’s mood, attention, motivation, and movement.

However, one of the unspoken benefits of ADHD is the ability to hyperfocus on tasks they find exciting or rewarding. This refers to an intense fixation on an interest or activity for an extended period of time. People who experience hyperfocus often become so engrossed they may block out the world around them, but this also means that they can become very good at something and become an expert on areas that they are interested in.

This is definitely very useful in a work context when someone may need to acquire a specialised skill, when learning new tasks, or even when teaching other colleagues in the workplace.

If you’re managing someone who has ADHD, have a conversation with them to understand what motivates them and how you can both make even the most mundane tasks psychologically rewarding. Many people with ADHD in all sectors and professions have achieved their success thanks to their ability to focus on something for hours on end.

– ADHD only affects children

As I was trying to understand more about ADHD, I quickly realised that much of the information and many of the resources out there focus on supporting children with ADHD, which may give one the impression that ADHD is something that someone grows out of and that does not impact people in their adulthood.

I found this extremely frustrating, because understandably, an adult’s coping mechanisms will be very different to those of a child. This lack of information also helps perpetuate the stigma that ADHD is something adults should be embarrassed of. According to Understood.org, “most kids don’t totally outgrow ADHD, although some symptoms can lessen or disappear as they get older. Symptoms may also change as kids get older and learn ways to manage them. But that’s not the same as outgrowing them. Most people with ADHD continue to have symptoms into adulthood.”

According to the NHS website, ADHD affects about 3-5% of children and 2% of adults – so there are definitely many of us out there. The stigma prevents people from looking for help, or not even considering ADHD diagnosis as an option to help them. The more we talk about it, the more it will encourage people look for support, whichever age they are.

– ADHD only affects boys and men

When we talk about ADHD in children, many may have that typical image of a young boy who is very hyperactive, will not standstill, and is constantly being told off for not paying attention or not doing “as they are told”. I confess that for many years, that was the impression I myself had of ADHD – so not only an ageist one, but also a sexist one.

So to debunk this myth that only boys (and therefore men) are affected ADHD, let’s start by addressing how to recognise some of the key ADHD symptoms in girls and young women.

According to the ADDitude website, these include: daydreaming quietly in class; feeling anxious or sad; exhibiting silliness; acting shy or inattentive; trouble maintaining friendships; picking at cuticles or skin, and being a perfectionist. These are considered internalising behaviours, as opposed to the externalising behaviours most associated with ADHD in boys (such as hyperactive behaviour, talking excessively, interrupting others).

As a result, girls with ADHD tend not to get diagnosed as often and their symptoms sometimes get confused with anxiety or depression. Women with ADHD face the same feelings of being overwhelmed and exhausted as men with ADHD commonly feel. As a result of this gender bias, many women may go undiagnosed for the rest of their life. The good news is that there is an increasing awareness about ADHD symptoms in women, with more visibility and access to resources.

Unfortunately, there is not enough research that is specific to ADHD amongst the genderqueer population, or the LGBTQ+ community. However, the neurodivergent LGBTQ+ community is very active online, and the article ADHD and Queerness: Living in the Neuroqueer Intersection from ADDitude provides heartfelt testimonials from the Neuroqueer (a junction of the words neurodivergent and queer) community.

– People with ADHD just need to try harder

And one last myth… is that ADHD people just need to “try harder”. As if ADHD were a failure of the will as opposed to a being a neurological condition.

The reality is that most people living with ADHD are trying very hard – not only hard to concentrate, but also trying hard to communicate in a linear fashion that suits the preferred way of most neurotypical (as in ‘not neurodivergent’) folks, trying to be mindful of structures and timelines, or trying to be careful not to underestimate time (for many ADHD folks, time is a blur!).

There are tools, techniques and structures in place that a person with ADHD can put in place to help them with all the above. Most of them come with time, and some will be triggered as a survival mechanism, as a way of ‘fitting in’ into societal expectations, or as ways of helping yourself be successful even when you feel like the some of the odds are against you.

What on the surface may seem like “not trying hard enough”, under the surface could actually be “this person is trying the hardest they can, and actually going through lots of emotional stress while doing it”. If you are a person living with ADHD, the more aware you become of trigger points, or areas you struggle with, hopefully the easier you will find to look for tools and solutions that work for you.

Final thoughts

As try to dismantle myths and preconceptions about ADHD, let’s also take stock to remember all the positives that ADHD can bring to a person’s life and to the workplace.

People with ADHD tend to be very creative, as they can very quickly make connections to different things or ideas. They can also be very empathetic, a quality that is key in the workplace, and essential in leadership roles. We also mentioned the element of hyperfocus – so give someone with ADHD a task they are passionate about and they will truly learn as much as possible about it.

It is essential that we keep having these conversations, as they help not only neurodivergent people but also everyone. Have you considered what you are doing in your workplace to help dispel some of these myths and educate others? If you need support, get in touch with your account manager if you are a member, or with our sales team if you are not.

If you are an Inclusive Employers member, you can access our factsheet ‘Understanding ADHD’, alongside other resources for supporting neurodivergent colleagues.

If you’re not yet a member, get in touch to find out more about how we can support you.

You can also use our ADHD Awareness Month page as a guide on how to celebrate the month in your organisation.

The post Dispelling myths about ADHD appeared first on Inclusive Employers.

What is autism?

Let’s start by learning about autism. Autism is a spectrum condition. All autistic people share certain difficulties but being autistic will affect them in different ways.

Some people with autism have mental health issues or other conditions, meaning people need different levels and types of support. Autism is a kind of neurodivergence, a term used for lots of different people who have different thinking or communicating styles.

What this means is that autism, and other neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia and Tourette’s Syndrome, are natural variations in the human brain. There isn’t anything wrong, the brain is just different to neurotypical brains.

The struggles of getting an autism diagnosis

I was diagnosed with autistic spectrum condition in 2021 at the age of 36. Around 1 in 100 people are thought to be autistic, however, this may be higher.

When I was at school autism wasn’t really talked about, and generally, if you did well academically, the assumption was that you couldn’t have a disability.

Although there isn’t a standard autism diagnosis age, there is a misconception that people only get diagnosed when they are young. There are lots of people my age and older whose autism flew under the radar when they were younger, and they only realise they might be autistic later in life.

For instance, a lot of parents only realise they are autistic and seek diagnosis after going through the diagnosis process with one or more of their children.

Increasing awareness of autism, and a more realistic idea of how it can present itself, has likely also added to the number of adults realising that they may be autistic too. While stereotypes around autism are still quite common, awareness is improving.

How does autism present itself?

There’s a lot of misunderstanding around what autism is and how it presents itself. There’s a saying in the autistic community that “if you’ve met one autistic person you’ve met one autistic person”.

There are commonalities in the ways our brains work and the sort of things we might find difficult or approach in a different way.

We tend to have heightened sensitivity to sensory input like smells and light, we can find social interaction difficult or tiring, and we can have intense special interests that mean we develop deep expertise in areas of interest.

I see my brain like a processor: I can input lots and lots of data and my brain will find patterns and parallels quickly and easily. I am able to quickly understand complex systems and visualise bottlenecks and areas for improvement.

However, in a noisy restaurant with a large group of people, I quickly become exhausted and overwhelmed: I do not thrive in that environment!

Getting diagnosed with autism as an adult

As mentioned, it’s becoming more common for adults to have a late diagnosis of autism.

Getting diagnosed as an adult was, quite frankly, a horrible process. The staff were unhelpful, patronising, and the assessment process itself was very belittling.

I appreciate that the assessment is probably set up to cause as much discomfort as possible so that my ‘symptoms’ come to the surface, but I wasn’t warned that would be the case. I experienced the illogical tasks, horrible fluorescent lighting and cryptic questions without any buffer of expectation.

When I got home from the assessment all I could do was lie down and stare at the ceiling. Similarly, when I was diagnosed, the news was given to me as if it were a terminal diagnosis. On the contrary, I was delighted to have an answer!

It didn’t feel very nice to sense that they were devastated that they’d diagnosed me with autism as if giving a label (albeit a medicalised one) for the way my brain processes the world was a tragedy rather than a factual exercise.

Thankfully with my diagnosis in hand, I didn’t need to interact with the service again, and I was able to return to work at Inclusive Employers with a better sense of what I need to perform at my best.

What to do if you think you may be autistic

If you think you might be autistic, or neurodivergent, take it slowly. The community itself, perhaps unsurprisingly for a group of autodidacts, have collated a lot of data and personal experience for you to read through.

The process may be difficult, particularly if you are not a White man, as other people’s stereotypes about autism will trip you up.

There is still a lot of gatekeeping in the healthcare system. It’s for this reason that self-diagnosis is widely accepted in the community because getting a diagnosis as an adult, especially as a woman, a person of colour or someone with other disabilities can be very hard.

How to support autistic people in the workplace

If you are not autistic, neurodiversity, in general, is a wonderful concept to get your head around – it breaks us free from thinking about ‘normal brains’ and ‘not normal brains’ and encourages us to see neurological differences as the natural diversity of how human brains work.

It encourages a strengths-based approach: what do my staff excel at? In what tasks and situations do they thrive? What changes can we make so that thriving at work becomes the norm, not the exception?

Finally, and as with all communities that experience discrimination and marginalisation: be led by the person in front of you. Ask them how they would like to be described, what they need, and let them lead the way.

“Neurodiversity is the diversity of human brains and minds, the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species.”

Nick Walker, Neurocosmopolitanism

We can help you support your autistic colleagues at work. Get in touch today to see how we can help.

You can also read about the experiences of another member of our team, Zeinab Ali, and find out why she is an autistic role model.

The post What you should know about adult autism diagnosis appeared first on Inclusive Employers.