Being neurodivergent can, as we’ve seen, make the workplace a difficult place to navigate. But it’s important to remember that much of this is due to the fact that traditional workplaces often just aren’t suited to neurodivergent people’s needs. It’s not a reflection on you being less good than other people at your job. It’s simply a reflection that your way of working perhaps doesn’t fit into more common ways of working.

Far from being lesser in the workplace, neurodivergent people often have unique ways of seeing and approaching situations that mean they excel in a wide variety of situations. 

I’m not just talking about the fact that autistic people often excel in tech roles, to the extent that many companies recognise and actively promote the hiring of autistic people. I’m talking about the creativity, making links and hyperfocus that are often integral parts of the neurodivergent experience. 

Other skills that neurodivergent people may exhibit include being passionate about their work, particularly if it’s related to wider values of importance to them. Neurodivergent people may continue to have high levels of curiosity and learning ability, and whilst autistic people may be more likely to have an attention to detail, someone with ADHD might easily switch between tasks and work on multiple projects at the same time, both of which are incredibly useful in the right setting. 

Some neurodivergent people simply haven’t found the right workplace situation, or the parts that they struggle with have outweighed the parts where they excel. When you’re neurodivergent, it’s likely that your experience is going to be intense, or extreme, compared to people in some areas of your life. And that is very likely to include being extremely skills in some areas.

As we come to the end of the course, take some time to identify what you’re good at. Are you good at researching, or becoming passionate about causes? Do you find it easy to multi-task, or do you like to work independently and see through a project from start to finish? Are you good at doing what other people might consider mundane or routine jobs? Do you prefer to work away in the background and let others be the public face of an organisation? Have other people praised you for how you work in particular situations? 

Now’s a great time to recognise those areas where you’ve demonstrated skill, or commitment, or creativity, even if you or others haven’t fully recognised that before, and to think of how you can take this appreciation of your personal qualities forward.

I hope you’ve enjoyed exploring this incredibly important aspect of our lives and feel more prepared and confident about your future working life.