Getting started with neurodiversity and neuro-inclusion

Why?

Is collaboration within your team or organisation not always running as smoothly as you would like? Are issues often left unaddressed due to fear of a colleague’s reaction or fear of causing offence? Have you noticed that hiring for “cultural fit” hasn’t quite yielded the innovation you expected? Or are your retention and sickness absence rates slipping into the red?

And are you aware that neurodiversity plays a significant role in all of these challenges?

It is estimated that one in five people is neurodivergent. This includes autistic, dyslexic, introverted, highly sensitive, or exceptionally gifted individuals, as well as people with ADHD or Tourette’s. What they share is that their ways of thinking, communicating, and processing sensory information often clash with prevailing social norms and structures in the workplace. The work environment is simply not designed with them in mind.

Constantly having to adapt to a restrictive system drains unnecessary energy, leading to friction and burnout. Furthermore, it causes organisations to leave expertise and talent untapped, missing out on immense potential. A proper understanding of neurodiversity and neuro-inclusion is therefore crucial to recognizing this potential and engaging with it effectively.

In short: neurodiversity is a fact; neuro-inclusion is both an ethical and a strategic choice. It is a choice to make the system more accessible for every neurotype, rather than merely trying to change the individual. Neuro-inclusion is essential for better collaboration, improving well-being and retention, winning the war for talent, and ensuring your organisation is future-proof. That is why companies like IBM, Microsoft, Google, Philips, and ASML are already leveraging neuro-inclusion today as their competitive advantage and the key to innovation.

Following this workshop, you will not only possess theoretical insights but will also walk away with numerous ideas for immediately applicable strategies and practical tools (such as team agreements and communication tips). These will contribute to higher team productivity, lower absenteeism, and a culture where strengths are optimally utilized and retained.

What and for whom?

In this workshop, we begin with basic terminology. You will learn more about the terms neurodiversity, neurodivergent, neurotypical, neurodiverse, and neuro-inclusion. We will discuss common challenges and strengths among neurodivergent employees, as well as the added value of diverse perspectives within neurodiverse teams. You will discover why investing in neuro-inclusion is a win-win for everyone.

Next, we look deeper into neuro-inclusive policies to unlock and activate everyone’s potential within your teams and organisation, highlighting key considerations for neurodivergent individuals, colleagues, team managers, employers, executives, and HR professionals.

While the workshop is open to everyone, the content is highly recommended for line managers, HR professionals, directors and policymakers.

The program places a strong focus on strategic choices, creating psychological safety, adapting processes, and establishing a neuro-inclusive policy. These serve as excellent levers for those who can effectively shape or change a company’s culture and structure.

Additionally, its practical focus on connection, personal and team user manuals, reasonable accommodations, and team agreements makes it highly valuable for existing teams looking to improve mutual collaboration and collective productivity (delivering quality).

The workshop is delivered in Dutch, French, or English, on-site or online, for a maximum of 30 participants, and lasts 3 hours. The session maintains a balance between theory and practice, as well as between listening (supported by slides) and doing (interactive, plenary exercises).

What you’ll learn

• Understanding and valuing neurodiversity; discovering what neuro-inclusion entails: gain insight into the core concepts of neurodiversity and neuro-inclusion. Discover the strengths, talents, and potential challenges often experienced by neurodivergent employees, and the value they can bring to your team and organisation. The importance of mutual understanding. Understanding what you can do as a colleague, HR professional, or leader, and what lies outside your scope.
• Foundations for a neuro-inclusive policy at all levels: exploring the IGLOO framework together. Recognizing the importance of psychological safety and how to create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected, regardless of their neurotype. Becoming aware of invisible barriers within the organisation. Tips and tricks for developing a neuro-inclusive policy guided by the Nothing About Us Without Us principle. The importance of transparency, universal design, reasonable accommodations, and self-awareness in maintaining positive team dynamics and collaboration. Tips and tricks to uncover each other’s strengths and challenges and to establish agreements within the team.
• By the end of the workshop:
  • You will have a basic understanding of neurodiversity and neuro-inclusion within the workplace and how investing in it will enforce and accelerate your organisation and team.
  • You know which challenges and strengths are common for neurodivergent employees and how you can facilitate and support them as a colleague, line manager, hr responsible or director to let them thrive.
  • You understand what a neuro-inclusive policy includes.
  • You know what first step you will make and have inspiration for next steps related to neuro-inclusion.

Facilitated by

This workshop is given by an experienced workshop facilitator in the field of neurodiversity at work, who is neurodivergent themselves. Our presentation style allows us to address heavier topics in a fluid and humorous way. We systematically select the speaker who is most aligned with your sector, your company values, and your specific needs. Discover our speakers on our team page.

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