Blog

At Creased Puddle, we recognise that everyone experiences the world differently. To demonstrate, different people will experience going to the petrol station differently.

Person 1:
• The petrol light comes on in your car.
• You drive to the petrol station.
• You fill up your car with petrol and pay.
• You drive away.

Person 2:
• The petrol light comes on in your car.
• You have to decide when in your day to go to the petrol station.
• You conclude that you can only go at 5pm, which is probably going to make the petrol station really busy because it’s rush hour.
• You decide to try the next day instead, having to decide which will be the best petrol station to go to from home, rather than work.
• You have to decide what time to set off, to make sure you can get petrol and arrive at work on time.
• You drive to the petrol station.
• You have to decide how much petrol to put in the car.
• Once you’ve decided, you have to decide which pump to pull up at.
• You pull up and get out of your car.
• You fill up your car with petrol.
• You go into the shop to pay.
• You realise you need milk, which means finding the milk in the shop.
• You pay, whilst having to conduct small talk with the cashier.
• You drive away.

The course raised and discussed the concept of neurodiversity and its impact in the OH arena. It emphasised the evolving nature of neurodiversity, which is defined as the acceptance of diverse brains. The workshop addressed various neurodivergent conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and Tourette’s syndrome, outlining their characteristics, statistics, skill sets and associated challenges. It also offered a comprehensive understanding of the diverse cognitive profiles of neurodiverse individuals.

This year will see the introduction of the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) bill (2023), which provides employees the right to request flexible working from day one of a new job. This reflects the transformative shift in recent years, with remote work becoming a more prevalent and accessible option for many people.

Such shift has brought about numerous benefits, particularly for neurodivergent people, for example:

• Being able to choose a work location that suits their sensory needs and preferences, such as a quiet home office or a co-working space with natural light.
• Being able to adjust their work hours to match their energy levels and productivity cycles, such as starting earlier or later, taking longer breaks or splitting their work day into segments.
• Managing work-life balance better by reducing commuting stress, saving time and money, and having more control over personal commitments.

One way neurodivergent people maintain their productivity and stick to their to-do list is through body-doubling.
Body-doubling, or having an accountability partner, simply means doing a task in the presence of another person. This person might physically assist with a task, but more commonly, they are simply present whilst you complete the task. Often, they will work on their own tasks at the same time.

Although Christmas parties are designed to be fun, an opportunity to bond and let off steam with work friends, there are a number of reasons why they might (unintentionally) exclude neurodivergent colleagues:  Christmas and ‘surprises’ are synonymous, and this is no exception in reference to the Christmas party. Organisers often want to have fun activities for colleagues to enjoy throughout the day / evening. However, for neurodivergent colleagues, changes in routine and unpredictability can heighten anxiety. Not to mention that team building activities and ‘party games’ often rely on a social and communication requirement.  

Cities, towns, supermarkets, and shopping centres are overstimulating at the best of times. But during the festive period, there is an additional layer of stimulation on the sensory system and pressure on our executive function. 

Starting late November / early December, the urgency increases. There’s presents to buy and wrap, cards to write and post, ingredients to purchase for Christmas dinner, plans to make with family and friends, a tree to decorate and all of this before the 25th December!   

It might be easy to see why anyone would become overwhelmed at this time of year. However, for neurodivergent people, the intensity of such overwhelm might lead to complete burnout.

For those specialising and supporting neurodivergent employees, it is widely known that many have co-current conditions particularly associated with mental health conditions. These may or may not have been identified or diagnosed with many being treated for separate conditions.

Evidence shows that there is a higher prevalence of mental health conditions in those individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC), dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Autistica suggests that co-occurring mental health conditions affect up to 79% of neurodivergent adults.