Celebrating Neurodiversity Week with Lorraine Nuthall, Medical Writer

This week to recognise 'Neurodiversity Celebration Week' we caught up with our colleague Lorraine Nuthall to find out more about neurodiversity. Hear more from Lorraine in our Q&A below.

What is neurodiversity? 

Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits. Neurodivergent is a nonmedical term that describes people whose brains develop or work differently. 

The neurodiversity movement emerged during the 1990s, aiming to increase the acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences. At the same time, Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, coined the term neurodiversity to promote equality and inclusion of "neurological minorities." While it is primarily a social justice movement, neurodiversity research and education are increasingly important in how clinicians view and address certain disabilities and neurological conditions.    

Neurodivergence is more common than most people realise. Around 20% of the global population is estimated to be neurodivergent in some way, with the rest being “neurotypical.” Despite this, many people still have a warped perception of neurodivergence. The stereotypical prototype of neurodivergence is a white male tech professional or a Sheldon Cooper-type (from the Big Bang Theory). However, neurodivergence is not limited to individuals of a specific gender, colour, age, or ethnicity, instead, it is commonly intersectional in nature. 

What does being neurodivergent mean to you? 

It’s only in the last couple of years that I came to the realisation that I am neurodivergent. It came after confiding in a friend about how I felt like I was drowning at work and she recommended I take the ADHD in adult women assessment. The result? I scored 71/72. At age 32 I suddenly realised that things had always felt like they were harder for me than others around me because they probably were! It truly was a lightbulb moment for me. 

I’ve worked with children with autism for many years so am extremely familiar with the strengths that being neurodivergent can bring. What was new for me, however, was putting a stop to the self-hate talk related to my own neurodivergent traits, advertising my strengths, and advocating for the things I need to be my best self at work and home.  

Importantly, where I previously thought I was probably not smart enough or not cut out for a future in med comms and was thinking about leaving the industry, I now had something to work with. Since finding out I am neurodiverse I’ve realised how important it is to work somewhere willing to celebrate these strengths and put them to the best use while helping me to work around the difficulties and I’m lucky I have this here at Lucid 

How does being neurodivergent show up in your everyday life? 

It’s probably quicker to say where it doesn’t show up! 😂  

My most significant ADHD symptom is executive dysfunction. Executive dysfunction is a term used to describe faults or weaknesses in the cognitive process that organises thoughts and activities, prioritises tasks, manages time efficiently, and makes decisions. 

Executive function skills enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks. As you can imagine, executive dysfunction can make doing pretty much anything a challenge.  

Us ADHD-folks also refer to the ADHD-tax – the financial burdens associated with our symptoms (some people also include the emotional and time burdens). These can be things such as repeatedly letting groceries spoil or missing card repayments, missed promotions or lost jobs, and the cost of assessments, medical appointments, and supplements, medications, or devices that may help manage symptoms. 

But ADHD also shows up in great ways! When camping or hiking with friends, I’m the one who can navigate our way out of tricky situations. My house is known by friends as a safe place to come if life gets hard because I’m empathetic, understanding, and non-judgmental. And if you want a creative visual to explain a complicated scientific concept, I’m your gal! 

Why is taking an intersectional approach to neurodiversity important to you? 

Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how a person’s various identities combine to create discrimination and privilege. Just as we all have strengths and weaknesses and good and bad days, we all have barriers and privileges. It’s important to note that privilege is not a dirty word, and it certainly does not mean you don’t have any problems or need support or a sympathetic ear sometimes; it is simply that your identity is not contributing to your barriers. 

When we look through the lens of intersectionality, some neurodivergent individuals can experience huge opportunities while others experience a perfect storm of disadvantages. There are many biases that interact with neurodivergence including gender, race, language, criminality, and social-economic background.  

When we apply intersectionality to neurodivergent individuals, we can also see how barriers can combine to create a far bigger challenge. As a single, childless woman, I personally cannot comprehend trying to manage a family morning routine (a role still often left to women) of making lunches, getting everyone dressed, and completing school runs before work, all with executive dysfunction. I struggle to do these things just for myself!  

Importantly for neurodivergent women, many are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Until relatively recently, diagnoses of conditions such as ADHD and autism were seen as firmly in the male domain. More research was done relating to boys as their behaviours were often overtly affecting other people and the ‘dreamy’ girls were less bothersome to others. Screening tools also had a more male bias and many women and girls still end up gaining (sometimes inaccurately) diagnoses of eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. 

There is an assumption relating to “disclosure”, but for many women, a lack of awareness that they have a neurodivergent profile means they don’t know to ask for help. 

What are some ways that colleagues can be more inclusive to people who are neurodivergent? 

I think it is really important that we put as much support in place as possible that does not require a diagnosis or disclosure, since being neurodivergent itself can make seeking a diagnosis challenging (), with additional barriers for women as described above. Instead, I would suggest having a repository of tools that anyone can access if they think it can help, and being patient with others as they explore what works for them. II would also encourage people, particularly managers, to consider the ‘why’ when asking employees to make a behaviour change.

For example, are you about to feed back that someone should have their camera on during calls? If so, do the benefits (usually neurotypical perceptions of improved communication or relationships) outweigh the potential negatives (for example increased distraction or anxiety)? Similarly, if someone is an incredible asset but their work always has typos, is it worth writing them off (after all, typos are pretty important in our work)? Or is it better to provide software for dyslexia and an additional round of proofing and keep their other impressive talents within the team?  

There’s not a one-size fits all solution and as we continue to learn and grow as individuals and societally (not to mention the incredible potential for technology and clinical research to change the landscape for neurodivergent people in ways we cannot yet imagine) we need to be flexible, curious, and experimental in our approach. 

I would simply encourage everyone to listen to each other more, be patient, and above all, be kind. 

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