Kennedy Krieger program aiming to show benefits of ‘Neurodiversity@Work’

Kennedy Krieger Institute’s mission is to serve children, adults and families who have been impacted by neurological differences, disorders and disease. Our patients and students with special needs demonstrate quite effectively the full range of traits and conditions that, collectively, are described as neurodiversity. These neurodiverse conditions and traits, present in 15% to 20% of individuals in the U.S., include autism, reading impairment (and other learning disorders), ADHD, developmental language disorders, cerebral palsy (and other disorders of mobility), Tourette syndrome and many more.

Having neurodiverse traits, frankly and disappointingly, makes securing employment far too difficult. Autism, affecting approximately 2% of the population, provides a clear example of the problem we face. Roughly 80% of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders are unemployed, and a significant fraction of those who have jobs are underemployed. Based on known rates of diagnosis of autism, each year, an anticipated 50,000 teenagers will “age out” of school-based autism services and have the potential to join the workforce. Our societal failure to recognize real sources of workforce talent and capacity is truly a missed opportunity not just for employable individuals and their families, but also for the broader community.

A neurodiverse workforce has many benefits. For the individual, employment often provides a gratifying sense of meaning and being able to contribute, which likely translates to, among other outcomes, better overall health and decreased need to access health care resources. Employment also is more likely to lead to employer-based health benefits.

Employers also benefit from a neurodiverse workforce. With neurodiversity comes a remarkably robust diversity in approaches to problem-solving and task completion. Fellow employees feel positive about the impact of colleagues with neurodiverse traits. These benefits also translate to an improved bottom line.

In our current economic environment with national unemployment rates under 4%, it is a particularly compelling time to advocate for a neurodiverse workforce, taking full advantage of the skills and other contributions that individuals with neurodiverse traits have to offer.

Over the last few years, Kennedy Krieger has embarked on a program, Neurodiversity@Work, to educate, train, place and employ individuals with neurodiverse traits, through our Project SEARCH and CORE Foundations programs. Concurrently, we’re working with employers from around the state of Maryland to help them lower barriers for access to interviewing, appreciate the challenges a standard job interview might pose and create more welcoming environments, with the needed supports, to better ensure mutually beneficial, productive and successful work relationships. A growing number of companies and organizations have recognized the many benefits of adding individuals with neurodiverse traits to their equity, diversity and inclusion talent acquisition and workplace culture initiatives.

For all of these reasons Kennedy Krieger Institute, with the co-sponsorship of our partner, Becton Dickinson Bioscience, is hosting a national Neurodiversity in the Workplace conference at the BWI Marriott Nov. 7-8. Employers and experts in neurodiversity from around the country are convening to learn from each other how a neurodiverse workforce can boost morale, improve productivity and give back to the community, all at the same time.

We must come together to help change the future for individuals with developmental or intellectual differences. Everyone should have the opportunity and the chance to pursue a dream; when everyone has an opportunity to contribute, all are enriched.