Neurodiversity is a term that we’ve all heard. Still, many of us need help understanding the full scope of its meaning, particularly when applying diversity and inclusion to neurodiversity in the workplace. “Neurodiversity defines the natural brain variations that cause people to think, learn, and behave differently than what is considered the cognitive norm, or neurotypical.”¹ 

Some of the most common neurodiverse diagnoses include:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Dyslexia – difficulty with reading (DYX); Dyscalculia (DD) – difficulty with math; Dysgraphia – difficulty with writing
• Dyspraxia/developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD)
• Mental health conditions (including, but not limited to, social anxiety)
• Sensory processing disorders
• Tourette syndrome (TS)

Approximately 15 percent of the global population is neurodivergent.² Some neurodivergent people represent a segment of the world’s largest minority group (people with disabilities) but, until recently, have been largely omitted from diversity and inclusion strategies. According to Ernst & Young, there are 600,000 neurodivergent adults in Canada and 120 million worldwide. Many neurodivergent people are academically focused, achieving advanced graduate degrees. Unfortunately, a stunning 86 percent are under- or unemployed, despite their potential in their respective fields.³

The systemizing mechanism and the empathy circuit 

The work of cognitive neuroscientist Simon Baron-Cohen can help us better understand neurodiversity.[iii] He pinpoints two abilities unique to the modern human brain that differentiates it from all other animal species: the systemizing mechanism and the empathy circuit.

The systemizing mechanism drives our innate curiosity. It causes us to discover, solve, control, and invent by looking for “if–then” relationships, experimenting, seeking patterns, and building mental spreadsheets.

The empathy circuit is what facilitates dynamic social interaction. It is the mechanism behind our ability to think about our thoughts, feelings, intentions, and desires, as well as those of the people around us, in real-time and to react and respond appropriately.

Baron-Cohen suggests that neurodiversity in the population exists along a spectrum based on a person’s level of empathy and systemizing ability. Individuals with autism may be hyper-systemizing, with an extraordinary ability to build intricate mental spreadsheets and find patterns in extreme complexity. Such individuals may struggle with communication and social cues that are second nature to even average empathizers, making everyday social interactions challenging.

Part of the human community

In NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity,⁵ science journalist Steve Silberman maps out the perfect storm of social forces that led to the sudden increase in autism diagnoses beginning in the 1990s. Silberman describes the autism spectrum as “a cluster of underlying conditions that produce a distinctive constellation of behaviours that manifest themselves in different ways at various stages of an individual’s development.” A contingent of researchers have concluded that autism spectrum disorder has always been part of humanity’s genetic legacy. We have only begun to understand it in the last century. Silberman dedicates an entire chapter to providing a detailed account of the unlikely events that led to the 1988 Academy Award-winning film Rain Man, because it was a critical moment in history when autism became part of popular culture.

While the representation in Rain Man is problematic because autism is a wide spectrum, and most people on the spectrum are not savants, it brought mainstream awareness to autism at a time that coincided with a broadening of the diagnostic criteria for autism. Increased diagnoses opened a Pandora’s Box of grassroots efforts for education modifications and other support services. Before the 1980s, estimates of the prevalence of autism in the US had remained stable for decades at just four of five children per 10,000. This snowballed to 75 per 10,000 in the 1990s.⁶ That cohort of individuals have come of age over the last ten years and entered the workforce.

Neurodiversity adds incremental value

Embracing neurodiversity in the workplace should not be considered a charity directed toward an underprivileged minority. Rather, it is an unharnessed driver of incremental shareholder value.

There is a significant overlap between the quantitative and analytical skillset required in finance and the qualities that many neurodivergent individuals possess. While any modern business seeks to solve complex problems and understand market opportunities, competition, and risk, finance has always been a business of ideas. Adding an uncorrelated pool of intellectual capital to a financial organization’s workforce, even with the requisite accommodations, can improve the quality of ideas, reduce risk, and increase returns.

Ernst & Young created the EY Neurodiversity Centres of Excellence in 2016 to recruit, onboard, develop, and integrate a neurodiverse workforce into its business. In Canada, the team includes 44 people who are embedded in a specific consulting area aligned with their individual strengths. Team members are provided personalized support in onboarding, development, and navigating a global firm so they can be successful and grow their careers at EY.⁷

National Bank collaborated with EY Canada to develop a customized recruitment experience to attract neurodivergent professionals to its data engineering and data scientist teams. In 2022, BNP Paribas adopted EY’s model to create pathways for neurodivergent individuals into their Canadian operation.

Beyond recruitment, neurodivergent individuals face other barriers to employment. While all the Big Six Canadian banks have incorporated neurodiversity into their diversity and inclusion strategies to varying degrees, potential employees may be reluctant to disclose their diagnoses for fear of being stigmatized. As part of the EY program, National Bank and BNP Paribas provided training sessions to existing staff that addressed neurodiversity stereotypes and being an intentional ally to build a more inclusive mindset across the organization. These efforts to go beyond simply expanding recruitment by changing attitudes are critical to building inclusivity in the organizational culture.

A net benefit to all

Diversity and inclusion go beyond physical traits. It is arguable that two people who look similar but think differently add more to organizational diversity than the opposite.

The increase in women’s labour participation rate was arguably the most significant change in the economy over the past century. It increased GDP growth, productivity, and real wages because women brought complementary skills to the workforce and boosted aggregate demand.

Natural variation should be viewed as a gift rather than an error of nature, but unfortunately, throughout history, neurodivergent people have often been relegated to the margins of society. Silberman suggests redirecting the millions of dollars spent on uncovering the causes of autism to helping people with autism live happier, more productive, and more secure lives in the present.

Harnessing the combined talents of the neurodivergent population further optimizes the value of our collective human capital and pushes out the efficient frontier of society’s capabilities. To this end, companies should adopt appropriate personalized accommodations and flexible learning, communicating, recruiting, and working approaches.