Embracing Neurodiversity During Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. According to a 2023 study by The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, nearly half of neurodivergent employees feel impacted by their conditions in the workplace. On top of this, many neurodivergent employees choose to not disclose their conditions due to fear of stigma or reduced career opportunities. It’s safe to say that organizations can do more to create supportive, inclusive, and empowering environments for neurodivergent employees.

Config.MDB is an employee resource group aiming to raise awareness for and build support around neurodiversity in the workplace at MongoDB. Sarah Lin, Senior Information & Content Architect, and Config member, speaks about her experience as a parent to a child with autism and shares her perspective on creating inclusive spaces for neurodivergent employees, customers, and members of our communities.

According to the CDC, one in every 36 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum. My child is one of those. Parenting a child with autism is, in many ways, just parenting. There’s often awe, wonder, frustration, exhaustion, and fountains of love all mixed up in the same day. Parenting is hard, period. As a parent of one neurodiverse and one neurotypical child, I'm able to see a little bit of both worlds and while there are highs and lows for both, they’re usually different. People with autism often have a particular area of interest, and my child has opened up a world to me I was only vaguely familiar with. Learning, enjoying, and being part of their world is a gift. I’m so grateful to experience it with them every day. Parenting children with different abilities can be lonely and isolating, though. I get support where I can, but many folks we encounter are actively unsupportive, assuring me “they’ll grow out of it” or expecting I can make them behave in a certain way. My child needs lower levels of support to navigate the world, which means that people often just dismiss their diagnosis entirely as misbehavior or even say that their challenges don’t exist.

Understanding autism spectrum disorder

I learned pretty early in my journey that if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder is just that, a spectrum, with individuals needing more or less support, so interacting with one person on this spectrum isn’t generalizable to everyone else. I’ve found that each person presents a unique constellation of abilities and challenges, and the best way forward is to ask and get to know each person I meet.

Learning about autism and how my child experiences the world has made me a better person, which I hope has carried over into work as well. The most significant impact is raising awareness of sensory needs in the workplace. We all have sensory needs to varying degrees, and understanding that they are genuine makes me more empathetic, accommodating, and patient.

Considering the needs of the neurodivergent community

If my child grows up wanting to work in the tech industry like I do, I’d advise them to remember their needs and seek a role at a company that seems like the best fit. For example, does working from home help them avoid auditory overstimulation? Awareness of their legal rights is paramount, though; they should ask for the accommodations they need to succeed. I’m sure it’s the parent in me, but the most essential advice is that they take care of themselves. Having time off, structuring their workday and environment to meet their needs, and having a healthy sensory diet are all foundational for doing their best work.

To workplaces and colleagues, I encourage you to consider that creating inclusive spaces can be both physical and metaphorical. I’m reminded of a previous employer that set out a specific neurodivergent space at its customer conferences for attendees. I can only speak for what has helped my family, but having alternative options and authority figures willing to compromise when accommodation is outside the norm is impactful. As I teach my child to advocate for their own needs, I rely on the rest of us to meet them with understanding and flexibility.

The impact of increasing awareness

When talking about impact, there’s no denying that millions of individuals and families benefit from increased awareness, understanding, and inclusivity in our society.

Speaking from my own experience as a parent, even if we don’t take advantage of specifically autism-friendly events or spaces, just knowing they are available takes some stress off of daily “how am I going to make this work?” questions. Taking advantage of sensory-friendly activities, for example, allows my child to have the same experiences as everyone else, making them feel included and accepted. For kids, shared experiences are essential for social belonging, and when you’re already experiencing the world differently, that can be a very challenging area to begin with.

As I reflect on Autism Awareness Month, I encourage my friends and colleagues to work towards learning about and supporting neurodiversity in their communities. Some of the best ways to do this are simply through asking and researching. Information abounds, and so does the work of learning rather than expecting to be taught. You can also participate in (or start) a community group or employee resource group — like Config at MongoDB, a global employee resource group focused on disability and neurodiversity at MongoDB.

The more we strive to educate ourselves and create inclusive environments for everyone, the better our workplaces and communities will become.