How neurodivergent individuals are made into resources for consulting companies

What is it about?

This research looks at how specialized consulting companies that promote hiring neurodivergent people (those with conditions like autism, ADHD, or dyslexia) are actually turning these individuals into business assets to help companies perform better. The consulting companies operate by focusing on what corporations need, highlighting the unique strengths that neurodivergent people can bring to businesses, helping both neurodivergent and typical employees work together effectively, and creating a framework that shows how neurodivergent individuals can add value in the workplace. While these consultancies do important work helping neurodivergent people find jobs that match their abilities and promoting inclusion in workplaces, there's a concerning flip side. They're creating a business model that judges neurodivergent people primarily by their economic value to companies. This approach, while done in the name of inclusion, ends up dividing neurodivergent individuals into two groups: those who can be useful corporate resources and those who cannot. Essentially, these consultancies help neurodivergent people find careers, but only by forcing them to prove their worth in strictly business terms.

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Photo by Peter Burdon on Unsplash

Photo by Peter Burdon on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Neurodivergent diagnoses are increasing, and there is a need for these individuals to get a job matching their skills and competencies. A way to do this is to promote that individuals with autism or ADHD have superskills. While this may help some, at the same time, it causes more stigma for neurodivergent individuals who cannot live up to these superskills.

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