What Is Structural Neuroableism at Work?

A glass wall with sharp edges

Source: fanjianhua / Freepik

We. Just. Can’t. Get. A. Break. So often in my conversations with autistics, AuDHDers, ADHDers, people with PTSD, and other neurodistinct professionals, the same theme comes up.

We try. We work much harder than most of our coworkers. We have unique talents that enrich our organizations.

But we just can’t get ahead. It is as if an invisible force were holding us back and pushing us out.

That invisible force is often structural neuroableism.

Like any bias, ableism and neuroableism manifest on the individual and attitudinal level, via individual perceptions, thoughts, and attitudes, as well as on the institutional structural level. Although individual and structural manifestations of bias are interconnected and reinforce each other, this article is focused specifically on structural aspects of neuroableism in the context of employment.

Structural neuroableism in organizations manifests as processes, procedures, and cultural norms that systemically disadvantage people from sensory sensitive, autistic, dyslexic, ADHD, PTSD, and other neurominority and neurodivergent communities. This form of systemic discrimination includes hiring practices, work organization, and cultural norms that privilege neuronormativity—a socially constructed set of expectations for preferred workstyles, verbal and non-verbal communication and behavior, sensory tolerances, and emotional processing and expression.

Here are just a few examples of how these “normal” organizational practices perpetuate neuroexclusion:

Conventional Hiring

The focus on subjectively defined “culture fit,” small talk, and stereotypical, biased interpretations of body language (no, fidgeting does not mean “hiding something”) is inherent in traditional hiring. These subjective evaluations disadvantage highly qualified neurodivergent candidates who would have been top applicants if allowed to demonstrate their work skills.

Micromanagement

Micromanagement also often means one-size-fits-all demands. However, many neurodivergent professionals thrive on outcomes-focused work and autonomy to craft their work style and rhythm. Micromanagement disrupts neurodivergent productivity, imposing external demands that may not align with our intrinsic flow and motivation.

Organizational Politics and Scheming

On the surface, office politics might seem an innate aspect of corporate life. But for many autistic people, in particular, this creates an impassable toxic minefield that makes us sick and prevents us from exercising our talents. Navigating complex webs of implicit social cues, power dynamics, and hidden agendas extracts energy that could have been used productively and results in a higher likelihood of burnout. The very nature of scheming, manipulation, and unspoken understandings contradicts the autistic need for clear, direct communication.

Collaboration Overload

Collaboration, like many good things, becomes harmful if used excessively. Deep work is often sacrificed to the idol of relentless “collaboration,” regardless of the effects on productivity. Often, “collaboration” is a code word for unnecessary interruptions, ego-driven games, and dumping work on others.

Internal Competition

Ruthless internal competition is stressful for most employees. However, neurodivergent talent may face unique challenges in cutthroat environments, which can be seen as disabling to neurodivergent employees who could be some of the top performers in healthy environments. As Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton explain in The Knowing-Doing Gap, internal competition does not translate into external competitiveness. In fact, it is likely to hurt external competitiveness and corrode organizational cultures.

Open Spaces

Open offices are heralded as citadels of teamwork, even though they actually reduce collaboration. They also harm the health and well-being of sensory-sensitive people—canaries in office coal mines—and then most other employees. Incessant chatter, perpetual movement, and a lack of personal space can be deeply unsettling, and overall, people working in open offices are more likely to need sick days.

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Moreover, the implicit expectation of perpetual teamwork might particularly harm neurodivergent talent who may excel in deep work and need stretches of solitary focus.

Rebuilding Organizational Scaffolding

Dismantling structural neuroableism is not just about inclusion and invitation to current practices—it’s about reimagining the very scaffolding of organizations and examining the entrenched neuroableist assumptions and outdated practices that are often harmful to all. It’s an invitation for organizations to ensure that different types of talent can thrive by embedding transparency, flexibility, valid measurement, and focus on outcomes across all talent practices, as visually represented by my Canary Code model for intersectional inclusion. Good talent practices are not “special” treatment but fairness and human-centric work for all.

A version of this post also appears in the Best Work for Your Brain newsletter.