Neurodivergence and the Eureka Model

I’m dyslexic, and I’m not alone. Recent studies estimate that around 20 percent of the American population is considered neurodiverse. However, it seems that the modern workplace still lacks the tools to maximize the potential of one in five workers. One staggering statistic shows that 85% of autistic adults are either unemployed or underemployed.

The issues do not stop with wasted productivity. People with disabilities are more likely to have lower levels of education, face discrimination, and experience poverty and health issues.

My mom was as good of a mom as you could ask for. In school, I struggled with basic reading and writing. Other students and even some teachers called me stupid and easily dismissed my abilities. My mom, on the other hand, was a different story. She knew I had potential, but there was something blocking it. So she took me to the University of Pittsburgh, where she coaxed a professor of psychology to test me. It was she who diagnosed me with dyslexia. To this day, I still struggle with my disability: I’m a horrible speller, writing is tedious for me, and I have to read slower than some. Learning how to work with my disability took time, and after more decades than I often care to admit, I like to think I have developed strategies to maximize my potential.

The benefits of diversity in the workplace:

There are numerous benefits to having diversity in the workplace. Individuals with neurodiversity can think in ways that others can’t, leading to more creative and innovative solutions to problems and tasks. They can also be great workers and teammates. In a pilot program launched in Australia by its Department of Defense, it was found that their neurodiverse software testing team was 30% more productive than their neurotypical counterparts.

The Eureka Model:

Our model has helped me in many ways learn how to be a better boss, friend, co-worker, and parent. It has also helped me work with my disability, and I have heard from many former clients that our model has helped them understand themselves better. I have heard from managers that our model has helped them work better with their teams.

One of the first things we do is define stress and competence. We look at that to see if there is an elevated level of stress and/or a lack of competence. To help build upon this, we also look at one's social and interpersonal model, which builds up into what many people would call emotional intelligence. In particular, we focus on a component of emotional intelligence (EI) that we would call Social Acumen. At EurekaConnect, we label Social Acumen—the ability to connect and care—as the combination of two learned behaviors: Goodwill and Social Skills. Goodwill measures care and compassion for others while Social Skills measures the ability to interact effectively.

What is important to note is that both skills are learned skills, which means one has the ability to improve at them. Understanding where one stands in both of these learned skills can allow room for growth, enabling a more successful career and a richer home life. Our approach to personal development has helped numerous managers and employees learn how to work with their own disabilities, allowing for more productive and inclusive teams.

For more information, please reach out to our team.

Conclusion:

It is easy to think of neurodiversity as a burden. I know for a while that I thought it was for me too. However, it does not have to be that way. Knowing and understanding how people with neurodiversity can work with their disabilities and how managers can best position their employees to succeed is paramount in the workplace. Using tools like our Eureka Model will lead to a more inclusive, dynamic, and productive work setting.

Resources:

These books have been some of my favorites talking about neurodiversity. I encourage all to check out these great reads.

In a Different Key by Caren Zucker and John Donvan

Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve: Self-Help Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism by Stanley Rosenberg

Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed for You by Jenara Nerenberg

The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Differently Wired Brain by Thomas Armstrong