DIVERSITY
Neurodiversity and New People Labels
Why being labeled as neurodivergent can be a career killer — and a personal burden
I strongly dislike labels. I’m putting that right up top, so I can explain why..
As a former teacher, I understood both the advantages and disadvantages of labeling students. In adulthood, especially in the workplace, labeling can be much more problematic.
With neurodiversity initiatives being embraced in companies worldwide, labeling seems to be in vogue — at least in the executive suite. At the employee level, it’s not nearly so popular.
Just a few days ago, Elon Musk worked a mention of his Asperger’s disorder into his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live. “I’m the first person with Asperger’s to host SNL … or at least the first to admit it,” he said.
His quip revealed a truth that many companies don’t catch on to: Most employees who were labeled in school with learning disabilities do everything possible to hide those labels in their adult life.
Yet it seems as though many companies want to fly the banner and shout out to the world that they are embracing neurodiversity. In their efforts to do so, they are creating new labels to identify and classify neurodivergent…
