Employee guide: Knowledge and tools for managing your ADHD or autism at work

Your workplace may have chosen to ask some questions about different brain profiles as part of a wellbeing survey. This has surely been done to learn more about creating wellbeing for people with different brain profiles. This guide is for you if you have a diagnosis yourself or traits that resemble one - it offers knowledge and concrete advice on how you and your workplace can work together to create a good working environment where you can thrive.

Knowledge builds understanding

Søren Dige from Working Minds has developed the two handouts at the bottom of the page. They shine a light on two of the most common conditions within neurodiversity - namely ADHD and autism.

NOTE: The two handouts are currently only available in Danish.

They describe typical strengths and skills, but also the challenges that people with ADHD and autism experience in the workplace. Perhaps there is something in the descriptions that you recognise from your own everyday life?  

Examples and good advice for managers and employees

The two handouts also describe 12 areas where the ADHD brain and the autistic brain, respectively, work a little differently from others. For each of the 12 areas, there is:

• A description of what is at play.
• Examples of how it can look in a work context.
• Concrete advice on what the manager and the employee, respectively, can do to ensure a good and productive working environment.

How you can use it

You can read the material and see where you recognise yourself in the descriptions and examples. You can make use of the advice described for employees. And if you have a trusting relationship with your manager, you can bring the material into a conversation with them about what is needed for you to thrive and make the most of your strengths. 

The materials have been developed by Søren Dige from Working Minds (contact: sd@workingsminds.dk).