- Predictability: be clear about boundaries and expectations around behaviour.
- Acceptance: it is important that Neurodivergent people feel accepted (i.e. how they move and communicate).
- Processing: emotions and information are processed differently across neurotypes. Patience, time and tolerance should be explained.
KEY ISSUES
As outlined in the scenario above, there can be many challenges to consider in the context of interventions, particularly when these involve groupwork and managing mixed neurotype groups. Neurodivergent people may have atypical preferences and styles of communication. Some individuals with ADHD may struggle with reciprocal discussion (turn taking) which can (often unintentionally) lead to dominating a discussion. Some Neurodivergent people may also engage in atypical nonverbal communication. Gaze, eye contact, gestures, movement and posture can show up in different ways (e.g., not making eye contact, fixed gaze, fidgeting). Differences in communication and presenting can be misinterpreted (the double empathy problem) and can result in Neurodivergent people being subject to ridicule or hostility by others (this can include group members) who have little or no awareness of neurodivergence.
It is important that interventions provide clear rules and explanations and boundaries regarding expectations; particularly within group work. These can often be highly charged and emotive environments, and it is important that all neurotypes can function well together.
PRACTICAL TIPS
- Group/intervention rules should include a statement (see an example we have prepared below) on neurodiversity and respecting difference. This should:
- Explain that all people move their bodies, express and regulate their emotions differently.
- Invite people to contribute in a way that feels comfortable to them.
- That we must all tolerate each other’s differences, behave non-judgementally, and do not ridicule others.
- Give permission to move bodies as they need to.
- Provide expectations and boundaries about not dominating discussions.
- Provide predictability and clarity of boundaries around how you will ‘hold space’ and how you will manage ‘cross talk’.
- Consider asking all group members to add expectations around neurodiversity on the list.
- Frame as ‘this is what we do to make the experience better for you’.
- It is important to model the practices described above (e.g., regulation, co-regulation, de-escalation, boundary setting, providing processing time and space).
- Group spaces can be a good opportunity to learn about and accept the many differences we experience and come across within our relationships and everyday lives.
- Embed expectations around behaviour within the organisation’s current behaviour agreements and return to this when needed to recommit.
- Get group members to suggest what they think should be added to the rules around understanding and accepting neurodiversity.