Conference on Academic Library Management

The objective of this presentation is to unveil the topic of neuroinclusion in the workplace within the context of organizational management and leadership in order to help participants begin building a neuro-inclusion toolkit both for themselves as managers and leaders and for their organizations. Neurodiverse conditions include, but are not limited to, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Dyspraxia, and Dyslexia. It is increasingly recognized that neurodiverse employees bring many uncommon strengths and talents to the workplace, but the process of successfully recruiting, hiring, supporting, and retaining these employees remains opaque. In this session, I will provide a brief overview of neurodiversity and its multiple forms; discuss the benefits that neurodiverse employees bring to an organization, as well as the struggles they face; highlight the challenges and uncertainties that managers and administrators face in advancing and supporting neuroinclusion in the workplace; and provide concrete recommendations for becoming a neuroinclusive manager, administrator, and/or organization. This presentation will be informed by research and readings, as well as the presenter's experience as a librarian manager with ADHD who has both enjoyed the benefits of their neurodiverse ways of thinking at work and experienced its pitfalls.