Neurotypical privilege in the Labour market

Authors: Catherine Bouckley

Date: February 24, 2022

Link: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2022/02/24/neurotypical-privilege-in-the-labour-market/

Source: Bouckley, C. (2022). Neurotypical privilege in the labour market. LSE Business Review.

Neurotypical privilege is defined as an advantage attained by living in a system coded for individuals that express cognitive expression of the status quo. On the other hand neurodivergent people who have conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia are often disadvantaged in school systems, public services, and even the labor market. Even when neurodivergent individuals are able to secure a job, due to the uniform office environment catered toward “generalist” workers, neurodivergent individuals who tend to be “specialists” have difficulties achieving wanted results.

• Four of five autistic people are unemployed
• Institute of Leadership and Management (2020) found a third of the hiring managers admitted discomfort in hiring those with ADHD or Tourette’s syndrome
  • One in four managers showed discomfort in hiring someone with autism or dyscalculia
  • One in five managers showed discomfort in hiring someone with dyspraxia
  • One in ten managers showed discomfort in hiring someone with dyslexia

Impact of Neurotypical Privilege

1. (Unintentional) discrimination can have negative effects on the neurodivergent individual’s well-being both physically and mentally
2. Neurodivergence contributes greatly to specialized talents, skills, and perspectives that can often be overlooked in a “generalist” work environment limiting the performance of businesses
3. By leaving aside the neurodivergent audience that makes up approximately 15% of the population, products are missing a chunk of potential their products could be used by
4. By implementing specialized employees, the need for individualized engagement becomes crucial within the team which can lead to better managers

Analysis

With approximately 15% of the population consisting of neurodivergent people and the rise of awareness of providing accommodations for these individuals, it is an essential demographic to accommodate in this project. With this reading highlighting the difficulties in neurodivergent finding and securing a job, it not only ties in strongly with how high the value of money becomes, but also how this should be a topic presented to neurodivergent children from earlier stages. Most neurodivergent children are not necessarily cognitively behind, but depending on the disorder they have, it may impose difficulties with understanding certain subjects proven to be closely associated with financial literacy (Topic of Money in Math Courses and 2018 PISA Results).