ABSTRACT

Workplaces are adopting the label neurodiversity to acknowledge variation in cognitive abilities among workers. However, continued research and development is needed to advance workplace practices and social environments that reflect a fully inclusive approach to neurodiversity. Current workplace practices for recruiting and integrating workers with neurodivergent features are often congruent with approaches to disability, with an emphasis on protections against discrimination and providing accommodations for workers to perform in the neurotypical work environment. Similar to disabilities in general, workers with neurodivergent features may need to disclose in order to determine if the features qualify as a disability and subsequently benefit from protections against discrimination and receive accommodations to perform work tasks that were designed with the neurotypical worker in mind. However, the decision to disclose either formally to organization leadership or informally to co-workers involves careful consideration of the costs and benefits of doing so. In this chapter, we discuss the costs and benefits of disclosing neurodivergent features in the workplace, and the role that workplace environments and neurodivergent features play in those consequences. Finally, we discuss future research opportunities specific to disclosure of neurodivergent features and how those research endeavors and organizational practices might adapt as workplace environments embrace a neurodiversity perspective.