Neurodiversity in the Workforce: Samantha Kelly Of Beyond Neurodiversity On Why It’s Important To Include Neurodiverse Employees & How To Make Your Workplace More Neuro-Inclusive
An Interview With Eric Pines
Be patient. Your team members, neurodivergent or not, may be facing battles behind the scenes that you don’t know about. Give them time, provide an actively-listening ear, and be ready to be flexible when possible.
Research suggests that up to 15–20% of the U.S. population is neurodivergent. There has been a slow but vitally important rise in companies embracing neurodiversity. How can companies support neurodiversity in the workplace? What are some benefits of including neurodiverse employees? To address these questions, we are talking to successful business leaders who can share stories and insights from their experience about “Neurodiversity in the Workforce”. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha Kelly.
Samantha Kelly serves as Beyond Neurodiversity’s Advocate, Coach, and Founder, and understands the unique challenges that come with being neurodiverse in a working environment built around neurotypical expectations. Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in her late twenties, Samantha found herself experiencing a complete upheaval of what she thought she knew about how she moved through life. As she progressed through her own experience with diagnoses, workplace accommodations, and educating her co-workers and managers, Beyond Neurodiversity was born: an organization designed to help employers support, attract, and retain the neurodiverse talent they need to succeed by creating environments that don’t just tolerate the neurodivergent — they uplift them.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you ended up where you are?
Absolutely! I decided to build Beyond Neurodiversity after my experience being diagnosed as neurodivergent at the age of 27. My “late” diagnosis absolutely floored me and helped me realize just how much I had been struggling to hide or “mask” my ADHD symptoms. I was spending so much energy hiding my inconsistent memory, my hyperactive brain, my anxiety, my rejection sensitivity, and more, to the point where I was burning myself out and didn’t even know it.
Luckily, I was supported by a phenomenal boss who helped me craft a role that was built more around my strengths rather than forcing me to conform to a role that would only highlight my weaknesses. My boss’s patience, guidance, and understanding helped form the idea behind Beyond Neurodiversity — an organization that could help employers attract, retain, and support their neurodiverse talent through coaching, training, and development. If I could help leaders, managers, and supervisors understand and empathize with the neurodiverse experience, then maybe I could help my neurodivergent community find workplaces where they could excel, and also help businesses improve retention and their bottom lines.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Tenacity. And I don’t just mean being stubborn. In the case of my neurodivergent diagnosis, I think it was the unshakable internal demand that I would figure out what was going on with me and why I felt so different. I’m a firm believer in embracing your mental health and not hiding from it. That meant raising my hand, asking for help, and acknowledging that I was struggling and couldn’t do it alone. It took me a long time to get there. It took experiencing a debilitating panic attack at work before I chose to enroll in therapy. My recommendation? Don’t wait until you begin to lose control at work or at home. When life feels like too much to handle — say something.
Transparency. Or maybe my limited verbal filter. Either way, I’ve been incredibly honest about my neurodiverse diagnosis, both in my personal life and in my professional life. And I’ve found that it has actually built bridges with individuals I may not have had the opportunity or the ability to connect with at first. After I was initially diagnosed, I was open with almost anyone new I met, and the number of people who were A) shocked, but then B) so excited to speak to their own experiences has been particularly touching. It helped me understand them more as a whole person, rather than just “someone I worked with.” That honesty has served me well.
Creativity. One of the strengths of ADHD is creativity, and my brain has long been my own source of entertainment. Creativity is what’s allowed me to be one step ahead, solve puzzles in early stages, and find work-arounds to my own challenges before anyone could see them. Creativity has allowed me to thrive at work and has brought me significant joy.
Can you share a story about one of your greatest work-related struggles? Can you share what you did to overcome it?
This is a tough one! Not because I don’t have any struggles — I have plenty — but because some of my struggles may present as small or minute, when they feel monumental to me.
One of my biggest struggles has been overcoming my task avoidance and rejection sensitivity — two challenges that frequently present for neurodivergent people. They both sound exactly like what they are: task avoidance is the recognition of the need or desire to complete a task, but your brain doesn’t let you complete it. Rejection sensitivity is a higher-than-normal sensitivity to rejection, disappointment, or a negative response that results in almost physical pain.
When it came to completing a basic task like sending an email, I would often struggle to get it done thanks to having task avoidance. This sometimes led to frustration and questions from my boss about why it was taking me two days to finish such a basic task.
And while I haven’t completely overcome these struggles, I’ve learned tools to navigate them in order to make life easier.
To help with task avoidance, one tactic I use is setting timers. For example, I’ll set a ten-minute timer especially for sending a specific email. I’m more apt to complete a task when I’m under a deadline or time pressure. Another tactic I might use is task-stacking — completing one easy task and then immediately tackling my next difficult task while I’m riding the dopamine high of a completed task. Or, my personal favorite, a sweet treat as a reward for accomplishing something that I’ve been avoiding. Sour treats are even better for spiking my dopamine.
To meet rejection sensitivity head-on, I found that I have to practice much softer skills. When faced with rejection, it is important that I practiced self-compassion when I recognized I could have done something different or better. We’re all our own worst critics, and ensuring that I repeated back to myself the same compassion I would show a friend or co-worker is important. Additionally, making sure that I spend more time focusing on how my strengths show during the work day rather than my weaknesses helps bolster me should I face any rejection.
Don’t get me wrong, I still struggle with these challenges! But having a variety of tools in my toolbox has been a great way to tackle these on any given day.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
For me, building Beyond Neurodiversity has been my most interesting and exciting project, by far. I started the business in the beginning of 2024, and the reception to the concept, the idea, and the teachings behind it has been incredibly warm. Almost everyone I speak to has some personal connection to neurodiversity — whether it’s their child, their cousin, themselves, etc. — and they can speak to the challenges that neurodivergence has placed in front of them. Because that personal connection is there, I don’t have to explain to people why it’s so critical that we build workplaces that embrace neurodiversity and all the ways of thinking that it brings. People already get it!
Fantastic. Let’s now shift to our discussion about neurodiversity in the workforce. Can you tell our readers a bit about your experience working with initiatives to include neurodiverse employees? Can you share a story with us?
Besides what I’m building with Beyond Neurodiversity, most of my experience has come from conferences and sessions where I’ve been bringing the neurodiversity movement to employers in a bite-sized, manageable experience. It’s been focused on ways to embrace neurodiversity in the workplace, whether that’s by asking the right questions to allow for anyone’s environmental or workplace needs to be met, adjusting expectations so things such as direct tones and lack of eye contact aren’t seen as rude if they’re more comfortable for someone, providing accommodations at little-to-no-cost, etc.
I had such a validating experience after one session — I ran into an attendee the following day, and she expressed how just an hour-long session completely adjusted her expectations of a client as she was working with them. It gave her the patience and the understanding to ask the right questions in the conversation to make the client comfortable. She even took her learnings directly to her CEO the next day! Those kinds of “a-ha” moments are incredibly heartwarming, but more importantly, critical to the success of the neurodiversity movement.
This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have an inclusive work culture?
My gosh, how much time do you have? When we talk about Inclusivity (capital “I” intended), we’re talking about not just allowing someone to be in the space with us. We’re talking about opening our arms and letting that person know that their ideas are welcomed and that their ways of thinking are valid. Their suggestions are welcomed at this table and better yet, if you take it a step further, they belong at this table.
An inclusive work culture is what allows organizations to bring innovation, creativity, evolution, and longevity to their business. If a person feels included (and that they belong), they’ll feel more comfortable speaking up and sharing an innovative idea. This will happen even more frequently if that person thinks differently than those around them (hence neurodiversity). If a team member feels included, their creativity and innovative ideas can lead to an evolution of the company — and likely an evolution that’s necessary for the company to survive in a rapidly changing business landscape. That necessary evolution leads to the longevity of an organization, which is what any business leader wants.
Can you share a few examples of ideas that were implemented at your workplace to help include neurodiverse employees? Can you share with us how the work culture was affected as a result?
I can speak to the accommodations that my team put into place for me when I was first diagnosed (and honestly, before we knew why I was struggling). Whether it was noise-cancelling headphones, written reminders, assigning projects with flexible deadlines and priorities, or working with me to build systems with reminders so I stayed on track, my team was phenomenally accepting. And honestly, that is a reflection of the culture that we worked so hard to build — one that’s accepting, encouraging, and accommodating to people’s needs.
What are some of the challenges or obstacles to including neurodivergent employees? What needs to be done to address those obstacles?
The first challenge that comes to my mind is the stigma. When I was given the first of multiple diagnoses, it was delivered with a warning — “Be careful who you share this with. You never know who will use that information against you.” As if my ADHD was something to be feared, abused, or contagious. Those who warned me were doing so with love, because they had seen others fall victim to the stigma or fear that “being different” in the workplace would cause damage.
Neurodiversity is a concept that includes everyone — it’s the variety of all the natural ways that our brains work, think, process, and experience the world around us. And neurodivergence — the differences that present in conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia — isn’t something to be feared either. If employers and employees were open to exploring and learning more about these differences, which I will absolutely acknowledge is hard, I believe that we would all see more of ourselves in others than we anticipate.
Employers can combat this a few ways. It could be hosting a company-wide training so all team members can become comfortable with the terminology around the movement and to understand how it shows up in the workplace. It could be training managers to encourage and uplift their neurodivergent team members with easy accommodations. It could also be providing an Employer Resource Group for neurodivergent team members or those who support them in their own lives. There are a ton of no-to-low-cost ways to bring neurodiversity into the conversation so the stigma is reduced.
How do you and your organization educate yourselves and your teams on the concept of neurodiversity and the needs of neurodivergent employees? Are there any resources, training, or workshops that you have found particularly helpful?
For me, there are two resources that have been my go-to’s in my journey that I recommend to anyone starting to understand the neurodiversity movement:
The first is Neurodiversity for Dummies by John Marble, Kushboo Chambria, and Ranga Jayaraman. This book has been incredible for providing an empathetic window into the neurodiverse experience, and better yet, putting the experience into terms that are easy to understand and embrace.
The second is Neurodiversity Coaching: A Psychological Approach to Supporting Neurodivergent Talent and Career Potential by Nancy Doyle and Almuth McDowell. This is a bit more advanced, as it’s built on coaching principles, but it’s been easy for me to pick up and understand. It’s a great tool for anyone who is coaching, supporting, or managing neurodiverse talent.
Can you please share five best practices that can make a business place feel more welcoming and inclusive of people who are neurodivergent? If you can, please share a few examples.
1 . Provide flexibility with schedules and priorities to allow for your team members to reduce friction in their day-to-day. For example, not having a strict start-time so that individuals aren’t racing against a clock should their morning routine go awry.
2 . Utilize clear and direct communication. Avoid using idioms or phrases of speech that only serve to muddy the waters of what you’re really saying (see what I did there?).
3 . Provide multiple ways of following up on instructions — verbally or written, and be willing to repeat yourself if necessary.
4 . Be patient. Your team members, neurodivergent or not, may be facing battles behind the scenes that you don’t know about. Give them time, provide an actively-listening ear, and be ready to be flexible when possible.
5 . Make accommodations the norm, not the exception. By allowing your team (neurodivergent or neurotypical) to make accommodations based on their needs and making it easily accessible for them to do so, it can make someone who requires a little more time, guidance, or support feel like they belong.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story about how that was relevant in your own life?
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” I think that’s been the motivation behind Beyond Neurodiversity for me. I didn’t see neurodiversity being talked about in the professional circles I ran in, nor did I see it being normalized despite how it touches the lives of almost everyone you know. If I didn’t see what I wanted to see, I realized I had to become the person who was going to make the change.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
That’s such a tall order! I think the world could use a little bit more empathy. If there was one lesson that I’ve learned through my therapy journey, it’s that empathy (hand-in-hand with compassion) can solve more misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and arguments than we think.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They’re welcome to follow me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-l-kelly/) or check out Beyond Neurodiversity (www.BeyondND.com) online!
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!
About the Interviewer: Eric L. Pines is a nationally recognized federal employment lawyer, mediator, and attorney business coach. He represents federal employees and acts as in-house counsel for over fifty thousand federal employees through his work as a federal employee labor union representative. A formal federal employee himself, Mr. Pines began his federal employment law career as in-house counsel for AFGE Local 1923 which is in Social Security Administration’s headquarters and is the largest federal union local in the world. He presently serves as AFGE 1923’s Chief Counsel as well as in-house counsel for all FEMA bargaining unit employees and numerous Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs unions.
While he and his firm specialize in representing federal employees from all federal agencies and in reference to virtually all federal employee matters, his firm has placed special attention on representing Veteran Affairs doctors and nurses hired under the authority of Title. He and his firm have a particular passion in representing disabled federal employees with their requests for medical and religious reasonable accommodations when those accommodations are warranted under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ADA). He also represents them with their requests for Federal Employee Disability Retirement (OPM) when an accommodation would not be possible.
Mr. Pines has also served as a mediator for numerous federal agencies including serving a year as the Library of Congress’ in-house EEO Mediator. He has also served as an expert witness in federal court for federal employee matters. He has also worked as an EEO technical writer drafting hundreds of Final Agency Decisions for the federal sector.
Mr. Pines’ firm is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has offices in Baltimore, Maryland and Atlanta, Georgia. His first passion is his wife and five children. He plays classical and rock guitar and enjoys playing ice hockey, running, and biking. Please visit his websites at www.pinesfederal.com and www.toughinjurylawyers.com. He can also be reached at [email protected].
Neurodiversity in the Workforce: Samantha Kelly Of Beyond Neurodiversity On Why It’s Important To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.