It is estimated more than 15% of people in the workplace have a neurodiverse condition such as ADHD or autism, while a recent survey found that three-quarters of employees hide their dyslexia at work.
These conditions can result in staff absenteeism which, in turn, impacts on productivity within a small to medium company as well as affecting staff morale.
Perfect Support provides trained specialists who are able to work throughout the UK to deliver one to one or small group coaching/coping strategy sessions to help people in the workplace. They cover a wealth of specialisms including ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, autism, Bipolar Disorder, stress, anxiety, depression and grief.
What do we help with?
Possible solutions can start with simply introducing the right hardware, such as an ergonomic chair or keyboard or assistive technology, all the way through to specialist one-to-one support (Strategy Coaching) – all tailored to help managers identify and facilitate any neurodiverse needs among their team.
The Strategy Coach will work directly with the client, firstly to identify their role, and then their strengths and difficulties for completing that role. Ultimately, they will then provide practical and realistic strategies for that client to implement in their role.
Every coaching programme is unique to each person. We ask questions to identify what each employee feels are the areas that are working well and those causing difficulty and then we focus on elements such as memory skills, organisation and time management strategies to encourage regular practice of these.
What are the wider issues?
Changing corporate attitudes around awareness is the biggest challenge – and Perfect Support’s main mission.
Although the process of an autism diagnosis for a child, for example, is difficult, once in place there are statutory requirements from the government and education bodies that ensure they receive the care and support they need. For an adult, the opposite is the case. The diagnosis process may be easier but once it is in place there are no statutory requirements for the support of that adult. Furthermore, if they are in the workplace it can be difficult to find the right support, which is tailored specifically for them.
How does this coaching work and what are the benefits?
A recent report by Lancaster University and commissioned by Perfect Support, states: “Ensuring neurodiversity among a workforce can bring significant benefits for organisations. Dyslexic individuals, for example, are inherently creative, think ‘outside the box’ and are great at seeing patterns in ‘big data’, all valuable skills for any workplace. For this reason, people with dyslexia are increasingly being sought by employers. Companies are having recruitment drives aimed specifically at people with dyslexia.”
Many autistic people are able and willing to work, yet the numbers that are able to do that are shockingly low – 29% of autistic people are in full or part-time employment, even though the vast majority want to work.
Joe Best, of Perfect Suppport, explains: “People are struggling in the workplace, and it’s not their fault. If they’ve got a neurodiverse condition, they can still do that job, they just need a bit of guidance. Our sessions help employees to develop successful coping strategies and improve performance.
“We also investigate the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce, helping everyone to acknowledge and realise the positive impact that diversity has on productivity, creativity, and achievement of workplace targets. Each session is specific to the individual, improving processes to manage the fluctuating nature of these conditions.
“Participants will develop a better understanding of the challenges that can be faced by neurodivergent individuals in the workplace, by appreciating more about each condition and learning about the experiences of someone with them.
“Our coaches and assessors will explore tools and interventions that can be used to support neurodiverse colleagues, alongside steps that can be taken to make interactions and environments more accommodating, so their experiences at work are more positive and rewarding and their skills appreciated and recognised.
“We believe our cost-effective programmes reduce both absenteeism and presenteeism, therefore improving productivity and profit for business.”
Is mental health recognised enough in the workplace?
Hannah Anderton-Smith, a mental health coach with Perfect Support, said: “Recognition and understanding is needed to prevent unnecessary absences and employees feeling alone or bullied. Many of the clients I have worked with feel that no one ‘gets them’ or they feel unable to take time off for mental health because it’s not classed as real.
“Mental health is as real as a broken leg. I always remind my clients that a broken emotional system can be just as devastating as any physical injury.
“Taking time to ask ‘Are you ok? Really ok?’ will help reduce the fear of sharing and allow people to say ‘actually no, I need support.’ That’s all any of the clients need, simply to be heard and supported.”
Perfect Support’s strategic coaching sessions are extremely effective and most clients experience an improvement in work performance after just four or five sessions. However, developing additional skills requires extra work for our thinking processes, especially when we are developing new strategies, so employees need to be given time for improvements to show.
Visit: https://psupport.co.uk/.
