Could you be neurodivergent? If you suspect that you could be neurodivergent, reading some of the memoirs on our bibliography (in Further Resources) could also help you to explore it further. For example, the exercises in Hannah Belcher’s Taking off the Mask and Devon Price’s Unmasking Autism can help people to explore their authentic neurodivergent self.

Neurodivergent Staff’s Experiences and Opinions

One staff member we interviewed suggested reading memoirs by neurodivergent people, as these can help people to reflect on their own neurodivergence or neurotypicality.

Even if the word ‘neurodivergent’ doesn’t appeal to you, perhaps you felt an affinity towards some of the issues we discussed when we talked about neurodivergence in this toolkit.

So, here is a reflection exercise for you:

What are the qualities that, according to ‘widely accepted’ norms, make a good scholar?
What are your natural qualities as a scholar?
What are the similarities and differences between your answers to question 1 and 2?

Even if you are not neurodivergent, this exercise can highlight similar or different ways people can understand the ‘norm’, some of the ways that you may differ from the ‘norm’, and the extent to which ‘norms’ could be challenged and changed.

Neurodivergent teaching staff also often shoulder more emotional and other forms of labour supporting neurodivergent students. If you identify as a neurotypical member of staff and notice your colleagues struggling, regardless of whether they have disclosed any diagnosis to you, think about how to best support the neurodivergent students you interact with so that the emotional labour is divided more evenly. This can create a more nurturing, inclusive teaching environment that benefits all students and staff.

Neurodivergent Staff’s Experiences and Opinions

One staff member, whilst explaining the various effective strategies they had developed for doing their research and teaching in their own neurodivergent way, commented: “The biggest difference comes from permission. After the diagnosis, I permit myself to be different”.

Educators openly talking about their neurodivergence can help inspire neurodivergent students. But not all educators would feel safe or ready to openly discuss their neurodivergence. We recognise that ‘coming out’ as neurodivergent, naming one’s disability, or owning an identity that is perceived to be a ‘deficit’ can have both emotional and material harms (for example, implicit bias in employment or facing ableism in academia). This is especially pertinent for precariously employed scholars. Therefore, we want to emphasise that the learning and reflection portion is the key – not the disclosure. At the University of Oxford, there are staff-specific resources available, such as the Neurodivergent Staff Network and the TORCH Neurodiversity Network, which you do not need a diagnosis to join.