Wired Differently, Understood Together: Creating neuroinclusive environments

Come and join this fascinating interactive session with author Joan van den Brink to raise awareness of how our beliefs and assumptions may result in practices that are neuroexclusive rather than neuroinclusive.

In any setting there are individuals whom we find difficult for a variety of reasons. These include:
• The line manager who makes demands but is not precise about what they require.
• The team member who is always late for meetings or misses deadlines
• The colleague who consistently picks holes in an argument or points out that a plan
won’t work.
• The line manager who insists on team members being in the office 3 days per week. When we encounter these or similar situations we make assumptions about the other person and why they are behaving in this way. We rarely stop to think about a deeper meaning for the relationship challenges we experience.
Dr Joan van den Brink, who is an experienced coach and expert in supporting leaders to create inclusive environments, was confronted with her own limitations when she unwittingly had a negative impact on a neurodivergent participant of development programme she was leading. This was despite her intentions to create a safe and supportive environment for them. As a result of this painful experience, she embarked on a journey to learn about neurodivergence and what she could do to create neuroinclusion. She interviewed individuals who were neurodivergent or had experiences with neurodivergence to learn
about the differences between neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals. The result is her new book, ‘Wired Differently, Understood Together’ in which she creates a cast of characters to make visible some of these differences, which are often unseen or misunderstood.
From what she has learnt, Joan has created a simple framework that enables everyone (neurodivergent and neurotypical alike) to come together to create more inclusive spaces.

She has received positive feedback from neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals and is now on a quest to share her message more widely and support leaders and individuals to effect positive change.
In her workshop, Joan will share her story, what she has learnt about neurodivergence and bust some stereotypes about familiar neurotypes. Joan will invite you to reflect on your beliefs and assumptions about your colleagues in breakout groups and consider whether what you are experiencing is due to differences in wiring. She will offer some suggestions of what you can do to start the process of generating more neuroinclusion.