Neurodiversity in the Lab

Neurodiversity in the Lab

All brains work differently. Supporting that diversity can improve your research.
By Jennifer L.W. Fink

After Dave Caudel earned his PhD in condensed matter physics, he took a job that had little to do with what he studied. He became the executive director—and now the associate director—of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He says he just “couldn’t say no” to an opportunity to decrease the odds of others having to go through what he did: “figuring out how to make this weird world work for me.”

As an autistic person, Caudel perceives and interacts with the world differently than a non-autistic person. Well before he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in his mid-30s, Caudel realized that his natural thinking patterns and behavior were often misunderstood. He also realized that other people seemed to easily be able to do things that were difficult for him.

“All of us who are neurodivergent realize early on that we live in a world that’s not optimized for us,” Caudel says. People with dyslexia, for instance, may struggle with written language. Those with dyspraxia—a neurological condition that affects motor learning and coordination—may have poor eye-hand coordination, jumbled speech and difficulty planning and coordinating tasks. Individuals with sensory processing disorder (SPD) may be overwhelmed by the lights or noise in a typical laboratory, and people with Tourette syndrome—a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary and repetitive movements and vocalizations—may blink, grimace or grunt frequently. Adults with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may hyper-focus and lose track of time. These are just a few of the common neurodevelopmental conditions that affect the way individuals think, process and engage with the world.

In years past, autism, dyslexia and other neurologic or developmental differences were often considered disabilities. Increasingly, though, there’s been a push toward acceptance and inclusion—and toward recognition of the value of neurodiversity. There is not one agreed-upon definition of “neurodiversity,” but Australian sociologist Judy Singer came up with the word in the 1990s to refer to the limitless variability of human cognition.

“The word ‘neurodiversity’ was coined to bring attention to the fact that there’s no such thing as a ‘normal brain,’” Caudel says. In fact, all brains work differently, and that diversity can be an advantage in any workplace, including research labs. Strengths of some neurodiverse people include innovation, complex non-linear thinking, big picture thinking and having the ability to link disparate ideas—all of which can make people excellent scientists.

For example, Caudel says, autistic people can be very detail-oriented. “Many of us are very logically driven, so we can be particularly adept at mathematics and puzzle-solving,” he says. “We have superior pattern recognition and visual spatial capabilities.”

Those skills may not be immediately recognizable though, as many people with ASD have a tough time reading social cues and may come across as “awkward” or “weird,” he says. In fact, many autistic individuals (and other people with communication or social difficulties) don’t make it past school or job interviews because interviewers mistakenly assume that the applicants don’t have much to contribute or won’t be able to function in an academic or laboratory environment.

That’s a mistake because “we are losing all that potential,” says Sara Rankin, PhD, a professor of leukocyte and stem cell biology at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London. “We’re missing people who could make significant contributions as scientists.” Rankin identifies as dyspraxic and dyslexic.

Neurodiversity in the lab increases the likelihood of effective problem-solving. “When you’re tackling a complex problem, you don’t want 30 brains that are identical to one another working on it because then you’re just going to get 30 copies of the same answer,” Caudel says. “If you have a diverse staff, working collectively, some of those solutions may be terrible, but some will be brilliant and outside of the box.”

To maximize the capability of a diverse workforce, principle investigators and others in the lab must create a supportive, neurodiverse-friendly workplace. Here’s how:

EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT NEURODIVERSITY

Take the initiative to learn more about neurodiversity and common presentations and challenges of oft-encountered conditions such as ASD, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. The website of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is a great place to start; it includes links to free informative webinars and lots of info about neurodiversity in the workplace. (Click on “Tools and Resources.”)

The Neurodiversity Hub is another reliable source of information, and the Learning Disabilities Association of America has information about dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and non-verbal learning disabilities.

Don’t rely on neurodiverse individuals to educate you about themselves, but listen carefully to their comments and feedback. Sharon Miligram, PhD, director of the Office of Intramural Training and Education at the National Institutes of Health, has learned to value input.

“When students share with me that I should slow down, I appreciate that and listen,” she says.

And remember: Each neurodiverse individual is unique, so don’t expect each autistic or dyslexic person you meet, for instance, to behave similarly or require the same accommodations.

BE PATIENT AND CURIOUS

Don’t assume that people aren’t paying attention or are deliberately ignoring instructions or being difficult. “If you see somebody doing something you think they obviously shouldn’t do, don’t be so quick to think they’re a bad person,” Caudel says. “They may be neurodivergent.”

What seems obvious to you may not be obvious to someone else. Instead of reacting angrily or defensively, respond with patience and curiosity. You can calmly state what you observed, such as “I noticed you were doing X,” and then ask if they need assistance or more information.

Your tone of voice, words and emotional presentation matter. Calm and curious creates openings for connection; anger and harsh words convey hostility and decrease the probability that neurodiverse individuals in your lab will feel comfortable asking for accommodations or disclosing their neurodiversity.

TALK ABOUT NEURODIVERSITY

Initiate conversation by openly acknowledging neurodiversity. During a team meeting, Caudel suggests you say something like: “I want to make it clear to everyone this is a neurodiverse-friendly space. We recognize that not everybody’s brain works the same way. We recognize that we all have strengths and weaknesses, and we’re here to support one another. If any of you feel like you’re struggling, please feel free to come and talk with me. We’ll figure out a way to try and work this out.”

Such open conversation may help some individuals feel safe enough to ask for accommodations. “A lot of autistic people don’t disclose it because they worry that their colleagues may look at them differently and alienate them,” says Shiraz H. Robinson II, an autistic pre-med student at the University of Maryland, College Park, who studies plant biology and statistics. Robinson plans to become a physician-scientist and applied mathematician with core competencies in computational medicine, integrative medicine and quantum computing.

CONSIDER YOUR HIRING PRACTICES

A standard interview—or tour of your lab—can be overwhelming for some people. Rankin recommends describing your usual interview process to applicants, suggesting a couple acceptable alternatives and then asking them what accommodations they’d like. A Zoom interview, for instance, can substitute for in-person conversation.

Sharing a list of topics you’d like to discuss with applicants in advance can also be helpful, as some people require time to process their thoughts before answering and might otherwise freeze or panic during an interview.

OFFER ACCOMMODATIONS

While some neurodiverse people will ask for necessary or helpful accommodations, many will not due to fear, stigma and prejudice. It’s best to ask new team members (and veteran staff!) what they need to help them succeed. Saying something like, “I know some people prefer a quiet place to work” can signal your willingness to respect individuals’ needs. Then, act on their requests and suggestions.

Accommodations can include more frequent breaks, private space to work, the ability to wear headphones to block out excessive noise, or permission to attend meetings via video conferencing (or to skip the meeting and submit data in advance). Vicky Bowskill, a PhD researcher studying sustainable management of floodplain meadows, has dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism. She wears tinted glasses and headphones in the lab to control her exposure to noise and light.

“The general rule is that you’re not allowed to wear headphones in the lab due to safety concerns, but I wasn’t able to cope with the pervasive drone of computers, machines and bright buzzing lights,” she says. Her accommodation allows her to work in an environment that she couldn’t otherwise tolerate.

It’s also a good idea to ask team members what might allow them to work more effectively—and what you (or other team members) are doing that might inadvertently make their job more difficult. Such feedback can be difficult to hear but could also be the key you need to unleash the talent in your lab.

USE CLEAR, CONCISE, MULTI-FACETED COMMUNICATION

Some neurodiverse people find reading and writing difficult; some prefer written communication to oral communication. Others do not understand sarcasm or misread non-verbal cues.

A neurodiverse-friendly lab must embrace multi-faceted communication. Use clear, concise language; avoid sarcasm and innuendo. Share essential information in multiple forms: written (long-form and bullet points), infographics and illustrations, audio and video. Take advantage of tech tools that convert written text to audio and create captions for videos. Whenever possible, allow team members to communicate in the ways that are most efficient for them. Rankin, for instance, would much rather create a multi-media presentation than write a formal paper.

Most importantly, you must consistently continue your efforts to support everyone in your lab. “You have to be accommodating even when it’s hard,” says Elizabeth Stivison, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Vanderbilt University and columnist for ASBMB Today who covered this topic in her article “Neurodiversity: How to make your lab more inclusive (part 1 and 2).” (Read at www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/careers/052220/neurodiversity-how-to-make-your-lab-more-inclusive.)

“It comes down to, do we really want the best people in science? Or do we just want the best people of this small group that is very easy to mentor and needs no accommodations?” Stivison says. “If we really want the best people in science, then we have to really make an effort to accommodate all different kinds of people.”

Freelance writer Andrew Meissen contributed to this article.

This article was originally published in the September 2022 issue of The Physiologist Magazine.