The opportunities to better support neurodiversity in the postsecondary workplace: Editorial

“The day before my 40th birthday was a rather remarkable one: I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD),” writes Bradley J Irish for the Chronicle of Higher Ed. “And just as suddenly as I was diagnosed, I began to realize the extent to which my unacknowledged autism had shaped my life — especially my professional life.” Noting that institutions “could do much more to protect autistic and other neurodivergent professionals,” Irish offers a series of recommendations on what this could look like in practice, including offering dedicated attention to neurodiversity in diversity, equity, and inclusion programming and shifting from a hiring culture of neurodiversity as “something to be accommodated” to one that values it as a competitive advantage. Irish concludes by noting the benefits embracing neurodiversity in staff and faculty has for all members of the postsecondary community.