This is a recorded conversation with one of Xceptional’s tech partners Zoho Recruit offering practical advice on how to recruit and retain autistic professionals.
Aron Mercer explains that a one-size-fits-all approach is never the correct way to boost DEI initiatives and offers his insights on how organisations can provide relevant accessibility, gain literacy around inclusivity and create a platform of ‘disclosure without ridicule’ in workspaces. Listen to the podcast here: https://soundcloud.com/article-23/have-you-worked-with-someone-who-identifies-as-neurodivergent
(By Aron Mercer and Georgie Chinchen) 2020 was supposed to be a year of growth for Xceptional. We had funding thanks to Google.Org, Westpac and AMP, a growing team and diverse customers. In March of 2020, we were busy organising a neurodiversity at work breakfast in Sydney, a sold out event which was to be...
What’s it like being an autistic person in the workplace, and how can managers and colleagues help this group thrive? How can we make the most of the unique super powers of this under-employed cohort – especially in the midst of a labour shortage. We connect at work through humour – but for autistic people...
Dyslexia is a condition that most of us think we understand, but few of us actually do. It can be defined as a difference that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. But there is much more to dyslexia than that. It is a neurodivergent condition, meaning that dyslexic brains...
Neurodiversity = Neurology + Diversity The Australian sociologist, Judy Singer, coined the term Neurodiversity in the late ’90s. Singer described an inherent range in how the human mind functions regarding the functional processing of information, emotions and thoughts (Honeybourne 2020, p. 13). The term “neurodiversity” refers to the various mental models that persist in a population as...
Leadership, you need to know this. If you don’t believe you have hidden neurodiverse employees on staff, the chances are that you do. Neurodiversity and tapping into this resource is a hot topic. According to research, neurodiversity in the general population is between 30% to 40%. With the amount of literature online about autism and neurodiversity specifically...
Around one in a hundred people are autistic, perhaps even more. Yet many people have a very limited understanding of autism, and that may be based on incorrect beliefs. So here are 7 important things that autistic people wish you knew about us! All autistic people are individuals If you have met one autistic person,...
Napoleon was above average height for his time. The Great Wall of China is not visible from space. Bats are not blind. And not all autistic people want to work in tech. False beliefs and assumptions are everywhere – we live in the era of fake news, after all. Some of these are harmless. It...
The world is not a fair place. Often those who make the breakthrough are not those who get the credit – Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth all evolved from work by Hedy Lamarr, who is much better known as an actress, to take one example. Perhaps more often than any other group, women are denied the...
Xceptional acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where we work and live. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.
