“‘Invisible’ Disabilities at Work: How to Foster Neurodivergent Advocacy and Acceptance” [Video Replay & Podcast #443]

Access the video replay, listen to the podcast episode (#443), download the slide presentation, and learn how to get a certificate of attendance for this ADHD Experts webinar originally broadcast on February 23, 2023.

ADHD Expert: Jessica Hicksted Verified Updated on March 8, 2023
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Episode Description

Do you question whether to disclose to your employer that you have ADHD, autism, a learning disorder, a chronic condition, or another so-called “invisible disability?” Do you worry that disclosing an impairment might affect your job security or make you feel disconnected from your colleagues? When you’re interviewing for a job, do you know how best to gauge whether an organization will fit your needs?

Many employees expend considerable emotional energy hiding their disabilities from colleagues and bosses in every interaction at work, in every meeting, and when toiling away side-by-side. It’s exhausting and stressful. But the stigma around disabilities — the fear of discrimination and rejection, and the risk related to job security — prevents many employees from disclosing their condition and asking for supports and accommodations to succeed at work.

Yet studies show that when employers intentionally create an atmosphere of acceptance and show a commitment to build inclusion — offering disability awareness training and creating employee resource groups as a safe place for people with disabilities, chronic conditions, or difficult life situations to meet and support one another — employees no longer feel threatened to reveal a disability. Instead, they take advantage of employer-provided supports, which, in turn, improves their wellbeing, increases their level of trust in others, and boosts their productivity.

In this webinar, Jessica Hicksted, Ph.D. candidate, ADHD researcher, and employee who has autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, explores how to approach disclosure in the workplace and provides research-driven strategies that cultivate acceptance from colleagues and supervisors.

In this webinar, you will learn:

  • About questions to ask during a job interview to try to determine whether a company has a culture of acceptance and diversity
  • How masking in the workplace inhibits executive functioning skills
  • About strategies to determine whether and how to disclose a disability in the workplace
  • About approaches to help you advocate for workplace policies that support people with invisible disabilities
  • About innovative research that helps companies become more aware of invisible disabilities among employees, and create policies that foster diversity and acceptance

Watch the Video Replay

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Download or Stream the Podcast Audio

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More on “Invisible” Disabilities at Work

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on February 23, 2023, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

Meet the Expert Speaker:

Diagnosed as an adult with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, Jessica Hicksted brings her life experiences and education to advocate for people with invisible disabilities. She has faced many challenges, including sustained injuries during military service, which she overcame with resiliency and determination. She is a mother to two sons with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.

Jessica has faced her own battles with discrimination in the workplace after disclosing her invisible disabilities. She returned to graduate school to learn to become an effective advocate for positive social change. Through her PhD studies in Industrial Organizational Psychology, she dedicated her research to invisible disabilities in the workplace, and developed a tool for employers to measure stigma associated with the disclosure by workers of invisible disabilities.

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