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smous's avatar
smous
Community Member
1 month ago

How being neurodivergent shapes my work in learning design

Hi everyone, Something I do not talk about often is how being neurodivergent, specifically ADHD, has shaped the way I approach learning design. For a long time, I thought of it as something I neede...
e-learning development
instructional design
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SarahKennedy01's avatar
SarahKennedy01
Community Member
9 days ago

This is a great topic of discussion! 

I agree, being neurodivergent can feel like something that we have to manage. But oftentimes it is a huge part of the reason that we are all good at what we do.

I'm in my late 30's and recently found out that I have Autism as well as ADHD. When I look back on my life it explains so many things. It explains why I've struggled with: Consistency, getting lost in the details, getting distracted, always asking why, differences in communication, always seeing optimization patterns...etc. However, I've learned how to work WITH my brain, not against it. And that has made a world of difference. 

Based on my experience, I would say that neurodivergent people are often, "Jack of all trades." Better than a master of one, though šŸ˜. We have medium deep skill sets on a large number of different topics. For short, I call this being "well-rounded." This serves us well in any role but particularly well within Instructional Design.

A few examples:

  • Out of the box thinking
  • Adaptable communication/thinking
  • Idea generation
  • Relational Thinking 
  • Ability to break down complex topics for general understanding
  • Process creation and optimization
  • Empathy and ability to put ourselves into other's shoes
  • An ability to get the job done

 

I could go on. I'm sure you could too. As, I've come to understand myself better. It has allowed me to see these benefits and not only focus on the things I struggle with. Learning how to accommodate myself instead of trying to fit myself into the standard neurotypical box has done wonders for my health, happiness, and productibility.

As Louriann_Nā€‹ so eloquently mentioned, we all have different ways of thinking, learning, and processing. I love the analogy you used, by the way. Since so many of us struggle with a world not built for neurodivergent thinkers, it places us in a unique position to make it easier for others. That directly translates to what we do within training, development, and instructional design.