How does your organization support different ways of thinking and working?

For the neurodivergent folks in L&D…

Lately I’ve been thinking about what it’s actually like to build learning experiences with a neurodivergent brain, ADHD in my case. Not just how it influences my design decisions (as mentioned in my previous post), but how it shapes the experience of doing this work inside a team.

For me, neurodivergence shows up as a kind of heightened sensitivity to flow, clarity and cognitive load. It helps me spot moments where a learner might lose their place, or where a step needs more framing to feel safe and predictable. That part has become a real strength.

But there’s another layer I don’t see discussed much in our field:

How well do our teams understand the way our brains work?

Not in a clinical sense, more in the everyday reality of collaboration, feedback, expectations, and creative problem-solving.

Things like:

• having time to process before diving into solutions
• getting clear checkpoints instead of vague “keep going” feedback
• having tools and structure that reduce mental friction
• balancing flexibility with predictability

For some of us, these aren’t preferences. They directly affect how well we can design.

So I’m curious to hear from others who identify as neurodivergent, in whatever way that shows up for you:

Do you feel like your strengths and challenges as a neurodivergent designer are understood in your team or workflow?

And how does your neurodivergence influence the way you approach learning design itself?

Share only if you feel comfortable. I know these conversations can be personal.

But I also think they make our craft stronger, because the more we understand our own brains, the better we design for everyone else’s.