Forum Discussion
How does your organization support different ways of thinking and working?
Hi! AuDHD here. I am currently a teacher doing ID projects on the side and for my district.
I can share a challenge I often face - my brain moves like 9 million miles an hour, which can be a curse. I am often solving problems other people on my team didn’t even know existed before they happen - I love solving puzzles and I see so many angles to everything all the time.
Where many projects have lots of possibilities and ideas and experimentation, sometimes… because I see every step of the way immediately, I know something will absolutely not work. And I will only speak up if I absolutely know this. And every single time people accuse me of being closed minded or difficult. So I go along. And every single time…. It ends exactly how I think it will. And OFTEN colleagues will even comment that “oh I guess you were right!” But then the next time… we start all over again.
I absolutely love collaboration. I love when people have better ideas than I do. I love receiving constructive feedback. I want things to be done the best way no matter who figured it out and how we get there. So it really hurts to hear when people think I am closed minded or assume it’s an ago thing.
Like you explained, I think it can be a gift in identifying possible difficulties for different learners and help problem solve before things roll out. But I don’t feel a lot of people really understand or appreciate it, and I’m not sure why.
I’m not sure this was helpful but you’re not alone! Really hoping to see more of everyone on a team really being valued for the differences they bring to the table.
Caitlin, thank you for sharing this. What you described is incredibly familiar.
Seeing several steps ahead, spotting where something will break, and being read as “closed-minded” because of it is something many AuDHD and ADHD designers experience.
Not because they lack openness, but because they are already mentally simulating outcomes while others are still exploring options.What stands out to me is that this isn’t a personality issue, it’s a structural one. When teams lack shared checkpoints or language for why something won’t work, early insight often gets misinterpreted as resistance.
Your point about loving collaboration matters too. Wanting strong outcomes and clear reasoning isn’t about ego, it’s about care for quality.
We’re not alone, and naming this so clearly is exactly how we start shifting toward ways of working that truly value different brains.
Thank you!Heya Caitlin — what you’re describing sounds very familiar to me. It affected me so strongly at one point that I actually went looking for answers, and it turns out this is an actual thing and in simple words is circles back to being able to recognise patterns.
Many neurodivergent people are particularly good at spotting connections: noticing patterns, drawing on past experiences and mentally running through possible outcomes of a decision. That kind of anticipatory thinking doesn’t always come as naturally to neurotypical brains.
I still find myself genuinely surprised when we make plans without a clear Plan B — especially when the “just in case” scenario has already happened in previous years and we have evidence of where things might head. For me, thinking through alternatives isn’t pessimism; it’s simply part of how I process and prepare.
