Helping the neurodiverse to make 'messy' transition from school to work

Employers need to be more empathetic and put in place effective support systems, say patients and experts

- Christie Chiu

Eight months into her first full-time job as a designer, Lauren was asked point-blank by her direct supervisors if she had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or another condition that impeded her ability to focus.

"My bosses asking me that caught me off guard and it felt a little embarrassing, like I was admitting something (bad)," said the 24-year-old.

Lauren (not her real name), who does not have ADHD, revealed to her supervisors then that she is dyslexic. Dyslexia is a learning disorder that causes difficulty in reading and writing, making such tasks more labour-intensive.

Dyslexics may also be more prone to being stressed and overwhelmed, and can be slower at processing certain information, said experts whom The Sunday Times spoke to.

Lauren was diagnosed with dyslexia at seven years old. Throughout most of her education from primary school to junior college, there were special arrangements to help her cope. These included extra time for examinations, regular check-ins with her school's educational psychologist and help from the Dyslexia Association of Singapore to find coping mechanisms under its child safety framework.

But the transition from school to work has been a "violent" one, she said. "Going from somewhere with resources and professional support (like school) to one that has none (at work) is quite extreme."

Lauren's official working hours are 9am to 6pm, but she stays late about three times a week when she is unable to complete tasks on time. On these days, she typically wraps up work between 10.30pm and 1.30am.

One strategy she has found useful over the years to prevent burnout at work is to take a 10-minute break every 40 minutes when she is focusing on a task.

But it was this practice that landed her in the fateful meeting with her supervisors.