Season 2 Episode 8 - Different Brains at Work: Communication, Advocacy & Inclusive Leadership
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In this episode of Black Girl, Brown Girl… Squirrel!, Shai and Alexis unpack Neurodiversity at work, workplace communication, self-advocacy, and inclusive leadership.
From communication mismatches to accommodations to allyship, they share practical ways leaders can better support Neurodivergent employees and create workplaces where different brains can thrive.
Because sometimes the issue is not performance. Sometimes the instructions were clear as mud. 🐿️
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Opening and setting up the workplace conversation
06:17 — Corporate jargon, acronyms, and learning the language of business
17:46 — Dyscalculia and navigating number-heavy workplace expectations
26:24 — How Neurodivergent communication gets misread at work
30:57 — Communication mismatch or performance problem?
40:24 — Practical leadership tools: agendas, clarity, and communication preferences
47:04 — Self-advocacy, PDA, ADHD, and asking for what you need
53:53 — ADA accommodations, credibility, and workplace allyship
60:49 — Why Neuroinclusion benefits workplace culture and business results
63:58 — Closing thoughts
ACRONYMS AND TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE
Accruals
Accounting entries that recognize income when it is earned and expenses when they are incurred, rather than only when money is received or paid.
ADA — Americans with Disabilities Act
A United States civil-rights law that protects qualified people with disabilities from discrimination. In employment, a reasonable accommodation may involve changing a job process, work environment, or customary practice so a qualified employee can perform essential functions and access equal employment opportunities.
ADHD — Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
A neurodevelopmental condition involving persistent differences in attention regulation, activity level, impulse control, organization, or executive functioning. Traits begin in childhood and can continue into adulthood.
AP — Accounts Payable
Money the organization owes to vendors, contractors, or suppliers.
AR — Accounts Receivable
Money customers or clients owe the organization for products or services already provided.
AuDHD
An informal community term describing the experience of being both Autistic and ADHD. It is not a separate clinical diagnosis.
AVP — Associate Vice President
A corporate leadership title. Its level, responsibilities, and authority can vary significantly between companies and industries.
Dyscalculia
A learning difference that can make it difficult to understand number concepts, perform calculations, estimate quantities, or work comfortably with numerical information. It does not reflect a person’s intelligence or overall capability.
PDA — Pathological Demand Avoidance / Persistent Drive for Autonomy
A term used for a pattern in which demands or perceived loss of autonomy may trigger strong avoidance or distress. It is commonly discussed as a profile associated with autism, although it is not a separate formal diagnosis in the DSM-5.
RFP — Request for Proposal
A formal request inviting vendors or service providers to submit a proposed solution, scope, timeline, and price for a project.
RESOURCES
Mental Health Resources
* 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline [https://www.additudemag.com/]
* Therapy for Black Girls [https://therapyforblackgirls.com/]
* Inclusive Therapists [https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/]
* Clinicians of Color [https://www.cliniciansofcolor.org/]
Neurodivergent Resources
* ADDitude Magazine [https://www.additudemag.com/]
* Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) [https://add.org/]
* Association for Autism & Neurodiversity (AANE) [https://aane.org/]
* The Color of Autism Foundation [https://thecolorofautism.org/]
* Understood [https://www.understood.org/]
* Job Accommodation Network (JAN) [https://askjan.org/]
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