Neurodiversity in Tech and Why We Should Care About It, with Parul Singh
Meet Parul Singh 🇬🇧! Parul is a Tech Careers & Neurodiversity Consultant, ADHD advocate, board member at Manchester Tech Festival, Public Speaker, and a former recruitment marketing partner and tech recruiter. The last time she was on the show, she gave us advice on how to stand out and land a role in tech.
Today, we're talking about neurodiversity! What does it mean, why do we need it, why do tech companies seem to attract neurodivergent talent, and how can we create a more inclusive workplace? In this episode, you'll find out why neurodivergent conditions aren't superpowers (but sometimes feel like they are), why some people get diagnosed late, and whether self-diagnosis is valid. Parul is passionate about these topics because of her own lived experience with ADHD and autism, which intersects with her being a woman of color. But even if you're not neurodivergent yourself, chances are you've worked with or managed somebody who is... so tune in!
🔗 Connect with Parul
Today, we're talking about neurodiversity! What does it mean, why do we need it, why do tech companies seem to attract neurodivergent talent, and how can we create a more inclusive workplace? In this episode, you'll find out why neurodivergent conditions aren't superpowers (but sometimes feel like they are), why some people get diagnosed late, and whether self-diagnosis is valid. Parul is passionate about these topics because of her own lived experience with ADHD and autism, which intersects with her being a woman of color. But even if you're not neurodivergent yourself, chances are you've worked with or managed somebody who is... so tune in!
🔗 Connect with Parul
⏰ Timestamps
- What are they: neurodivergent, neurotypical, neurodiversity (02:22)
- The medical model of neurodivergent conditions is deficit-focused (04:13)
- Stereotypes and internalized ableism (05:53)
- What is masking? (08:16)
- Are neurodivergent conditions classified as disabilities? (09:02)
- Is being neurodivergent a superpower? (10:08)
- What are the challenges for an employer in working with neurodiverse employees? (12:43)
- How many people working in tech are neurodivergent? (14:01)
- You have probably already worked with neurodivergent coworkers (15:43)
- On setting expectations, handling challenging situations, and sharing personal stories (16:43)
- Double empathy problem (20:20)
- Modern corporate culture and delivery pressure (22:09)
- How Parul got diagnosed with ADHD at 25 (24:56)
- Misdiagnosis, and why autism and ADHD mask each other out (26:34)
- You are diagnosed based on how much you inconvenience other people (28:13)
- ADHD medication (30:26)
- The importance of intersectionality (32:29)
- Learned skills vs. habitual skills (34:10)
- Is self-diagnosis valid (37:22)
🧰 Resources Mentioned
- Annual Report: Diversity in Tech in the UK
- Parul's Dopamine Diaries Newsletter
- Parul's previous interview
⭐️ Leave a Review
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.
