Questions for reflection (the audience's experiences) I posed the following questions to the SEAHO audience in Richmond for reflection and I pose them here: 1. Have you ever neglected your own mental health for something job-related? 2. Have you ever felt afraid or ashamed to tell your supervisor that you are struggling with mental health? 3. Have you supervised someone who needed accommodations and what was that like? 4. How do you support students that are struggling with their mental health? 5. Are there obstacles in the workplace that make it difficult to focus on your mental health? Many people shared stories about sacrificing in some way at work that was detrimental to their mental health. A large majority of those people also stated they were afraid or averse to sharing their struggles with their supervisors/colleagues. Neurodivergent and Neurotypical colleagues alike felt that apprehension. Wouldn't it be better for everyone if the workplace embraced those discussions, and provided intentional support based on the actual needs of the employees, not assumptions made without their input? I interviewed therapist Emily Markey, P.A. from Mooresville, North Carolina and her input was extremely helpful. She brought into focus the all-or-nothing thinking that many have when thinking about the abilities of the Neurodivergent. Emily stated " A lot of people think because someone has Dyslexia, they can't read or if they have ADHD they can't focus and will have difficulty completing basic tasks. That's not the case; with proper support and resources, they can accomplish the same things as Neurotypical colleagues. " We spoke about the stereotypes that follow neurological conditions and the " medical model " that perpetuates them. The medical model focuses on the " disability " aspects of Neurodivergent conditions (aka: what people can't do). The social model focuses on what people can do and how they can be supported in their efforts. Someone with ADHD may not be great with deadlines but could bring a lot of creative solutions to problems in the workplace that nobody else can. Emily summed it up well by saying " there are so many amazing gifts that Neurodivergent individuals can bring to the workplace. It's a shame that we don't get to see them because people focus on the negative. " 3. INTERPERSONAL DISCOVERY Common misconceptions To help combat some of the stereotypes associated with Neurodivergence, it is important to actively listen. Most of the time, things are not what they seem. I provided some examples in the presentation via graphic 3 below: 25