Celebrating Neurodiversity in Construction

Celebrating Neurodiversity in Construction

SC4 Carpenters strongly believes in equity, diversity and inclusion within our business and the construction industry in general. The benefits of diversity in construction are many and encouraging a diverse workforce improves quality and productivity whilst also help address the skills shortage.

SC4 celebrates, appreciates and benefits from neurodiversity and the skills of neurodivergent people at all levels from Directors to Managers to Carpenters and Decorators.

During Neurodiversity Celebration Week, 13 -19 March 2023, Katy Hall, Owner/Director of SC4 Carpenters Ltd, considers the pros and cons of being neurodivergent, including the many benefits neurodiversity brings to the construction industry  as well as the difficulties neurodivergent people face.

As a neurodivergent woman from a neurodiverse family with many neurodivergent friends and colleagues, I often minimise, or take for granted, the positives and negatives of these, frequently invisible, conditions.

Celebrating Neurodiversity in Construction - the benefits

In construction , neurodiversity is more common than you probably realise and frequently an advantage. For example, at SC4 we value and benefit from the skills of autistic people and those with ADHD and dyslexia, including:

• enhanced focus, attention to detail and knowledge of a specialist interest; 
• self-motivation and working well on their own or in small teams; 
• enjoying working outside an office environment; 
• high levels of empathy; 
• great spatial awareness; 
• lateral thinking; 
• an aptitude for maths and engineering. 

All of these skills are equally valuable in numerous other roles both in and outside construction.

Considering the downsides

However, I can't let this week go by without mentioning some of the many co-morbid conditions that go alongside being neurodivergent, often as a side effect of masking.

When children and adults mask they are in fight or flight mode for long periods - this can affect the development of the brain and nervous system and may lead to debilitating conditions such as ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, anxiety and other mentalhealth conditions, functional neurological disorders (FND), PTSD, etc. Neurodivergent people are also more likely to have Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders as well as dyspraxia, dyslexia, etc. In addition, current research indicates that neurodivergent people have higher rates of LGBT identities and feelings than the general population.

Embracing the individual

So, with all this on the shoulders of your neurodivergent friend, colleague or employee, what can you do to help?

For a start, Celebrate everything that a neurodivergent person has to offer.

Understanding, acceptance and support is also key - educate yourself about these conditions and change your expectations of how we should behave, work, learn, dress and live our lives. Allow neurodivergent people to be themselves; accept them as they are and wherever possible fit in with them, so they don't have to spend their days fitting in with you.

A minor inconvenience for you, may make a life-changing and life enhancing difference to them.

Find out more

Read our Social Value blog for further information on neurodiversity in construction, women in construction, mental health and more.