Employers: Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility + Human Resources

Neurodiversity in the workplace + iSocial

Neurodiversity inclusion has emerged as a compelling initiative for human resources (HR) leaders with the growing visibility of the benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) to both the culture and the productivity of organizations.
With iSocial, employers are now able to promote life-changing services for neurodistinct employees and dependents under employee assistance programs (EAPs) while preserving individual privacy.
iSocial workshops are at the leading edge in providing the foundational social and professional skills for the neurodiverse as part of the largest neurodiversity inclusion initiatives today.

The Vanderbilt University Frist Center
for Autism and Innovation

iSocial was invited to partner with Vanderbilt University's Frist Center for Autism and Innovation to provide the social skills foundation, helping the Center and their partners advance neurodiversity inclusion. For more information, please visit the Frist Center site.

Hiring neurodistinct individuals

The CFO of a large corporation was committed to neurodiversity inclusion and working with iSocial. He told us:

“Inclusion is not charity. It’s good economics.”

Here is what the CFO knew:

About 1 out of 7 of their employees are on the spectrum
Studies show 30% more productivity from neurodiverse teams¹
The neurodistinct follow policies and rules faithfully
They are honest, follow rules, and are loyal (don’t job hop)
Many are twice gifted
Will memorize large volumes of information
Have high levels of analytical skills
Think in non-typical ways, increasing creativity and productivity

¹Harvard Business Review. (2017, May). Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage.

The role of iSocial

All employee workshops are entirely confidential and delivered to employees’ homes in the evening in two one-hour Zoom sessions a week. iSocial supports enterprises with social and leadership skills workshops in four key areas.

1. Social Life: Foundational Social Skills

2. Professional Communications and Leadership Skills: Advanced level

3. “Keeping-it-Fresh” Continuing Development

4. Managing Mr. Spock in a Captain Kirk World—creates a positive work environment with programs for HR, Managers, and peers

Workshop Methodology

· The program maintains employee confidentiality

· Zoom is used to team 6 adults from across the country based on age, abilities, goals, careers, and interests.

· 32 one-hour evening sessions conducted twice a week for 16 weeks using Zoom. Professionally conducted, active, not lecture based, fun.

· iSocial is a social competence intervention. This is not memory work. We address the root causes of social challenges. Attendees are active in role play labs, team contests, discussing videos. They benefit by teaming with five people like them.

· We don’t train anyone to “mask” who they are. Our students think differently. The world needs people who think differently.

Related media

A brief video where Dr. John Bruno describes iSocial, why it is effective, and the university study results: https://youtu.be/8SXP8_MiWUs . (Includes pre- and post-functional MRI images of an iSocial participant's brain activity.

Anderson Cooper and 60 minutes investigate the advantages of hiring and developing the neurodiverse. They traveled to meet our partners at Vanderbilt’s Frist Center for Autism and Innovation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnAUy4BM0w8&ab_channel=60Minutes

Employers