????一場圍繞著大腦功能差異的民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)正在美國迅速興起，或?qū)⒏淖兟殘霈F(xiàn)狀。倡導(dǎo)重視神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)多樣性的人群提出，神經(jīng)多樣性與勞動(dòng)力的性別及種族多元化一樣，也是企業(yè)走向成功的決定性因素。

????越來越多的企業(yè)主動(dòng)聘用患有自閉癥的應(yīng)聘者，并安排他們從事所擅長的工作，比如那些需要處理大量數(shù)據(jù)或極其注重細(xì)節(jié)的崗位。這類企業(yè)包括SAP公司、房地美、ULTRA Testing以及那些專門雇傭與安置神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)疾病患者的企業(yè)。

????由于70%的殘障人士癥狀并不明顯，普通人無法察覺，所以可以肯定的是，還有更多的企業(yè)也聘用了那些腦部異常的勞動(dòng)者，如自閉癥、注意缺陷多動(dòng)癥、閱讀障礙、運(yùn)動(dòng)障礙、多發(fā)性抽動(dòng)癥、口吃或情緒失調(diào)患者。許多企業(yè)還成立了各種員工資源小組和聯(lián)系網(wǎng)絡(luò)，為這類員工及其家人提供相關(guān)的幫助。

????“我們把生理、認(rèn)知以及心理健康方面的差異看作是人與人之間必然存在的差異。”安永人力策略主管洛利?戈?duì)柕墙榻B說，“對(duì)于企業(yè)來說，最大的挑戰(zhàn)是選聘最恰當(dāng)?shù)娜瞬牛⑶覄?chuàng)造一個(gè)能讓每個(gè)人充分發(fā)揮能力的工作環(huán)境。”

????神經(jīng)疾病患者往往由于存在這種差異而具備某種能力，這和盲人可能擁有敏銳的嗅覺、聽覺或味覺的情況類似。例如，多動(dòng)癥患者富有創(chuàng)造力，充滿好奇心并且十分活躍。“對(duì)于那些特別有創(chuàng)意、精力充沛并熱衷于吸收信息的人來說，有無數(shù)份工作可以供他們選擇，”威廉瑪麗學(xué)院歷史學(xué)教授卡林?伍爾夫指出。伍爾夫是該院神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)多樣性工作小組的帶頭人。

????作家兼威廉瑪麗學(xué)院神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)多樣性常駐研究學(xué)者約翰?埃爾德?羅賓遜指出，全世界約有2%的人擁有異常的神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)結(jié)構(gòu)，這個(gè)比例和猶太人在美國人口當(dāng)中的比例相同。而在選聘人才時(shí)，沒有雇主敢忽視猶太人群體。

????“從人力資源部門的角度來看，神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)多樣性必將成為下一個(gè)爭取公民權(quán)利的前沿陣地，”羅賓遜預(yù)測，他在成年之后發(fā)現(xiàn)自己是一名自閉癥患者。“五十分之一這個(gè)比例可不算小。”他說。

????這場革命給神經(jīng)性障礙患者和雇主都帶來了挑戰(zhàn)。作為員工，人們必須學(xué)會(huì)理解和掌控自己大腦的多樣性，在同事與主管面前掌握好公開這一差異的時(shí)機(jī)和方式；作為企業(yè)則必須創(chuàng)造包容性的企業(yè)文化，鼓勵(lì)開放的心態(tài)，讓每位員工充分施展才華。而且，在篩選和招聘時(shí)，不會(huì)因?yàn)榕c工作需要無關(guān)的神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)障礙而漏掉優(yōu)秀人才。

????“在自閉癥患者中，有相當(dāng)一部分人掌握了重要的專業(yè)技能或者受過良好的教育，但是這些人總是因?yàn)槊嬖嚤憩F(xiàn)不佳或拒絕眼神接觸，而被勞務(wù)市場低估，”阿里?尼爾曼說道，他是美國自閉癥自我宣傳網(wǎng)絡(luò)的總裁兼共同發(fā)起人，他還是美國歷史上第一位獲得總統(tǒng)任命、公開承認(rèn)患有自閉癥的人士。

????房地美公司與自閉癥自我宣傳網(wǎng)絡(luò)合作，發(fā)起了一項(xiàng)帶薪實(shí)習(xí)計(jì)劃，目的是為患有自閉癥的應(yīng)聘者提供三大領(lǐng)域的工作，包括信息技術(shù)、企業(yè)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)管理以及獨(dú)棟住宅房貸業(yè)務(wù)。

????房地美資深多樣性專家梅根?皮羅楚卡奧斯介紹說，“我們發(fā)現(xiàn)這是一個(gè)尚未開發(fā)的人才寶庫，”他提醒說，忽視自閉癥應(yīng)聘者是有風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的。“因?yàn)槟愫鲆暤目赡苁欠治瞿芰Τ霰姟Ｗ⒘O強(qiáng)、能夠高效完成任務(wù)的人才，他們很喜歡這種工作狀態(tài)。”

????成年自閉癥患者就業(yè)很困難，原因是他們往往在社交方面存在障礙。如果收到的簡歷中的工作經(jīng)歷部分看起來有些問題，房地美公司要求人事經(jīng)理深入挖掘，甚至允許通過提前通知面試問題等方法改變招聘程序，以便發(fā)掘自閉癥應(yīng)聘者的閃光點(diǎn)。有機(jī)會(huì)與患有自閉癥的實(shí)習(xí)生共事的經(jīng)理與員工會(huì)提前接受神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)多樣性方面的培訓(xùn)，并參加公司的伙伴系統(tǒng)。在這個(gè)系統(tǒng)中，組內(nèi)的實(shí)習(xí)生與一般員工結(jié)成工作伙伴。在歷時(shí)16周的實(shí)習(xí)計(jì)劃進(jìn)行到一半時(shí)，房地美會(huì)讓ASAN參與摸查，以便實(shí)習(xí)生有機(jī)會(huì)能放心說出自己遇到的困擾和問題。

????現(xiàn)在是實(shí)習(xí)計(jì)劃進(jìn)行的第四年，房地美已經(jīng)雇傭了多名這個(gè)計(jì)劃的實(shí)習(xí)生作為長期全職雇員。經(jīng)理們發(fā)現(xiàn)，他們?yōu)槌扇俗蚤]癥患者開發(fā)的工具，例如極為清晰的指南，以及詢問人們更傾向于何種交流方式的做法，實(shí)際上對(duì)所有雇員來說都很有用。有些房地美的雇員甚至意識(shí)到，他們自己也可能患有自閉癥譜系障礙。

????而在專門針對(duì)神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)多樣性人群的實(shí)習(xí)計(jì)劃之外，雇主的招聘都需要非常小心。舉例來說，詢問一個(gè)求職者是否有神經(jīng)障礙是違法的。所以，雇主們必須十分敏感，能夠覺察與神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)相關(guān)的行為差異。

????“如果求職者不主動(dòng)透露[他們的情況]，我們很難發(fā)現(xiàn)。所以，我們的招聘人員必須思考這一問題，但是不能提前下結(jié)論，”畢馬威會(huì)計(jì)師事務(wù)所（KPMG）的工作場所解決方案總監(jiān)巴巴拉?萬科夫介紹。

????而對(duì)于存在大腦差異的個(gè)人來說，神經(jīng)多樣性似乎在職場中為他們帶來了更大的困擾。斯科特?索內(nèi)是一位華盛頓州貝靈翰姆的作家，也是聯(lián)邦政府的技巧性健身教練，但是他在孩提時(shí)曾有過被收容的經(jīng)歷，而且一度被視為沒有學(xué)習(xí)能力。他指出，工作時(shí)必須專注于自己所擅長的技能和能夠?yàn)楣ぷ鳈C(jī)構(gòu)帶來的價(jià)值，而不是對(duì)自己的缺陷耿耿于懷、百般迎合，這一點(diǎn)十分重要。

????A burgeoning civil rights movement is poised to change the workplace, and it revolves around differences in brain function. Advocates for neurodiversity say that it’s just as critical to business success as gender or racial diversity in the labor force.

????A growing number of companies actively recruit candidates on the autism spectrum for tasks that are suited to their strengths, such as those involving large amounts of data or rigorous attention to detail. They include SAP, Freddie Mac, ULTRA Testing, as well as specialized recruiting and placement firms for people with neurological differences.

????Given that an estimated 70% of disabilities aren’t obvious to the casual observer, it’s a certainty that even more organizations already employ people with a brain difference, whether it’s autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s syndrome, disfluency, or a mood disorder. Many companies have employee resource groups and networks to support workers with their own or a family member’s neurological difference.

????“We see differences in physical, cognitive, and mental health as differences in the human condition,” says Lori Golden, abilities strategy leader for EY. “The most relevant challenge for business is to bring in the very best talent for the work we do and create an environment that can unleash the full abilities of every person.”

????Individuals with a neurological disability often possess a strength associated with their condition, in the same way a blind person may enjoy a keen sense of smell, hearing, or taste. For instance, people with ADHD tend to be innovative, curious, and active. “There are a huge number of jobs that are open to people who are super creative, energetic, and information seeking,” notes Karin Wulf, a William & Mary history professor who spearheaded the college’s neurodiversity working group.

????About 2% of the population has an atypical neurological structure, the same percentage within the U.S. as the Jewish population, a group that no recruiter would consider discounting in a talent search, points outs John Elder Robison, author and neurodiversity scholar-in-residence at The College of William & Mary.

????“Neurodiversity, from the standpoint of a human resources department, is poised to be the next civil rights frontier that will have to be dealt with,” says Robison, who realized he was on the autism spectrum as an adult. “One in 50 is not small.”

????This revolution poses challenges for both neuro-atypical individuals and employers. Workers must learn to understand and manage their own brain differences and how and when to disclose it to colleagues and supervisors. Companies must create inclusive cultures that encourage openness about how each person works best, not to mention screening and recruiting the best talent without being blinded by neurological conditions that aren’t relevant to a job’s requirements.

????“In the autistic community you have a significant number of people, often with substantial technical skills or education, who are systemically undervalued by the job market as a result of not interviewing well or not making eye contact,” says Ari Ne’eman, president and co-founder of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network and the first openly autistic presidential appointee.

????In partnership with ASAN, Freddie Mac established a paid internship program that places candidates with autism in three areas: information technology, enterprise risk management, and the single-family mortgage business.

????“This is an untapped reservoir of talent that we have discovered,” says Megan Pirochukoas, a senior diversity specialist at Freddie Mac, who warns that other employers ignore autistic candidates at their peril. “You’re overlooking someone who is highly analytical, very focused, and very task-oriented, who likes to be in that space.”

????Adults with autism tend to be underemployed because they often face challenges with social interaction. So Freddie Mac coached hiring managers to dig deeper if they received a resume with a spotty work record and to be open to adapting the screening process so autistic candidates could shine, such as giving interview questions in advance. Managers and employees who would be working with interns also received neurodiversity training ahead of time and participated in a buddy system to pair interns with neurotypical employees in their group. The housing finance company brought in ASAN about halfway through the 16-week internship for a pulse check, so interns would have a safe place to address concerns or problems they might be experiencing.

????Now in the fourth year of the internship program, Freddie Mac has hired several interns as permanent full-time employees. Managers have discovered that some of the tools they developed for working with autistic adults—such as being extremely clear with instructions and asking how people prefer to communicate—are actually useful practices for all employees. Some Freddie Mac employees even came to realize that they themselves might be on the autism spectrum.

????Outside of an internship program aimed at a neurodiverse population, it’s tricky for an employer to hire inclusively. For one, it’s illegal to ask a candidate whether he has a disability. So instead, employers must be sensitive and responsive to differences that may relate to a neurological condition.

????“It’s very hard for us when somebody hasn’t disclosed [their condition], so our recruiters have to be thinking about it but they can’t be assuming,” says Barbara Wankoff, director of workplace solutions at KPMG.

????For individuals with a brain difference, neurodiversity at work can seem even more fraught. It’s important to focus on what skills and value you can bring to a workplace, not on the accommodations you may need for your disability, says Scott Sonnon, a Bellingham, Wash.-based author and tactical fitness instructor for the federal government who was institutionalized as a child and deemed unteachable.