Neurodivergence in social work is being more widely recognised and spoken about. However, there is still a long way to go before we, as a profession, can say we are truly moving from basic awareness to purposefully facilitating neuro-inclusion for both clients and social workers.
I believe it is important to raise awareness of, start conversations about and break social/workplace ‘norms’ around executive functioning. I believe creating a new ‘normal’ where differences in executive functioning are perceived as ‘normal’ and support put in place for times when we are experiencing executive functioning differences.
Some people describe executive function as ‘the management system of the brain’ as it enables us to set goals, plan, and get things done (ref Harvard). I have heard neurotypical describe executive functioning skills as the helpful butler or secretary which helps them with scheduling, staying on top of deadlines, and keeping track of paperwork (Harvard, 2020).
Executive function skills are often grouped into categories, such as: working memory, cognitive flexibility, cognitive inhibition, inhibitory (or impulse) control, and attentional control (Belsky, 2023; Low, 2023).
We use three types of brain functions, which are interrelated and need to be coordinated, in order to ‘successfully’ apply executive functioning skills or to self-regulate:
Working memory: our ability to retain and recall distinct pieces of information over short periods of time.
Mental Flexibility: our ability to ‘sustain or shift attention in response to different demands or to apply different rules in different settings’
Self-control: our ability to set priorities and resist impulsive actions.
In social work, executive function skills are what help us: analyse a task; plan how to address the task; organise the steps to carry out the task; develop timelines for steps of/completing the task; adjust or shift the steps (if needed); and to complete the task in a timely way.
However, neurodivergent people, such as myself, can experience differences in our executive functioning skills. Executive function differences are commonly associated with neurodivergent neurotypes such as bipolar, ADHD, and autism. As a Dyspraxic social worker, I also experience executive function differences. We can sometimes experience differences (often difficulties in a neurotypical world) in:
1. Working memory – comprehension, reasoning, and problem-solving; Understanding, storing, and retrieving information when needed
2. Cognitive Flexibility - Quickly switching between mental tasks; thinking about many things at once; thinking about something in more than one way at the same time
3. Inhibitory Control (self-control) - comparing, contrasting, and managing the intersection of thoughts and emotions; managing the intensity of emotions and emotional responses; responding appropriately in social situations
4. Cognitive inhibition - Filtering sensory input; Preventing distractions from leading away from tasks
5. Attentional Control - Concentrating on a task; maintaining concentration (NCLD, 2010)
At present, our current understanding of and language around executive function differences focuses of deficits and ‘dysfunction’. We are quick to use neurotypical ways of being as the ‘normative’ neuro-typical lens and template of being - instead of using a neurodiverse leans and approach which would acknowledge widespread variation in executive functioning, with some people’s executive functioning being divergent/different to the neurotypical/majority. Because of this, differences in executive functioning are seen as deficits as we don’t make mice neat and tidy linear progressions.
In social work, we need to embrace differences and reject them as deficits. Differences aren’t deficits, especially when it comes to executive functioning. We need to make the idea of “typical” lose ground because when we understand that there’s no one way to learn, understand, or process information, neurodivergent ways of thinking and being can be reframed in a positive light. We can additionally begin to acknowledge the effective ways we – neurodivergent social worker - approach executive function challenges.
If we begin to reframe and re-conceptualise ‘normal’ executive functioning through a neurodiverse framework, we can begin to challenge a reject the focus on linear progressions and task completion and begin focusing on the missed potential of the creative neurodivergent brain. Research has found that neurodivergent people show better performance on creative and divergent thinking tasks (White and Shah, 2006 & 2011). Additionally, a study published in The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found a strong link between autism and creativity (Best et al, 2015).
Moreover, if we begin redesigning social work through a neurodiverse and neuro-inclusive lens we can begin to dismantle the barriers which make differences in executive functioning deficits. Furthermore, we can also begin to challenge the romanticised aspects of neurodivergent executive functioning differences which are used to justify the space we (neurodivergent social workers) take up in the workplace. I am referring to our experience of ‘flow’.
Most of us with neurodivergent brains will understand the experience of being deeply captivated by a task. We can be so captivated that we lose track of time and place, the world around us fades away, and we pursue the task with passion, excessive amounts of productivity and a single-minded focus.
However, although differences in executive function which make us divert from the ‘normal’ are considered undesirable, this ‘flow’ is not possible unless we suppress our executive functioning. For our brains to achieve that much sought-after, blissful, creative flow state we need to temporarily lower the activity of our pre-frontal cortex.
There are ways to support us, however, I believe it is important to change our big-picture thinking. Otherwise, we run the risk of clipping the wings of difference so we have uniformed ways of doing things. So, try to:
Purposefully reflecting on whether you value differences in executive functioning or whether you value linear progression which can lack creativity.
Meet us halfway. The goal is not to mould our executive function to fit into the neurotypical expectation/box, how can we adapt the system, profess or structure to embrace difference?
Stop comparing ways of working, we are a neurodiverse workforce, and expect differences.
References:
Belsky, G. (2023) What is executive function?, Understood. Available at: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-executive-function (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
Best, C. et al. (2015) ‘The relationship between subthreshold autistic traits, ambiguous figure perception and divergent thinking’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(12), pp. 4064–4073. doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2518-2.
Harvard (2020) Executive Function & Self-regulation, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Available at: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/ (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
Low, K. (2023) What are the effects of impaired executive functions?, Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-executive-functions-20463 (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
National Centre for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) (2010) Executive function fact sheet, LD OnLine. Available at: https://www.ldonline.org/ld-topics/teaching-instruction/executive-function-fact-sheet (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
White, H.A. and Shah, P. (2006) ‘Uninhibited imaginations: Creativity in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder’, Personality and Individual Differences, 40(6), pp. 1121–1131. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2005.11.007.
White, H.A. and Shah, P. (2011) ‘Creative style and achievement in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder’, Personality and Individual Differences, 50(5), pp. 673–677. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.12.015.