The Thriving Neurodivergent Statistician and Data Scientist: Success and Learning Opportunities within the Field

The adjective "neurodivergent" encompasses all individuals with a difference in brain structure, causing a difference in neurological functioning. Some examples of neurodivergence include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, and many other conditions. According to the National Institutes of Health, neurodivergent people comprise approximately 15-20 percent of the US population. That means the workforce in any organization is highly likely to contain both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals. Because many neurodivergent individuals are drawn to STEM fields, this is even more likely in the fields of statistics and data science. The panelists for this topic-contributed session are all neurodivergent individuals. They represent different diagnosed and undiagnosed conditions, including ADHD, epilepsy, and autism. The panelists will first introduce neurodivergence by each focusing 10 minutes on a different topic: history and term definitions in relation to neurodivergence (Asher); developing advocates among coworkers (Robinson); the diversity and variability of neurodivergence within our professional community (Nichols); the female perspectives of neurodivergence experiences (Starnes); and the intersectionality of neurodivergence and cultural norms and the perspectives it creates (Rojas). Panelists will draw from their own experiences as neurodivergent individuals to inform their discussion. Overall, a central theme among the panelists will be setting expectations with coworkers and colleagues (whether a neurodivergent individual is open about their neurodivergence or not) by explicitly outlining working habits, strengths, and reasonable accommodations needed. The expected audience for the panel includes both neurodivergent individuals seeking advice and neurotypical individuals who would like to learn more about working with neurodivergent colleagues. After the panel, attendees will be able to identify: • expectations to be set at the beginning of projects, • ways to educate themselves and others about the differences between neurodivergent and neurotypical coworkers, • ways to create a welcoming work environment for both neurotypical and neurodivergent employees, and • ways to advocate for neurodivergent individuals in their place of employment, whether they are neurodivergent or not.