"Fixing People" to "Fixing Systems"
- Karen Erasmus
- Apr 23
- 2 min read
Too often, neurodivergent people are coached to fit in, adapt, mask, and conform.
But here's the truth: the problem isn’t them; it’s the system.
My work is shifting. Yes, I still support individuals. But increasingly, I’m coaching leaders to stop “supporting” neurodivergent (ND) staff in performative ways and start rebuilding environments that don’t penalize difference in the first place.
We don’t need more toolkits to help ND people survive. We need organizations that don’t require survival strategies.
4 Questions every leader should be asking:
What does our culture actually say about difference? Is it safe to be different — or just to appear compliant?
Are our policies inclusive by design, or are accommodations an afterthought?
Are neurodivergent voices actively shaping how we work — or just filling out surveys?
Are we training managers to recognize and nurture ND strengths — or to “deal with” ND people?
This is not about being nice.
It’s about talent. Retention. Innovation.If your systems weren’t designed with neurodivergent minds in mind, you’re losing out; silently, daily, and expensively.
🚩 Here’s what I see over and over:
Well-meaning policies with zero impact.
“Awareness training” that stops at empathy but never touches power.
Leaders outsourcing inclusion to HR or DEI (the bad word) teams without rethinking their own practices.
✅ Call to Action
If you're serious about inclusion — not just optics; here’s your move:
True inclusion isn’t about making neurodivergent people easier to manage.It’s
about making your systems less exclusive by design.
Let’s stop offering toolkits for survival and start redesigning for belonging.
Ask better questions that will allow space for radical feedback.
If you’re a leader ready to go deeper than surface-level inclusion, I’d love to collaborate.
Neurodivergent professionals don’t need fixing. But most workplace systems do.
Ready to do this properly? Let’s talk.
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