Ella Fried
Research Mentor(s): Kathleen Ignatoski
Mentor Department: University of Michigan
Authors: Ella Fried, Kathleen Ignatoski, Chris Laurinec
Session: Session 4 (1:00pm – 1:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 59
Abstract
Although employment of neurodivergent individuals is beneficial to both the employer and the employee, the neurodivergent population is often underemployed or underpaid. In the area of education, nearly all policies (on the federal, state, local, and school level) that relate to neurodiversity either pertain exclusively to students or simply mention “disability†as a general term. The Executive Order No. 2015 – 15 (EO 2015) sets competitive integrated employment (CIE) as the first priority for disabled individuals. This paper seeks to analyze the intended results of this executive order and examine how the workplace for neurodivergent college staff and faculty has changed since the executive order was put into effect. The main goal of this research is to clarify optimal actions for the University of Michigan (UM) to take to continue to improve conditions for neurodivergent staff and faculty in the future. The primary methods used were a literature review (qualitative synthesis of articles and studies) and communication with Michigan policymakers, including Brian Calley, who signed EO 2015. Key findings of this research include that EO 2015 was intended to provide a transition toward a national movement toward CIE. Since 2015, employment in competitive, integrated settings has increased for neurodivergent individuals in Michigan. However, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific impact on college staff and faculty. A further complication is that opinions on CIE vary within the neurodivergent community. These findings suggest that EO 2015 was an important step toward CIE for neurodivergent individuals. Still, future research on effective management of neurodiversity in the workplace is necessary. These findings indicate a need for a comprehensive gap analysis of UM staff and faculty.
