Neurodiversity and the Power of Language

Bella Fazio 7/28/25

The term “neurodiversity” refers to the variability in the way people think, process information, and understand the world around them. “Neurotypical” means a person who does not struggle with any mental health or cognitive disorders. “Neurodivergent” people do have mental health or cognitive disorders and thus process information differently.

Approximately 20% of the human population is neurodivergent. That means that about 1 in every 5 people process information in a unique way. This is why understanding neurodiversity is important. Acknowledging neurodiversity is crucial to creating an efficient, accepting, and equal environment – whether socially, at work, or in school. 

Neurodivergent people often experience difficulty communicating with neurotypical people due to differences in communication styles. Neurodivergent people tend to be more  fact-driven and literal in their communications, whereas neurotypical people tend to use subtle cues such as body language, tone, and facial expressions to suggest additional information. Some have described this phenomenon as neurodivergent people speaking a different language than neurotypical people. Neither method of communication is inherently superior to the other, but we must acknowledge that this type of language barrier often limits accessibility.

One solution to this problem is to use language that is easily understood by all neurotypes. This means using precise, specific language that does not leave room for misinterpretation. For example, a task written as “organize these files” could be interpreted in several ways. One person could organize the files alphabetically, another chronologically, another by topic. When a task is not communicated clearly, it is likely that it will be completed incorrectly, thus wasting time and creating feelings of frustration in both the employer and the employee. Had the task been written as “please organize these files alphabetically and place them in file cabinet B”, the guesswork would have been eliminated.

I recently had the opportunity to discuss neurodiversity in the workplace with Dr. Cristal Cisneros, a researcher at the Denver Preschool Program, who shared her experience as a neurodivergent adult navigating the workforce. Dr. Cisneros began searching for help for Generalized Anxiety Disorder in 2017 when her family noticed that she was struggling to leave the house. She describes her anxiety as “spiraling”, where her mind takes her to worst-case-scenarios and she becomes incredibly fearful of negative consequences. 

One of her biggest triggers? Unclear communication. The anxious brain is constantly in a state of overthinking and overanalyzing, which means that uncertainty creates many opportunities for the anxious brain to come to negative conclusions.

Since 2023, the Denver Preschool Program has worked with Simplify Language to address their style of communication so that the neurodivergent staff feel more comfortable and more confident. Here are some changes that they made and how they impacted Dr. Cisneros:

• Condensed emails: Emails have been restructured to be more direct and information-loaded than overly polite and interpersonal. Dr. Cisneros feels that this writing style is more efficient and removes anxiety about sounding “mad” or “cold”.

• Zoom calls: When important information cannot be condensed into 2 paragraphs or less, a Zoom meeting is organized rather than a string of text-heavy emails. Dr. Cisneros says that this helps maintain her attention span and allows her to ask questions about complicated topics.

• Rewritten policies: The company handbook was reworked to add clarity and succinctness to policies and procedures. Dr. Cisneros finds that her tasks are easier to complete because they are more clearly outlined and she experiences less anxiety about meeting expectations that are not clearly stated.

At the end of our chat, I asked Dr. Cisneros if she could summarize the impact that using simple language has had on her ability to succeed in her career. Here’s what she had to say:

“Simple language helps quiet the noise in my neurodivergent mind… [there was this] aha moment – this is why I’ve struggled in my profession for so long.”

Neurodivergent folks are equally as intelligent, skilled, and capable as their neurotypical counterparts. It is important to recognize that a person’s communication style does not determine their abilities or their qualifications, especially in the workplace. What it may determine, however, is a person’s ability to understand the communication that they receive. Just like how you wouldn’t send an email in English to the employee who only speaks Spanish, you shouldn’t send emails that only the Neurotypicals will understand. 

A slight change in communication can make a huge difference in understanding and accessibility, which is why it is important to revisit, revise, and adapt. The best part? These changes are simple and easy to do. They may not come naturally at first, but spending an extra 30 seconds to edit an email before sending it can save you the 30 minute follow-up meeting.

About the author:

Bella Fazio is a Wellesley College student majoring in English and Spanish. She currently works as an intern at Simplify Language publishing written work. 

“I became very invested in this subject when I first started working at Simplify Language because I connected with it. I am neurodivergent – I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and ADHD. I take things very literally, and I am not the best at reading between the lines. There have been many times in my life where unclear directions gave me extreme anxiety. It’s like when your teacher takes points off an assignment for things that aren’t on the rubric. When I am told what the expectations are, I have no trouble meeting them. But when my employer wants to know if I’m available “in the mornings” rather than at specific times, I don’t know what the correct answer is. 

Simplify Language helps prevent those miscommunications from happening, which is why I want to share this article. ADHD didn’t suddenly stop being an issue for me when I graduated high school – it is going to stick with me throughout the rest of my adult life. If schools can accommodate neurodivergent kids, what’s stopping employers from doing the same?”

Sources: 

Barbara Lazarony, LMFT. Effective Communication in Neurodiverse Relationships | Love on the Autism Spectrum. February 21, 2025. https://www.loveontheautismspectrum.com/effective-communication-in-neurodiverse-relationships/. 

Barbara Lazarony, LMFT. Neurotypical vs Neurodivergent: A Guide | Love on the Autism Spectrum. April 28, 2025. https://www.loveontheautismspectrum.com/neurotypical-vs-neurodivergent/. 

Harvard Business Review. “Stop Asking Neurodivergent People to Change the Way They Communicate.” October 5, 2022. https://hbr.org/2022/10/stop-asking-neurodivergent-people-to-change-the-way-they-communicate. 

“‘I Promise I’m Not Trying to Be Inconsiderate’ | Psychology Today.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beyond-mental-health/202311/i-promise-im-not-trying-to-be-inconsiderate. 

“The Double Empathy Problem: Why Miscommunication Between Autistics and Neurotypicals Happens | Relational Psych.” https://www.relationalpsych.group/articles/the-double-empathy-problem-why-miscommunication-between-autistics-and-neurotypicals-happens.