Celebrating neurodiversity: The importance of challenging stereotypes

We spoke with our Wisers to hear their personal perspectives on neurodiversity, address common misconceptions, and explore why embracing different ways of thinking is crucial for a more inclusive world.

What does neurodiversity mean to you, and why is it important to celebrate it?

Marleen: As someone who is neurodiverse, for me it means that our brain functions in a way that’s different from most others. Our brains use unique pathways to process information, resulting in us being seen as 'different’. And by 'different,' I mean someone who serves as a reminder of the complexity and beauty of the world we live in. We should celebrate this uniqueness, encouraging others to embrace their 'out-of-the-norm' qualities, as this is the only way to eliminate the very idea of 'out-of-the-norm’.

Nurmianti: Neurodiversity is about realizing that brains like mine — wired for creativity, deep emotions, and bursts of energy — aren’t broken, just different.

Celebrating neurodiversity matters because for so long, people like us have been told to fit in, to be “less” of who we are. But the world needs our unique ways of thinking, our passion, our ability to see what others miss. When we celebrate neurodiversity, we’re not just raising awareness; we’re affirming that people like me belong, just as we are.

Charles: To me neurodiversity means celebrating the various ways that people’s minds work, and how they approach the world through that uniqueness. It’s about cherishing different perspectives, learning styles, and perceptions, and embracing this diversity with inclusivity and empathy.

"If you've met one neurodiverse person, you've met one neurodiverse person. Neurodiverse brains are wired differently, and we have such a range of experiences, but just because we’re different, we are no less valuable. By celebrating our distinct ways of thinking, we show that we’ve always been here and can contribute meaningfully, especially when given the right support."

Emma-Jane Stogdon (She/Her/They/Them) Content Senior Specialist, London

What are some common misconceptions about neurodivergent individuals, and how can we challenge them?

Marleen: Neurodiversity doesn’t just mean having some specific neurodiverse traits; it’s much more complex. Many people aren’t aware that numerous neurodivergent individuals have co-occurring mental health diagnoses, such as depression or anxiety, or even co-occurring physical conditions like increased pain, hypermobility, and gastrointestinal problems. For example, I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression since I was 15, but it took me 10 years—and money out of my pocket—to receive an accurate ADHD diagnosis because my symptoms didn’t match the typical traits.

Don’t get me wrong, neurodiversity is its own separate thing, but several other conditions have a higher risk of occurring if you are a neurodivergent individual. Too often, doctors focus on individual symptoms rather than the whole person. This can lead to misdiagnoses or delays in treatment.

To challenge these misconceptions, we need to raise awareness and educate people about the complexity of neurodiversity. Open dialogue and comprehensive training for healthcare professionals can help them understand the full picture, rather than just isolated symptoms.

Gabriella Szabó (She/Her)
Customer Support Training Specialist, Budapest

‘’Neurodiversity is often misrepresented in the media, with TV shows and movies typically portraying only the extreme cases. This leads to comments like 'you don’t look neurodivergent.' But in reality, when I’m watching media content, I see neurodiverse traits in many characters, even when they're not explicitly labeled as such.’’

Emma-Jane: In my experience, a phrase I have heard from others a lot is “you don’t look autistic”. The fact is, there is no one way for an autistic individual to look or be. Another generalisation I hear is “oh, we’re all on the spectrum somewhere”. But when autistic people speak about being on the spectrum (the official diagnosis in the UK is Autism Spectrum Disorder) this is because there are many autistic people with varying experiences, we are all autistic but within the spectrum. When non-autistic people use this language and include themselves, it can unintentionally invalidate our lived experiences.

The most effective way to challenge these misconceptions is by explaining why such phrases aren’t helpful, but doing so with compassion and empathy. Many people genuinely mean well, and their intent is not to cause harm. It’s important to start from that understanding when addressing these issues.

Nurmianti: A common misconception is that neurodivergent people are 'less capable' or 'lazy.' ADHD doesn’t make me lazy or unfocused; it means my brain thrives on creativity, passion, and challenges. To challenge these misconceptions, we need to listen to lived experiences, not stereotypes. Instead of trying to 'fix' neurodivergent people, we should ask, 'How can we support you?’

What has been your proudest moment in Wise or your career to date?

Emma-Jane: Many things! Wise is a place I’ve been able to thrive because I’ve had a supportive, empathetic team who have taken the time to understand how I work, which means I’ve been able to contribute to so many interesting and exciting projects. Probably the most important (and personal) project for me so far has been the chance to steer and organise a Living Library event across multiple offices for Neurodiversity Celebration Week. It means a lot that I can get involved in neurodiverse initiatives alongside my SEO role of producing blog content that consistently ranks well on Google and makes a real impact.

How can Allies best support our neurodivergent community? For example, accessibility or accommodations?

Gabriella: Understand the different needs of neurodiverse people, such as sensitivity to lights and sounds. Many neurodivergent people learnt to hide their true selves from a young age, which is really exhausting, hence sometimes we get overly tired. When we can’t mask, we may become more irritable or less filtered, which can be misinterpreted as rudeness.

Being neurodivergent is like being bilingual, we learnt to speak neurotypical, and it would be great if others learned the 'neurodiverse' language too.

‘’Be open minded and don’t assume - ask questions and listen!"

Marleen Kuusik (She/Her)
Vulnerable Customer Consultant, Tallinn

Emma-Jane: We are all different, please don’t make assumptions. That said, for me personally, I can outwardly seem like I’m fine, when actually I’m an anxious mess on the inside. Simply checking in and asking how I am means a lot, especially when there are big meetings or events like Mission Days coming up.

Charles Rider (He/Him) Engineer, Austin

"Being open to the needs that others communicate to you, and not reducing the severity of someone’s need because it does not affect you. A good example of this can be found when some neurodivergent people communicate that they are overwhelmed, a sound is too much, or lights are too bright. It is important to take these as legitimate issues for those people, and not diminish them because you yourself may not be impacted in the same way.’’

One of our 13 global DEI Communities at Wise is the Diverse Ability Network. We offer company wide Disability & Neurodiversity Inclusion training curated and co-facilitated with our network members. We collaborate together so that Wisers have accommodations and the support they need to do their best work — whether that’s quiet spaces, flexible working, or anything else that helps them thrive.