Supporting and Including Neurodivergent People in the Workplace

In April, MongoDB marked Autism Awareness Month by launching Config, a new employee resource group. The purpose of Config.MDB is to enhance MongoDB's support for neurodivergent individuals and people with disabilities. It achieves this by fostering a community of allies who support one another and educate the wider MongoDB community on ways to promote inclusivity.

Meet four of Config's global leads –. Alana Trimmer, Alanna Saas, Cian Walsh, and Luce Carter – who talk us through their career journeys and why they’re excited about the launch of this new employee resource group.

Image Credit: Canva

Can you share your own experience of dealing with neurodiversity?

Alana Trimmier: I have ADHD and musical dyslexia, called dysmusia, which is a form of dyslexia that affects how I read music and hear pitches and rhythm. I was diagnosed in my sophomore year of college, and as a music major with a voice concentration, this was incredibly challenging. Unfortunately, my music professors were not educated enough to accommodate my needs and had the freedom to act on this, with it being a private institution.

At the end of my junior year, my professors decided I wasn’t fit to be in their department, so they forced me out, and I left the school. This was the end of my junior year. I transferred to Florida State University’s School of Music to finish college. I was given all the accommodations I was entitled to and had tutors for my music classes. I graduated 2.5 years later with a Bachelor’s degree in Music for Voice Performance and have considered this experience life-changing in how I’ve succeeded in my adult life.

Alanna Sass: I did not like reading at a very young age - let me be clear, I despised reading and would always say it was “boring.” However, the reality was that I found it to be challenging. My parents started to see a theme that I was falling behind in school due to my struggles with reading and sought help, which is how I came to be diagnosed with dyslexia. I found tools that worked for me, such as underlining words and visualizing the text. Using these tools throughout my educational journey allowed me to improve my reading, thrive in school, and graduate at the top of my class.

I always knew I was a bit different, given my inability to focus on one thing at a time, but I did not realize how much it impacted my life until my senior year of high school when I was finally diagnosed with ADD. After seeking help and learning the right tools, I found that; (1) having a set schedule, (2) determining and limiting time spent on each activity, (3) using tools like a fidget cube when speaking, and (4) color coding to stay organized allowed me to remain focused. Today I still struggle with my ADD, but keeping it top of mind while using the tools I have at hand allows me to refocus my energy.

Cian Walsh: I was diagnosed with Dyslexia in college. Reading and writing were always a challenge for me throughout my school years. This meant falling behind in my academic studies and being singled out by other students because I had to attend special education/resource teacher classes to help me improve my reading and writing skills. It was always a topic of great embarrassment for me. I felt that it held me back. It made me an easy target for ridicule by my classmates. My dyslexia was something I always tried to hide; reading aloud, new names, and also written communication were something that always filled me with anxiety.

Luce Carter: Honestly, dealing with my neurodiversity has been a real struggle. I was diagnosed with Dyspraxia as a child, but Autism Spectrum Disorders were merely mentioned and never diagnosed. So in many ways, school and education didn’t always suit me because the right kind of support wasn’t always there, or if it was there, targeted diagnosed students. I was diagnosed with ADHD in July 2021. Again, Autism came up. My diagnostician said, “I can’t officially diagnose you with Asperger’s Syndrome today because it is outside the scope of this, but I will take it into account for your management plan.”

It has always been a game of finding coping mechanisms without genuinely understanding my struggles and why. I find that surrounding myself with people who love and accept me has made an enormous difference. Some of my closest friends have neurodiverse conditions, too, allowing for more patience and understanding.

How do you feel this shaped your career journey?

Alana Trimmier: This college experience changed my life for the better. It made me incredibly determined and resilient in my path forward. I have never given up on anything challenging, and I continue studying music and performing. The music I choose to perform is quite challenging, but it’s worth it for me to conquer my difficulties with musical composition. I’ll never forget how that discrimination made me feel, and I promised myself I’d never let anyone make me think I was incompetent again.

Alanna Sass:

"It may sound odd, but having Dyslexia and ADD allowed me to thrive in my current career. My current role requires me to jump from one topic to another and remain organized without skipping a beat. Without ADD, I may have struggled with how to handle this. Additionally, my dyslexia forces me to pay extreme attention to details, allowing me to catch errors that may have otherwise gone unnoticed."

Cian Walsh: My experience with Dyslexia in my early years taught me a lot of resilience, which has been a necessary skill in my career. It wasn't until I was introduced to a nonprofit called “Made by Dyslexia” that I fully understood how much Dyslexia had played a part in my recruitment career. Some of the primary skills of Dyslexia are creativity, big-picture thinking, and the ability to solve problems. These are skills of my Dyslexic thinking that are very relevant to the world of recruitment and have shaped my career.

Luce Carter: Something I learned the hard way is never to be afraid of being yourself. This applies to work too. Understanding the world is hard enough without faking who you are. Technology saved my life, giving me friends when I was crippled and lonely. So I have made it my career mission to do work that helps others and makes things easier. It may be a personality trait or neurodiversity related, but I am a proud open book. I regularly discuss my struggles with confidence, impostor syndrome, and problem-solving online. This openness of my experiences has led to new career opportunities either during interview processes, hiring recommendations, or events I have been involved in.

Why did you choose to join Config?

Alana Trimmier: I’m quite an advocate for the neurodivergent community, and I hope to be a voice for those who have never had the support. I know how it feels to be rejected due to my disability. I hope to create awareness for neurodivergent employees and accommodate those who have never had it. Config is an exciting development for MongoDB, and I look forward to being a Co-Lead and seeing what we can do together for our neurodivergent and disabled employees.

Alanna Sass: Before I came to MongoDB and my first two years here, I worked in Human Resources. I came across many individuals from different backgrounds and learned much during that time. In the professional world, few people openly discuss their experiences with learning difficulties/differences for fear of judgment or punishment. When my coworker introduced me to this group, it struck a chord that I could be part of something bigger and continue to show others that learning (and everyday functioning) is done in many different ways. There is not just one way to do anything in life.

Cian Walsh: I chose to join Config as a founding member for a few reasons. Firstly, I was a member of an ERG similar to this in my previous company and saw firsthand the impact and great work an ERG like this can do. By joining Config, I hope to impact the broader employee base and educate them on neurodiversity and disability.

Luce Carter: When a colleague in my team was looking to start Config, they contacted me about involvement, so I had the pleasure of helping shape the group's formation. I was excited at the chance to create an ERG that gives power and enablement to neurodiverse colleagues whose ‘invisible’ needs are often overlooked – even when accommodations with a significant impact can sometimes be achieved so easily.

As your new ERG has just launched, what are you most excited about in the future and the year ahead?

Alana Trimmier: I’m most excited about the accommodation we can provide our employees. Since this is a new ERG, we can do many different things, such as events and workshops for the group. I also hope we can create other panels of discussion with employees who can speak about their experiences with neurodiversity.

"I look forward to educating MongoDB on the many different types of neurodivergence and disability and advocating for those affected. Presenting the many different levels of success and endless possibilities will be wonderful."

Alanna Sass: I am excited to see how we can help make employees and managers/leadership aware of the neurodiverse community and the “out of the box” thinking we bring to the table in our work and everyday lives!

Cian Walsh: I'm excited to watch Config grow over the next few months. We held a fantastic launch event for Autism awareness month and had terrific feedback from all attendees. We plan to run more panel events and educational talks to help members feel a sense of belonging and provide education to employees to enable them to be allies.

Luce Carter: I am excited to see what we can do to build awareness internally around content and learning styles. Whether you are neurodiverse or not, you learn differently; some prefer diagrams, some like text, and others prefer various approaches. But often, you will receive important information as a long text or a confusing chart with no different formats. The work we can do as Config highlights the need to take extra time to include everyone.