PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Understanding social norms and dynamics in the workplace can be a significant barrier for those who are neurodivergent, and is often one of the leading causes of job loss. At the heart of the program is a deeper awareness of invisible rules and cultural norms that frame our social interactions in the workplace. Participants learn the interpersonal neurobiology behind why conflicts or misunderstandings occur, allowing them to communicate more effectively and resolve issues much faster. Throughout the program, participants explore their personal strengths and weaknesses in communication, and learn how to communicate about weaknesses and needs with greater ease and confidence.

This program has two tracks that can be blended and used to suit each participant's needs. One is for those who struggle to make sense of the social rules in the workplace; this track is usually most relevant with Autism, but can also be insightful for any diagnosis. The second track is for those who experience increased interpersonal conflict in their work and personal life based on past history of trauma—most commonly cPTSD, which centers around hypervigilance and difficulty maintaining regulation during fairly minor interpersonal conflicts that can arise in any workplace.

PROGRAM GOALS

Program goals will vary depending on each participant’s needs and barriers to employment

• Understand the essential neurobiological underpinnings of safety required for attuned and effective communication
• Learn how to communicate to others about your communication style in ways that feel accessible
• Understand how to maintain professional long-term interpersonal relationships at work
• Understand key components of non-verbal communication (NVC) and what you might miss if you aren't paying attention. (Also learn how to ask others to be more explicit and not rely on NVC)
• Learn how to read a situation before speaking and how to communicate more effectively in conflict
• Learn how to take another person’s perspective before and during conversations
• Understand how to repair after there has been a rupture in communication

WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR - WHEN IT MAY BE HELPFUL 

This program should be considered any time a participant has experienced job loss due to interpersonal conflicts in the workplace or has a history of traumatic stress and misunderstanding in the workplace that is causing hesitancy in seeking new employment. It is appropriate to refer both Autism and PTSD/Social Anxiety to this program as they both experience difficulty with interpersonal dynamics in the workplace, but for different reasons. This program has the resources to meet both of these unique sets of needs.

COMPLIMENTARY PROGRAMS

• Emotional Regulation - highly recommended this is taken first
• Sensory Processing - to be taken first if needed
• Self - Advocacy