Formal Versus Self-Identified Neurodivergence: A Comparative Study in Work Environments

This study investigated the added value of using self-identification of neurodivergence next to formal diagnosis in predicting cognitive differences. We collected and analyzed data from neurodivergent and neurotypical employees in a sample of 357 participants in 19 organizations across seven industries. Our results are aligned with previous results that support a systematic information processing tendency in highly gifted and autistic employees and decision impulsiveness in those with ADHD and ADD. Supporting previous findings, our results show different cognitive profiles of dyslexia and dyscalculia. Finally, our results show that self-identified neurodivergence adds to the predictive value of formally diagnosed conditions and that in empirical organizational research, self-identified neurodivergence is sufficient to capture the cognitive differentiation tied to neurodivergence.