Workplace Neurodiversity and Mental Health Issues
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Our workplace mental health and neurodiversity speakers can help you build a better organization for your leaders and staff.
Whether it’s mental health issues or neurodivergence, invisible disabilities take many forms. Disabilities of the mind are some of the most intimidating for workplace leaders to manage due to the fact they are poorly understood.
However, by reframing our perceptions and understanding the influence that work environment and relationships have on those who deal with these issues, managers and organizations can make a positive impact on workers’ lives, while also increasing productivity, innovation, and creativity in the workplace.
Invisible disability expert Jason Reid presents insightful talks and panel discussions with other expert speakers to help organizations embrace mental health and neurodiversity.
Talks can be customized to your organization. Scroll down to see a list of our most popular presentation topics or click here.
The Speakers and Panel Experts
Jason Reid: Invisible Disability and Leadership Expert
Jason Reid had a long career in television as a news manager despite living with two significant invisible illnesses. Being open about his health challenges prompted his employees to share theirs. He soon realized that 50 percent of his staff had their own invisible disabilities. Using open communication, and solution-focused strategies he doubled the productivity of his department in the space of a year. For the past decade, he has spoken about managing invisible illness in the workplace to audiences around the world. He is the author of the book Thriving in the Age Of Chronic Illness and Invisible Disability
Kristin Light: Neurodiversity and Mental Health Workplace Specialist
Kristin Light is a communications professional who has dealt with a broad spectrum of neurodivergent and mental health issues in both her personal and professional life. She is currently overseeing projects on workplace neurodiversity and mental health for a global consortium of transportation and engineering companies.
Dr. Marjorie Aunos: Mental Health, Disability, and Caregiving Issues
Dr. Marjorie Aunos worked in the Health and Social Services sector for 15 years as a clinical psychologist and a senior manager. She has expertise in working with people and parents with various disabilities and is herself a wheelchair user. She is also a professional speaker and has recently delivered a TEDxTalk at The University of Western Ontario.
Presentations and Panels
Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace (And How to Talk About It )
Featuring: Jason Reid and Kristin Light
“Twenty percent of the workforce is neurodivergent and that neurodivergence is invisible. It’s not a matter of when your workforce becomes neurodiverse, it already is.”
Kristin Light, Mental Health and Neurodivergence Workplace Specialist.
Having an inclusive workplace means embracing neurodiversity in all of its forms. With twenty percent of the workforce expressing neurodivergent characteristics such as ADHD, learning differences, the autism spectrum, and more, understanding how different people think has become a crucial skill in today’s world.
But how do leaders and organizations navigate this new and seemingly complicated landscape? Learning the basics of neurodiversity and how to communicate about it in the workplace starts with a few basic concepts. Jason Reid, an expert in managing invisible disabilities, has teamed up with neurodiversity and mental health specialist Kristin Light to provide a comprehensive guide to neuroinclusion and the conversations around it.
The audience will learn:
- How different types of neurodivergence can present themselves in the workplace.
- The difference between mental and neurological disorders, as well as the challenges that come with them.
- When and how to initiate conversations and communicate about neurodiversity on both an organizational and individual level.
- Effective strategies and accommodations that can maximize your neurodiverse workforce
- How to combat unconcsious bias and embrace a culture of neuroinclusion
Available: online or in-person
Ideal for: Management and Leadership. Large organizations, DEI initiatives, Employee Resource Groups.
Includes additional resources for continued learning.
Invisible Disabilities of the Mind: Mental Illness and Neurodivergence in the Workplace
Featuring: Jason Reid and Kristin Light
Approximately one in five workers have a diagnosed mental disorder, while another one in five is considered neurodivergent. Despite these conditions gaining more attention in the workplace, many managers and leaders are ill-prepared to deal with these types of issues and lack the tools needed to handle them effectively. This is important as many of these conditions are only disabling due to a lack of understanding and proper accommodation.
In this presentation, Jason Reid and Kristin Light will examine invisible disabilities of the mind, share how to communicate about them in the workplace, and reveal tangible strategies on how leaders and co-workers can have effective and respectful conversations around mental health and neurodiversity to reduce barriers to productivity and help their employees thrive.
The audience will learn:
- The truth and misconceptions around invisible disabilities of the mind including the key differences that separate mental health, mental illness, and neurodivergence.
- When and how to initate conversations about these topics with colleagues, leaders, and staff.
- How to communicate mental health and neurodiversity messaging to combat stigma and unconcsious bias.
- Strategies and accommodations that can proactively support the diverse requirements of their team.
Available: online or in-person
Ideal for: Management and Leadership. Large organizations, DEI initiatives, Employee Resource Groups.
Includes additional resources for continued learning.
A Leader’s Guide to Conversations Around Employee Mental Health and Mental Illness
Featuring: Jason Reid and Dr. Marjorie Aunos
More than 18% of workers in the US reported a mental illness and 71% of adults reported at least one symptom of stress. In Canada, half a million people miss work weekly due to mental health issues. In this context, it has become incredibly important for managers and team leaders to understand how to have effective conversations with employees around mental health issues.
Invisible disability expert Jason Reid is joined by psychologist Dr. Marjorie Aunos as they discuss the best ways to navigate sensitive conversations and make decisions around mental health in the workplace while answering the most common but challenging questions that leaders have about balancing the needs of the employee with those of the organization.
In advance of this panel-style presentation, event organizers can choose from among 37 common questions regarding mental health conversations in the workplace. These will then be narrowed down to fit the timing of the event. Additional questions can be taken from the audience and a representative from your organization may also join the panel to discuss specific resources available to employees.
Available online
Ideal for: Leadership Training, DEI initiatives,
Also includes additional resources for continued learning.
Before Jason and Marjorie gave their presentation, 58 percent of our leaders felt prepared for mental health conversations. Afterward, that number improved to 90 percent.
H.G. – Shaw Communications Inc.
Mental Health Strategies for Working Caregivers and People with Disabilities
Featuring: Jason Reid and Dr. Marjorie Aunos
Workers with disabilities and those who care for aging or disabled family members often have similar challenges. In a world that asks increasingly more of its workers, they often deal with significant additional demands and pressures that can lead to burn-out or exhaustion.
Together Dr. Marjorie Aunos and invisible disability expert Jason Reid present tested and concrete strategies for handling these specific mental health issues so that people can become more resilient and find a sustainable path to life and work.
Available online
Ideal for: Employee Resource Groups, Leadership Training, Large organizations, DEI initiatives,
Also includes additional resources for continued learning.
Neurodiversity and Mental Health Speaker Panels Done for You
Ask Jason to put together an expert panel for your invisible disability or neurodiversity event. It’s a one-stop way to save time and get a selection of great speakers at a price that likely fits your budget.
Organizations that have worked with us include:
