Staff Spotlight: Drew Milne on Neurodiversity
By Drew Milne
In 1997, Apple launched its Think Different campaign. The series of ads focused on individuals whose unique ideas and drive to achieve shaped the course of world history - Einstein, Gandhi, Picasso, etc. The campaign was wildly successful - clearly, people are drawn to the idea of “think(ing) different(ly)”, at least when the positive results are clear and obvious in hindsight.
However, there are many people who think differently - including and especially neurodivergent people, but we are not always what comes to mind when people hear “think different”.
Neurodivergence means “brains that work differently from the norm” and commonly refers to Autistic people, people with dyslexia, ADHD, other learning disabilities, Tourette’s, and other ways that people’s brains can “diverge” from the norm. Neurodiversity is about the purposeful acceptance and inclusion of neurodivergent people - accepting that our brains can be just as diverse as what we look like or where we come from.
Of course, neurodivergent people do not have a monopoly on new and interesting ideas. Everyone has the capacity to be creative, inventive, and innovative. What I mean is that, by definition, we see and understand the world differently - which offers opportunities for fresh perspectives. Ironically, some of the figures in Apple’s famous ad campaign are, or likely were, neurodivergent themselves, including Albert Einstein1 .
It’s easy to see in retrospect, the idea that diverse perspectives are needed to tackle new and complex problems. But the act of inclusion, of bringing people who think differently into the planning process, when the end result is not always immediately clear, is much harder. Or rather, it seems harder because, for too many people, it simply hasn’t crossed their mind.
Neurodiversity can start with something as simple as creating a more sensory-sensitive working environment, like reducing excessive noise or overly-bright lights; things that many people can appreciate but are especially important for neurodivergent people who may have sensory sensitivities. When working environments are more tolerable, it places neurodivergent people on the same track as their colleagues to be evaluated solely on the merit of their work. This results in more neurodiversity at all levels and all stages of work. So something like changing light bulbs and allowing noise-cancelling headphones may seem small, but it can be the start of a process that leads to serious long-term change.
More than that, however, Neurodiversity means being proactive in acknowledging and accepting neurodivergent people. By raising awareness of neurodiversity in your place of work, family, or community, you encourage neurodivergent people to be open about their lives. This can help them advocate for themselves and help create a world that is more accommodating to unique thinkers of all types.
June 16 is Neurodiversity Pride Day. This Neurodiversity Pride Day and beyond, I invite you to consider the ways you can practice neurodiversity in your everyday life. How can you shape the places you work and live to be more neurodiverse? It can be as big as supporting initiatives to help neurodivergent people advance in their careers, like the IDEAS in Mind project, or as small as starting a conversation. =
The Disability Pride Flag.
- “Was Albert Einstein Autistic.” Advanced Therapy Clinic, www.advancedtherapyclinic.com/blog/was-albert-einstein-autistic?cs=1&hl=en-US&biw=1280&bih=585.3333740234375. Accessed 16 June 2026.