For those who live with multiple intersections, life can be doubly difficult and an intersection that doesn’t get talked about enough is race and neurodivergence, as spotlighted by Black Minds Matter UK earlier this month.

People who fall into both intersectionality’s have experienced social exclusion in one aspect of life or another and it’s a double-edged sword when you fall into both categories, as you must navigate racist biases and the taboo of mental health.

As a result, there are some real challenges and barriers that go unseen when it comes to being black and neurodivergent.

Black neurodiverse people, particularly black women and girls, are often identified and diagnosed late, if ever, and experience higher misdiagnosis rates for nearly all conditions.

Until recently, in the U.S., black children were less likely to be diagnosed with autism than their white and Asian peers, although studies in both the U.S. and Europe found higher rates of autism in children of immigrants, including some black children.

This can mostly be put down to a lack of data, cultural biases and stereotypes that suggest disorders like autism are conditions that mostly impact white men.

Consequently, due to the lack of data and educational resources, care and support provided is often not very effective as healthcare professionals and other services do not understand the unique experience of being black and neurodiverse.

So how can we support our neurodivergent BIPOC in the workplace?

👉 Accept the different parts of their identity without judgement.

👉 Show support for a coworker by being empathetic – if they want to vent about their lived experiences then let them. Being an ally means being a good listener.

👉 Don’t expect them to educate you – do some research in your spare time and show you care about their wellbeing and are willing to learn, letting them come to you. This is how stigma can be dismantled.

For neurodivergent BIPOC, it can often feel like you are the only lonely. But there are ways that allies can support and ease the lives of those with intersecting identities.