Group Activities for Neurodiverse Teams at Work

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Does your team seem a little unfocused, less productive, or stressed out? Changing the rhythm of the workday can help employees feel recharged and better focused. A team-building exercise or another type of group activity can really help.

Team-building is essential, especially for neurodiverse employees who may have difficulty building a social rapport with their colleagues. But traditional team-building exercises can cause extra anxiety for neurodiverse teammates. Here are some group activities that can benefit everyone on the team.

Think/Pair/Share

• Add this exercise to meetings that run longer than usual or where much information is being imparted. Have employees think about the information you want them to process and understand for a few minutes. Then have them pair up (or even triple up) and share their thoughts about the information with each other. This is a social activity that enables both neurodiverse and neurotypical employees to speak with their peers without fear of judgment.

Tell a story, then discuss

• People remember stories — they are stored in long-term memory and can quickly be recalled. That’s why speakers frequently open their talk with a story because it engages the audience while making a point about the topic to…