How Does Caption.Ed Support Neurodiverse Employees In The Workplace?

A team meeting held in an office with five employees, all smiling.

Every workplace contains a diverse range of people who think, feel and act in different ways. But only those with a proportion of neurodivergent staff can claim to be neurodiverse. Plus, workplaces that both recognise and maximise the impact of neurodiverse employees can expect to gain higher productivity. 

For example, preliminary results from Australia’s Department of Human Resources (DHS) showed neurodiverse software testing teams were 30% more productive than other groups. And while there are individual challenges within each strand of neurodivergence to manage, Caption.Ed can address a range of needs for neurodiverse employees.

To expand on this subject, in this post we’ll outline more about neurodiversity and explain how Caption.Ed transforms outcomes for neurodiverse employees.

How Should You Define Neurodiverse Employees?

Neurodiversity in workplace settings refers to groups of workers with a variety of thinking styles. But neurodiverse groups must include people who are neurodivergent. 

Neurodivergence describes people with cognitive functioning that isn’t expected or typical. ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, and dyslexia are all neurodivergent conditions. And they each make up part of the spectrum of neurodiversity. 

The label of neurodiversity is helpful for everyone and ensures fair treatment of neurodivergent employees. Plus, it allows neurodivergent thinkers to fit into an organisation’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion programme.

How Caption.Ed Supports Employees with Dyslexia

So how does Caption.Ed support neurodiverse employees? When it comes to revealing their diagnosis, many people with dyslexia resist telling employers. But for those who do reveal their condition, Caption.Ed is an effective way to help them improve their output.

Filters Background Noise

People with dyslexia find it harder to filter out background noises. So any noisy open-plan office environments or larger group Zoom meetings may distract them more than others. If they stay in these situations for long, without help they could find it hard to retain information. 

As an accurate captioning tool, Caption.Ed gives these staff members the opportunity to read spoken words while they listen to a meeting. Adding real-time captioning to any live Zoom or in-person meetings is easy to do. And while it’s not always possible to reduce background noise, employers can offer people with dyslexia the chance to boost comprehension and memory

Reduces Visual Stress

The British Dyslexia Association recommends neurodiverse employees with dyslexia use lighter coloured screen backgrounds with darker coloured text. This is corroborated by further scientific studies that evidence the benefits of adjusting screen colour as a way to support people with dyslexia. 

Plus, around 30% of people with dyslexia, ADHD and autism also have Irlen Syndrome. And to give them the support they need to adjust their workstations, Caption.Ed offers a variety of font and background colour options including Dark Mode.

A video showing how to change the colour scheme on your Caption.Ed account.

Improves Spelling

People with dyslexia can’t interpret speech sounds in the same way as others. But what can help is the chance to read captions while listening to corresponding speech sounds. 

Decoding is a process of breaking down phonetic sounds while applying them to the written word. And people with dyslexia have a better chance of understanding word composition when they can decode the word.

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How Caption.Ed Support Employees with Dyspraxia

Studies suggest over 1.5 million workers have dyspraxia or DCD. And while it affects movement and co-ordination, dyspraxia also impairs the fine motor skills needed for typing. People with dyspraxia also have a harder time concentrating and following instructions.

Improves Concentration

Several studies show captioning is a powerful way to improve concentration and boost learning. And where concentration can be more difficult for employees with dyspraxia, they will benefit from opportunities to focus their attention on the words they read as well as hear.  

With Caption.Ed, employees have the option to simplify the display of their captions. For example, it’s possible to show only the captions as they appear. Plus, users can adjust the playback speed to better absorb information.

Avoids Overusing Fine Motor Skills

Adding captions to in-person or online real-time meetings and presentations will also help people with dyspraxia to avoid deferring to handwritten or computer-based note-taking.

With a full transcription of a meeting available to them, employees with dyspraxia can refer to achieved notes at any time while ensuring accurate minute-taking from each interaction.

A video showing how to copy across text to notes and add time-stamped annotations.

How Caption.Ed Supports Employees with ADHD

ADHD affects 1 in 20 people in the UK. And it has characteristics that affect people in different ways. For example, inattention is a core feature of ADHD and often shows up in the form of difficulties with concentration, memory, and distraction. But Caption.Ed can help people with autism to manage these problems.

Enhances Working Memory

Employees with ADHD may have trouble remembering daily information when it is given to them orally. They can also experience problems with listening while they write. By offering an alternative way to process information, captioning helps employees to manage their working memory. 

Working memory is the temporary storage of information in the brain. And by freeing up space in their working memory, captioning helps employees to manage it. By absorbing visual and audio content, working memory becomes less burdened and able to retain what it sees and hears.

A YouTube video by Jeff Copper which talks about working memory and ADHD.

Improves Focus

Staying focused, concentrating, or holding attention for long periods is often a challenge for people with ADHD. But Caption.Ed can assist them during in-person or online meetings by holding captions for longer on the screen. Being able to refer to live captioning can help employees with ADHD to hold and maintain their attention for longer. 

Also, along with the benefit of a transcript of the conversation, employees can scroll back to read anything they may have missed during discussions. As a dynamic and adaptable tool, Caption.Ed allows users to minimise its windows so they can better see any details on other windows. And all these aspects allow ADHD sufferers to manage distractions and minimise their impact.

Caption.Ed Boosts Productivity for Neurodiverse Employees in the Workplace

Neurodiversity is an important and current topic in the workplace. Plus, many people with neurodivergent attributes don’t always feel safe disclosing their condition. 

Caption.Ed is an assistive technology tool designed to support neurodiverse employees in the workplace, regardless of their thinking styles or challenges. As an adaptable and dynamic tool, Caption.Ed makes it much easier for businesses to plug in captioning technology and keep hold of meeting transcriptions for future reference. 

Caption.Ed is a powerful way to support and enhance the way neurodiverse employees work and communicate with others, both in office and remote settings. 

Find out more by contacting our team today

Customer story: Caption.Ed has enhanced my life and 100% increased my productivity". Read case study.