“The significance of context”: Fit, friction, and function in the work lives of early career academics with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with various traits that influence individuals’ experiences at work. While some may be experienced as challenging (e.g., when differences in executive function impact time management), others can be more positive (e.g., when curiosity motivates exploration and discovery). Plausibly, academia is a work environment where these positive aspects should be valued. However, ADHD is still often viewed from a medicalised perspective in workplace settings, despite the neurodiversity paradigm offering an alternative, non-pathologising way to frame these individual differences. Research has begun to explore employment experiences and outcomes for adults with ADHD; however, there is currently little data relevant to academic workplaces specifically. This qualitative study offers a critical realist analysis of interviews with early-career academics, seeking to understand first-person ADHD perspectives on establishing an academic career. Consistent with the neurodiversity paradigm, the analysis foregrounds (mis-)matches between individual ‘neurotypes’ and workplace environments. It also highlights an ecological view by exploring how ADHD matters both for individual careers and for collective knowledge production. Findings suggest that academia can, in principle, be a rewarding environment for ADHDers, though social and institutional pressures often inhibit this potential. Furthermore, having an ‘ADHD neurotype’ influences both individual career trajectories and wellbeing at work; at the same time, knowledge production at the collective level may benefit from the inclusion of ADHD academics. The findings are discussed in reference to ecological models of neurodiversity and their implications for universities aiming to facilitate neurodivergent contributions and inclusion at work.