Neurodiversity and community support took center stage at July’s meeting of Mosaic. 

“Autism affects one in 36 children in the U.S., and each year 50,000 individuals with autism graduate high school,” said Kyle Britt, program officer for the Autism Foundation of Oklahoma. “Yet, 35% of young adults with autism face challenges in finding employment or pursuing further education after high school.” 

Mosaic is the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s coalition of companies and nonprofit partners that celebrate diversity, champion equity and cultivate inclusion within the regional business community. 

Held at Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma, the meeting featured a diversity training session led by the Autism Foundation of Oklahoma and a tour of The Market, the on-site food bank. 

The meeting began with an overview from representatives of Catholic Charities, which invited attendees the opportunity to volunteer via a website (www.cceok.org/volunteer.) Catholic Charities offers a range of programs, including an immigration law clinic, dental clinic and adult education classes. 

"With over 7,000 volunteers, we are the largest provider of food throughout Eastern Oklahoma," said Brennen Gray, grant writer for Catholic Charities. “And despite our name, Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma serve a clientele that is 85% non-Catholic.” 

Following the presentation, Britt led the diversity training session titled "L.E.A.D.- Neurodiversity in the Workplace," providing attendees with valuable insights and strategies for creating inclusive work environments and discussing different levels of autism. 

He explained common behaviors such as stimming — repetitive or unusual movements or noises—and offered guidance on helping individuals find less distracting stimming techniques. Britt also emphasized the importance of person-first versus identity-first language, recommending that persons be asked how they prefer to be addressed. 

The training included an overview of Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDDs), which affects 6.5 million U.S. adults, and a definition of neurodivergence, which Britt described as brain differences that affect how people process information and interact with their environment. 

Britt offered several communication tips to better support neurodivergent employees, such as pausing between words and phrases and avoiding asking too many questions at once. He also provided practical advice for interviewing neurodiverse candidates, such as decreasing the number of interviewers, offering phone-based interviews and sharing questions in advance, and considering second-chance interviews. 

“Embracing neurodiversity in the workplace offers benefits, including enhancing company image, promoting professionalism and accessing a larger talent pool,” Britt said. 

The August meeting of Mosaic will take place on August 21. For more information on Mosaic and the Chamber’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, visit here.