Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2026-6
Navigating Neurodiversity: Insights from an Interview with Maria Blaeuer on Challenges and Opportunities in Adult Education and Human Resource Development
This perspective examines the challenges and opportunities faced by neurodiverse individuals in adult education (AE) and human resource development (HRD) through an interview with attorney Maria Blaeuer, Director of Programs and Outreach at Advocates for Justice and Education. The semi-structured interview approach provided flexibility to explore key themes, offering valuable insights into neurodiversity in educational and professional environments. The article applies Critical Disability Theory, which critiques the medical model of disability, and Experiential Learning Theory to analyze systemic barriers, such as ableist practices and legal frameworks, that hinder neurodiverse individuals’ development. Additionally, the study highlights the transition challenges from K–12 education to higher education or the workforce, where legal protections shift responsibility onto individuals. The discussion emphasizes the need for inclusive environments, proactive accommodation strategies, and the importance of developing neurodiverse identities and self-advocacy skills. Recommendations for educators and HRD professionals include fostering rights-based approaches, challenging ableist language, and promoting continuous learning opportunities for neurodiverse individuals to thrive.
BieremaL. L.FedeliM.MerriamS. B. (2025). Adult learning (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
3.
BothaM.Gillespie-LynchK. (2022). Come as you are: Examining autistic identity development and the neurodiversity movement through an intersectional lens. Human Development, 66(2). 93–112. https://doi.org/10.1159/000524123
4.
BoydL. E.DayK.StewartN.AbdoK.LamkinK.LinsteadE. (2018). Leveling the playing field: Supporting neurodiversity via virtual realities. Technology & Innovation, 20(1), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.21300/20.1-2.2018.105
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University. (2025). Neurodiversity at Work (NaW) program. Stanford Neurodiversity Project. https://med.stanford.edu/neurodiversity/NaW.html
9.
GilliesJ. (2023). Critical disability theory. In MagginoF. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research (2nd ed., pp. 1495–1497). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_619
GoodleyD. (2014). Dis/ability studies: Theorising disablism and ableism. Routledge.
12.
GoodleyD.LiddiardK.Runswick-ColeK. (2018). Feeling disability: Theories of affect and critical disability studies. Disability & Society, 33(2), 197–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2017.1402752
13.
KattariS. K.OlzmanM.HannaM. D. (2018). “You look fine!”: Ableist experiences by people with invisible disabilities. Affilia, 33(4), 477–492. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109918778073
14.
KhanM. H.GrabarskiM. K.AliM.BuckmasterS. (2023). Insights into creating and managing an inclusive neurodiverse workplace for positive outcomes: A multistaged theoretical framework. Group & Organization Management, 48(5), 1339–1386. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011221133583
15.
KolbA. Y.KolbD. A. (2017). Experiential learning theory as a guide for experiential educators in higher education. Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education, 1(1), 7–44. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/elthe/vol1/iss1/7
16.
KolbD. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall.
17.
KrzeminskaA.AustinR. D.BruyèreS. M.HedleyD. (2019). The advantages and challenges of neurodiversity employment in organizations. Journal of Management & Organization, 25(4), 453–463. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2019.58
18.
McGintyJ. M. (2020). Accessible digital learning materials for inclusive adult education. Adult Learning, 32(2), 96–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/1045159520961470
19.
McMillanJ. T.ListygB.CooperJ. (2023). Neurodiversity and talent measurement: Revisiting the basics. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 16(1), 31–35. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2022.96
NakamuraY. T.HernandezT. M.LuY. (2024). Unveiling the power through critical reflection: The journey of neurodiverse leadership identity development. Academy of Human Resource Development International Research Conference in the Americas.
ProcknowG.RoccoT. S. (2016). The unheard, unseen, and often forgotten: An examination of disability in the Human Resource Development literature. Human Resource Development Review, 15(4), 379–403. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484316671194
27.
ProcknowG.RoccoT. S.MunnS. L. (2017). (Dis)Abling notions of authentic leadership through the lens of critical disability theory. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 19(4), 362–377. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422317728732
RobersonQ.QuigleyN. R.VickersK.BruckI. (2021). Reconceptualizing leadership from a neurodiverse perspective. Group & Organization Management, 46(2), 399–423. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601120987293
30.
RoccoT. S.CollinsJ. C. (2017). A model for disclosure of accommodation needs between students with disabilities and faculty. In KerschbaumS. L.EisenmanL. T.JonesJ. M. (Eds.), Negotiating disability awareness: Disclosure and higher education (pp. 327–344). University of Michigan Press.
31.
SchurL.HanK.KimA.AmeriM.BlanckP.KruseD. (2017). Disability at work: A look back and forward. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 27(4), 482–497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-017-9739-5
32.
SingerJ. (2017). NeuroDiversity: The birth of an idea. Self-published.
33.
TaylorA.GerkenL.BohonosJ. W. (2024). Disability and employment in the United States, 1880–1955: Implications for human resource development practice and research. Human Resource Development Review, 23(3), 402–426. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843241256155
