Ahead of their session at the national conference, we asked Zanne Klingenberg a few questions about what it means to be a neurodivergent editor and some strategies to ensure collaboration and productivity while accommodating oneself.

WCE: Thank you for taking the time to chat with us today. Can you briefly explain what it means to be a neurodivergent editor and highlight some ways this can impact one’s productivity?

ZK: Thanks for having me! At its core, being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from the majority. Common types of neurodivergence include autism and ADHD, but it’s a non-medical umbrella term, so there are many who self-identify as neurodivergent, and that’s incredibly valid. You’ll find neurodivergent people in all careers and walks of life. 

As for me, I’m autistic and ADHD. As a freelance editor, it can be hard to communicate how this affects my life and my work, as it is so integral to who I am. In summary, my brain’s regulatory and control systems work differently. Imagine that neurotypical people’s brains are like cars on a road; their drivers have much control over their direction and speed. My brain is more like a boat on a river; I can influence my direction and speed, but it’s difficult to fight the current. 

In my editing, this means that I make accommodations that allow me to work with my brain rather than fighting it. For example, freelancing gives me flexibility in my schedule, so I take more frequent and longer breaks on days when my brain is unfocused. Sometimes my brain will hyperfocus on a project, and I have the freedom to rearrange things so that I can flow with that hyperfocus while it lasts and accomplish a staggering number of tasks. Other times, this means I work at odd hours because my brain said “no” all day long, but at 7 pm it’s suddenly amenable to checking grammar and punctuation. 

WCE: How does being a neurodivergent editor influence collaboration? What strategies, tools, or processes have helped you to maintain smooth working relationships while making necessary accommodations for yourself and others?

ZK: Awareness of neurodivergence among the wider population is still in its infancy, and most of us neurodivergent adults have spent our whole lives masking our differences to effectively collaborate. All the burden of bridging the gap between neurotypes has traditionally been placed on neurodivergent people. It’s exhausting. And if we want to reduce the amount of masking we are doing, we are always in the position of trying to gauge how much is safe and appropriate to disclose to bosses, coworkers, and clients about our differences and challenges. 

I have always leaned on my autistic directness when navigating professional relationships. Having clear and open discussions is always a good idea. Even though neurotypicals are sometimes surprised to be asked, for example, how they feel about interjections during a conversation or what the expectations are for being on-camera during a virtual meeting, I have found that respectful dialogue is usually welcomed and supported. Good accommodation begins with good self-awareness—when you are able to articulate what you need and the reasonable steps that others can take to help, you are much more likely to get a favourable response. And this applies to accommodating others as well. When I ask clear, specific questions about a colleague’s experience, I am much more likely to get useable feedback that I can turn into appropriate accommodations for their differences. 

WCE: What are some things attendees interested in joining your session can look forward to?

ZK: In my session, I hope to show attendees what accommodations feel like at the same time as talking about them. I am trying to build common accommodations into the structure of the session so that participants can experience the difference for themselves while they explore their own needs and possible avenues for accommodating them. The session will include discussions and activities focused on four categories of neurodivergent differences: sensory, social, emotional, and information processing. My goal is to provide a framework that participants can use to find the accommodations for themselves and others that will lower stress and improve working relationships.

Register for Zanne’s session, Neurodivergent Editing, today.

About Zanne

Zanne is a queer, neurodivergent editor from Edmonton, Alberta. They have been writing and editing professionally since 2009, and their experience has ranged across many genres and types of writing—novels, non-fiction, government correspondence, marketing materials, business reports, magazine articles, web content, academic papers, and more.

They have a bachelor of arts in English with Honours from the University of Alberta and a certificate in Publishing from Toronto Metropolitan University. They have worked with the Government of Alberta, University of Alberta, HarperCollins Canada, and Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, as well as academics and self-published authors.

For more info, visit zanneklingenberg.com.