From Newsweek · · 1m 20s
Woman hospitalized after traditional jobs failed her neurodivergent brain
Ella Thompson, 23, says traditional work systems left her hospitalized, now she leads a movement for neurodivergent workers.
In brief
Ella Thompson, 23, says traditional work systems left her hospitalized, now she leads a movement for neurodivergent workers. Ella Thompson, 23, a neurodivergent woman hospitalized after failing to hold jobs, founded Good Girls Club to advocate for workplace accommodations for autistic and ADHD individuals. Originally…
Ella Thompson's struggle
Ella Thompson, 23, a neurodivergent woman, stopped working after two months due to tearful meltdowns from traditional job demands.
“I was struggling with anorexia rooted in not accepting or accommodating my autism”
Hospitalization after master's program
Thompson began a forensic psychology master's program in 2024 but was hospitalized after it pushed her past breaking point.
“That's where my 'Good Girls Don't Get Diagnosed' movement began”
Good Girls Club movement
Thompson founded Good Girls Club, an online community for late-diagnosed women with autism and ADHD.
“I'm autistic and refuse to work traditional 9-5 jobs”
Workplace challenges for neurodivergent people
Open-plan offices, fluorescent lighting, and constant background noise exhaust neurodivergent workers beyond motivation or capability.
“Open-plan offices, fluorescent lighting, and constant background noise are exhausting in a way that has nothing to do with motivation or capability”
Workplace socializing as second job
Workplace socializing and teamwork expectations create an invisible second job for neurodivergent workers.
“Workplace culture leans on teamwork, on socializing with colleagues”
Neurodivergent employment statistics
In the U.S., 85 percent of autistic adults are unemployed, and 46 percent work below their capability level.
“up to 85 percent of autistic adults are unemployed”
Suicide risk for neurodivergent people
In the U.K., 11 percent of suicides involve people with autism despite them making up only 1 percent of the population.
“11 percent of suicides in the country involve people with autism”
The one thing
Ella Thompson, 23, a neurodivergent woman hospitalized after failing to hold jobs, founded Good Girls Club to advocate for workplace accommodations for autistic and ADHD individuals.
