The emotional challenges of parenting can increase stress and leave many working parents feeling drained and less productive on the job. But what about families of children with disabilities? How are they being supported in the unique challenges of raising neurodiverse children?

This is where Rethink comes in. Rethink Benefits, a web-based program geared toward supporting parents of children with developmental disabilities, identified a need for employers to provide resources to neurodiverse families. Through flexible consultation plans, lessons, and individualized care programs, employers can offer a unique benefit to their employees. With many schools across the U.S. closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this benefit gains even more relevance for parents who find themselves home with their children and in need of innovative solutions for at-home learning and child care.

More recently, the company has also begun offering guidance to companies supporting neurodiverse employees in the workplace. Rethink Benefit’s mission is to support the inclusion, equity and advancement of neurodiverse individuals throughout their lifetime.

We interviewed Angela Nelson, vice president and executive director of clinical services and Connie Donnelly, vice president of business development, about the organization’s goal of supporting parents, particularly those of children with autism. With the approach of Autism Awareness Month in April, they provided these insights:

From Day One: Why do companies see a need to provide this now?

Connie Donnelly: The latest is one in six children being diagnosed with a developmental disability. There are obvious gaps in care where Rethink comes into play. There's also a tremendous impact to the bottom line, because with parents and caregivers of special-needs children, there are challenges retaining those employees. Often a parent of a special-needs child will stop working because he or she can't manage the stress or there's higher absenteeism or mental-health issues. These are all factors that contribute to an organization's bottom line.

Then in terms of the neurodiversity-hiring piece, there's a war for talent right now. Organizations are really recognizing we need to hire these people. We need to make sure that these individuals can thrive in our workplace.

When you’re working with families of neurodiverse children, what are the first steps?

Angela Nelson: One of the biggest pieces of the caregiver platform is having a consultation with someone on our team who's a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA). They get to meet with the same clinician every time and they have a set number of hours throughout the year, like a bank of time. The BCBA’s role is to provide them with personalized tips and strategies, troubleshooting opportunities, and recommendations of certain pieces of content in the Rethink platform, books, and websites. So that's how parents start their journey and how we engage with them.

Donnelly: We're a therapist in their pockets. Because we're available when they need us, 24/7, to help with all the day-to-day.

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your service?

Nelson: Luckily, Rethink is 100% remote and web-based, and thus, we haven’t had to change our model. We are reminding our families that they can have their consultation calls from the comfort of their home and also certainly focusing on specific topics right now like creating schedules, incorporating academic time, increasing play skills (including independent play), and coping with unexpected changes in routine. We’ve seen a major increase in consultations being scheduled because this is one resource in their lives that isn’t being disrupted right now.

How has your umbrella of services grown?

Nelson: We have expanded beyond autism to include not just developmental disabilities, but anybody that has a child with learning, social, and behavioral change. We're able to support a wider variety of folks in that space. For example, someone with ADHD could be under that neurodiversity umbrella.

Do you have the same kind of resources for neurodiverse adults?

Donnelly: For individuals who are neurodiverse, there's no aging out of our services. Our solution is also supporting the employers and the managers of neurodiverse individuals in the workplace. We have e-learning modules and content to educate organizations, managers, human resources–all employees, really–about understanding their diversity work. We focus on hiring best practices, direct-report communications, and peer-to-peer understanding. But then we also provide clinical support to those managers who are working with individuals who are diverse.

How has society’s outlook on neurodiversity evolved?

Nelson: We've come a long way in terms of the stigma, and people are starting to really understand that people with disabilities have so many amazing talents to bring. I think that there's a shift in our society for people to just accept people for their unique strengths and not label them as somebody that has a disability. I think people are opening up and realizing that sometimes it's a risk, right? They've never hired somebody with a disability before. And they're not really sure what the unknowns are. But they're starting to really branch out and see the success, the high performance, and the higher retention and productivity rates.

Can you give an example of how your work helped an employer manage a neurodiverse employee?

Nelson: There was a gentleman on the job who had a traumatic brain injury (TBI). And he was having a hard time filling a frozen-yogurt cup. Sometimes it would be inconsistent. Sometimes it would be half-full. Sometimes it would be overflowing.

What did you help to implement?

Nelson: I'm a big fan of sustainable practices, and using what you already have. So this particular jobsite had very thorough and colorful picture manuals of how to fill the frozen-yogurt cup. So I said, “Let's get that!” And we put it on the side of the frozen-yogurt machine so that he could reference it. Now he had a visual aid, something that they already created. It took very little effort on their part. That's important to me. If we want to help managers feel confident and empowered to support these individuals, we have to make it easy.

What does it mean to be “inclusive” vs. “adaptive” in the workplace?

Donnelly: There’s an important difference. Adaptive, you're making an accommodation for one person or for one population. And often with that, then you also need to make sure that person discloses their disability. Being inclusive means having things like a universal design. You're putting things in place, proactively, that are going to be really supportive for those who need it, but not necessarily disruptive for those who don't.

What does that look like in practice?

Donnelly: The example that I give personally is, I'm legally blind. If I check into a hotel, and I say that I'm legally blind, an adaptive hotel will give me a room by the elevator. But an inclusive hotel has already gone a step further and has Braille signage on all of their doors. So the Braille signage is really helpful for me, but it's not disruptive for someone who doesn't need it. It makes it an even playing field. For everyone.

Nelson: We're not talking, you know, big asks here. These are just simple things that we could do. Things like using multi-modality in a meeting, as some person might be an auditory learner or a visual learner. Giving a presentation, you might have visuals, you might have a handout, you're giving frequent breaks. Giving a checklist so people know how to break something down. So there might be a barrier of just adopting that style. But once managers get into it, they realize this is actually not hard.

Donnelly: I think if some of the employers in my history had had a benefit like Rethink, the support that it would have given my parents would have been phenomenal and so valuable. But also, if an employer of mine had a benefit that was educating managers that different is good and different can actually be really valuable, it may have made my experience a little bit easier in past roles.

You’ve had to truly blaze your own trail.

Donnelly: It wasn’t always easy, but trailblazers are trailblazers to make the trails available for others. And that's what's so cool about it, because now other employers are getting there. That’s why I'm here, because it's just incredible.

Nelson: We make it okay to say, “I'm a parent of a special-needs child,” or “I'm an employer who wants to understand special needs in the workplace.” So we take down that whole barrier, the stigma, the fear. We empower that employer to just make it okay for everyone, whether you are a parent who has a child at home, or whether you're someone in the workplace who needs support. We put those tools into place to break down the stigma.

Having made progress, where do you think Corporate America is headed in terms embracing neurodiversity?

Donnelly: I think it is the next frontier, and we're seeing it's rapidly being adopted by employers in the U.S. and globally. More and more employers are getting it. So my expectation is that in the next several years–obviously, it takes time to change–this is going to be part of the norm.

Nelson: I'm actually really inspired. I'm very encouraged by the future. And already, Connie and I meet with a lot of organizations who are committed to this. They say, “You're preaching to the choir! We already know this is amazing. We want to get started!” They just want to know what the next step is and want to be better. And you look around and you can see there's already a lot of things in place. I think we're on a really, really good path.

Mimi Hayes is a New York-based author, comedian, and assistant director of content at From Day One. You can read her work at mimihayes.com, check out her podcast "Mimi and The Brain," or find her first book, a comedic memoir about her traumatic brain injury on Amazon.

Developing Workforce Culture Skills to Thrive in 2025

Emtrain’s 2024 report, “Workplace Culture in 2024 and What It Signals for 2025,” recorded that that there was a 4% increase in people’s experiences on respect, inclusion and belonging in the workplace but a 5% decrease in people’s perceptions of the personal integrity and integrity of their leaders. What does this data tell us?During a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Brooklyn conference, founder and CEO of Emtrain, Janine Yancey presented how businesses can effectively use a culture survey to gain better insights on how employees are doing and how to prepare for the future as the industry evolves.With an uptick in major layoffs across corporations, Yancey says that the boosted numbers in experiences of respect and belonging come from those who were chosen to stay amid layoffs, but the decrease in people’s perception of integrity in leaders come from increasing doubt about leaders making impactful decisions.“Employees right now are heavily doubting and distrustful of their leaders,” said Yancey. “We’ve got a society that’s more polarized than it really has been in decades. We’ve got so many people all working side by side.”Corporations have become more diverse over the last five years with a multigenerational, multicultural and mulitracial staff. These changes call for a stronger need to understand the social dynamics within a workplace.The long existing human capital metric tells businesses the basic information of total staff, demographics and promotion rates but what lacks in this measurement is the social dynamics between employees. Yancey says implementing a social capital metric can measure culture skills within a company which can show how people interact, collaborate, and work through changes.Janine Yancey of Emtrain led the thought leadership spotlight All of these metrics show what exists today, but they can also show what can be expected in the future, says Yancey. “Our ability and our skill to mitigate biases, all of those skills at the individual level, coworker level, team level and enterprise level, they are all skills that tell you what kind of social dynamics and outcomes you’re going to have,” she said.Yancey, as a former litigator, said all of her harassment and discrimination cases reflected “weak skills in managing power.” By measuring and evaluating how employees perceive the culture skills of their coworkers and manager under the umbrella of respect, inclusion, belonging and ethics, business leaders can predict what they can expect from their employees.Emtrain’s culture survey measures 16 different culture skills including mitigating bias, ensuring equity, fostering curiosity, advancing allyship, authenticity, nurturing trust and accountability.The data collected from these surveys reflect what would be learned in a one on one conversation but in an “automated, scalable way.” Results can show who’s displaying strong skills and who could benefit from more coaching and development.“We need to think about honing in and developing the culture skills of everyone, team members, direct managers, leaders, and focusing everyone on developing and measuring those skills, because that's going to be basically the shock absorbers that's going to carry us through navigating through different and uncertain economic times,” Yancey said.She encourages leaders to take actions towards restoring and building trust with their employees to show them that they can be confident in their leaders.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Emtrain, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Jennifer Yoshikoshi is a local news and education reporter based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

HR’s Influence on Revenue: Navigating the New Employer-Employee Relationship

Successful organizations that consistently exceed revenue goals thrive by aligning with employee expectations .A thriving company nurtures the employee journey, focusing on various aspects of well-being and engagement to support personal and professional growth.This puts HR leaders at the forefront of helping employers and employees form an evolved relationship where their respective professional goals are more compassionately and collaboratively achieved.During a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Austin conference R.W. Holleman, head of enterprise sales at Rain, a company offering earned wage access programs to employers, spoke on how a holistically symbiotic relationship between employee and employer is crucial to achieving higher revenue goals.Cultivating Authentic Value“We all know the cost of turnover. The impact of disengaged employees and the ripple effect that has on the bottom line, right?” Holleman asked the audience. He elaborated on how companies failing to address the root of modern-day disengagement see a cultural decline that further leads to a decline in revenue.Employees are no longer satisfied with just a paycheck and guaranteed work hours. They seek meaningful support, recognition of their value, and a sense of purpose in their work. Consequently, HR executives confront the limits of traditional talent management. The conventional view that employees are satisfied with consistent financial compensation and set work hours alone is outdated.“You’re not just managing people. You’re shaping your HR and you’re shaping the future of the business,” Holleman said. “If you don’t help with that, the business might not survive, right?”What can employers provide of authentic value? Holleman cited security, flexibility, and belonging as vital to maintaining employee engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. Data from McKinsey & Company confirms this. Companies resolving significant drivers of disengagement, including an unsafe environment and a lack of career advancement and workplace flexibility, can annually save up to $56 million.R.W. Holleman, head of enterprise sales at Rain, led the thought leadership spotlightResolving several major drivers of disengagement supports retention, reduces absenteeism, and boosts productivity. Companies then experience an increase in revenue.A Positive and Supportive CultureThe same study by McKinsey & Company showed that employee disengagement exhibited by workers with lower well-being can cost a median-size company between $228-355 million a year in lost productivity. In 5 years, that adds up to about $1.1 billion in lost value.It underscores how HR executives now occupy a unique position. They can be more influential to companies achieving sustainable financial success through leveraging comprehensive benefits and programs that support employee well-being. Going beyond the scope of traditional HR work is to pioneer the cultivation of positive and supportive modern-day workplace environments conducive to success for employers and employees.One way to foster a positive culture is to consider more inclusive benefits that better support employees’ overall well-being. Inclusive benefits empower workers, contribute significant value to their lives inside and outside the workplace, and help them thrive.For example, Rain gives employees instant access to 50% of their earned wages, providing financial flexibility. This benefit eases the stress of immediate financial burden, helping employees focus more on their careers. The program is also a win for employers because of its simple process: companies who access Rain’s program complete an EWA adjustment file and withhold the accessed wages from employees’ checks.“What makes that powerful? What I’m talking about is not technology or automation, right? It’s about meeting the human need for stability and security,” he said. By authentically addressing employees’ concerns and providing relevant solutions, employees feel more valued, optimistic, engaged, and committed to performing at their best.Other benefits like inclusive healthcare coverage, care benefits, wellness programs, skill development, work projects, and continuing education improve employee well-being and strengthen positive connections between employers and employees. “By recognizing the importance of the human element and giving employees the support they need, you’re not only driving engagement, you’re driving revenue,” he said.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Rain, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses

Bridging the Gap: Evolving Benefits to Support Women’s Health Milestones

Women’s healthcare has made progress, yet it remains outdated and frequently falls short, even in the 21st century–a consequence of longstanding bias. In 1977, the FDA banned women of childbearing age from phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, “unless they had a life-threatening condition.” Then in 1993, “Congress passed a law requiring the inclusion of women in clinical research.”“How did we get here? Well, you know women aren't small men. You might have heard that, but the FDA did not agree with that. The FDA in 1977 banned women from being part of research. So anything that applies to a man research-wise, applies to a woman as well. [In] 1993 we’re finally invited back in, which is great. However, we still have work to be done. We’re very behind,” said Kerri DiCicco, vice president of business development at Progyny where she partners with consultants and employers to provide end-to-end family- building solutions.DiCicco spoke on the topic of women's healthcare at a From Day One’s Denver Conference in a thought leadership spotlight about “Bridging the Gap: Evolving Benefits to Support Women’s Health Milestones.” She specifically touched on fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause, and how to make it more tailored to women's experiences.The Impact of Health GapsDiCicco says access to providers who specialize in women's healthcare isn’t easy. “Everyone has probably heard that women live longer than men, right? But it's true, we do live longer than men. But the flip side of that is that we spend 25% more of our lifetime in debilitating health. And one of the things that happens is it takes us a lot longer to be diagnosed with illnesses,” said DiCicco.Yet, even though women are back in the picture, outside of oncology, only 1% of research dollars go towards women’s health research. Furthermore, DiCicco says it took another 14 to 16 years for infertility to be recognized as a disease. “And infertility, even when it's male factor-infertility, the woman is the one that's going to bear the treatment for that.”DiCicco points to the fact that we’re starting families later in life and that “one in six people are going to need help conceiving.” “Because of the lack of research we come to childbearing years with chronic conditions. So it takes, on average, 10 years for a woman to get a diagnosis of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) or endometriosis, which when it goes untreated, really impacts your ability to conceive without assistance.”The struggle to have a child, DiCicco says, is often more stressful than a death in the family, “but less than 7% of women are able to get support.” There needs to be a full episode of care to cover what is needed, and it needs to happen at the right time.DiCicco gives the story of Jessica and Ashley, a same-sex couple, who want to start a family. “It’s a hard journey to start, and if you're in a same sex relationship, there’s additional nuances.”In this scenario, Jessica’s employer offers equitable fertility benefits, so they’re assigned a patient care advocate (PCA). This advocate acts as their guide, helping them find appropriate clinics, offering emotional support, helping them understand their options, and scheduling appointments.The benefits of targeted, proactive care extend beyond health: Data shows that 80% of employees who receive fertility benefits stay loyal to their employer, seeing the support as invaluable. “And you think about that also through the lens of DEI–it’s a very connected journey, and we took the gaps out.”With pregnancy and postpartum care, DiCicco says the U.S. is not doing its job to take care of women, and that the maternal death rate has risen.Proactive Postpartum CareBroadly speaking, DiCicco says we know postpartum is deadly, but it's still up to women to seek out that help. “And that's really hard, because at that point she's just trying to keep a seven pound human alive.” Instead, DiCicco says that proactive, early care is better.In another example, Katie, a new mom in her 30s who went through fertility treatment, is struggling with postpartum anxiety while caring for her baby alone at home. Her employer's program connects her with a PCA who knows her background and stays involved after the birth. This advocate, along with a pregnancy coach, checks in on Katie, helping her understand that her struggles are common. “As she gets closer to [returning] to work. Her patient care advocate helps her with that, so she has the ability to go back on a schedule that really works for her, works for her family and takes the stressors out of it.”Navigating the Symptoms of MenopauseThe final issue DiCicco covered was menopause, which she says gets misdiagnosed all the time. “If you have an employee that comes into your office and says, ‘My heart won’t stop racing.’ You’re going to tell her to go to the ER. The cardiologist is going to see her and say, ‘I don't know what it is. Let's refer you here, here, and here,’ not even thinking that you’re 37 years old, and this is perimenopause.”There are 34 symptoms related to menopause and according to DiCicco nearly 47% of women go through 15 different providers before they get a correct diagnosis. Most women are told to go see their OB-GYN, who are primarily trained to “have a healthy mom and a healthy birth. Less than 7% of the OB-GYNs in this country get any training at all in menopause.”DiCicco's final example is Nicole, a 42-year-old working mom and executive, who is struggling with classic menopause symptoms. She first goes to her primary care physician, who doesn’t recognize the symptoms as perimenopause-related. “Why would she ever think about menopause or perimenopause?” Luckily, Nicole’s employer provides a comprehensive health benefit that covers menopause care. This proactive care not only eases symptoms but also saves women from multiple office visits, keeping them focused and productive at work. By offering targeted proactive support, employers can avoid unnecessary claims and help retain valued employees who might otherwise be affected by unmanaged symptoms. “And when we close the gaps in menopause with the right care, with the right specialist, that's what's going to happen.”Closing the gaps in women's healthcare is key, and highly beneficial to employers. “Really think about ‘what gaps do I have, and how can I close those?’ Because when you close the gaps we just touched on, you're going to see that financially, it’s going to make sense. Don’t put the onus on women to navigate a system that wasn’t created by or for women. We need to choose equitable coverage, coverage for everyone. And make sure it's intentionally designed for the specific concerns of women.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Progyny, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Matthew Koehler is a freelance journalist and licensed real estate agent based in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in Greater Greater Washington, The Washington Post, The Southwester, and Walking Cinema, among others.

Different Is Good: How Rethink Benefits Is Blazing a Trail for Neurodiversity

RELATED STORIES

Developing Workforce Culture Skills to Thrive in 2025

HR’s Influence on Revenue: Navigating the New Employer-Employee Relationship

Bridging the Gap: Evolving Benefits to Support Women’s Health Milestones