As a graduate student, should I tell my advisor that I am neurodivergent?

Question

I'll be finishing my MSc in the next 4-5 months and plan to apply for PhD programs. I’m concerned, though, that my advisor might mention communication issues in his letter of recommendation.

To explain a bit more, I had some difficulties communicating with him while working on my MSc thesis, especially around choosing the thesis topic. I put a lot of effort into improving our communication, but I suspect he may still bring this up.

This partly stems from being neurodivergent, which can make it challenging for me to actively listen and maintain focus at times—a trait he’s pointed out to me several times. I’m uncertain whether I should share this underlying reason with him or keep it to myself. I worry that if I disclose my neurodivergence, it might make advisors, or even him, hesitant to consider me for a PhD position.

Answer 1

The time to make this decision would have been at the beginning of your relationship, or at least in the first half of your studies. If you had said, for example, "I have some health issues that make it difficult to concentrate, so I'd like to schedule three 20-minute meetings rather than one hour-long meeting," that would have been a "reasonable accommodation" that he should have agreed to. (In fact, he may have been legally required to comply, though I hope it wouldn't come to that.) And then with this accommodation, you hopefully would have been able to meet his expectations, and he could give you a strong letter.

At this point, however, you have almost finished your degree, and so the die is largely cast. Just like the undergrad who has already taken the final exam, there is very little you can do to improve your situation at this point. All you can do is try to do a good job on any remaining work and then wait for the grade (letter) to come out.

So: you can tell him or not tell him; it is your private medical information that you can disclose as you see fit. But it should not make much difference either way; regardless of the reasons, your performance was what it was. People being people, it may in practice make some small difference, but without knowing your advisor, I could not guess in which direction. The important thing is to apply "lessons learned" here to your future endeavors.

Answer 2

Understanding the reason for your difficulty doesn’t by itself make it less of a constraint on your ability to communicate or focus effectively. If there are known accommodations or work-arounds that could make this less of a constraint in your future work, then it is worth disclosing the issue. Or if you think your advisor might have come to an alternative, mistaken and unflattering explanation for the issues you have had, then the true explanation could clear things up. If not — well, it doesn’t really matter what the cause of a limitation is or what label is put on that cause if it is still a limitation. And although neurodivergence is starting to be more widely recognised in academic environments, there is still a lot of misunderstanding so the labels can still come with some stigma. In short: I’d advise against disclosure unless there are clear steps that can be taken to help if people know about it, or unless you are so strongly affected that it will be obvious even if you don’t disclose. (On the other hand, the more people do disclose neurodivergence or disabilities, the less stigma there will be in future).

Answer 3

I'm autistic and have ADHD, both of which I told my MSc supervisor about when I started working on my MSc thesis. I believe this led to him making an extra effort to be clear in his communication with me, and he also supported me by helping me plan my work in smaller chunks and having intermediate deadlines. If there are specific, actionable accommodations that you would like to request, and you believe that disclosing a disability would provide context for why you are making the request, then I think it is worth disclosing.

In general, I would not disclose to try and make people view past behaviour more positively, unless you can also point to something that has changed since and the steps you're taking to address it, as it is likely to just come across as making excuses.

You might want to say something like this: "I know we've had issues with miscommunication, and I've noticed a pattern of us coming away from meetings with different understandings of what we discussed. I've realised that this is due to [specific disability], and am working on strategies to improve this. I want to start taking notes during meetings, which might mean I need to pause to write during the meeting. I would also like to email you a summary after the meeting, which should hopefully make it clear if I have major misunderstandings of what we discussed."

You are acknowledging the problems, explaining the cause, and explaining the steps you will take to address it. This is the kind of conversations I've had with my supervisors about my disabilities. They have actually praised my communication skills recently, I think in part because I have acknowledged what the problems are and have taken steps to make sure we have a shared understanding of anything significant.

Answer 4

The decision about whether to now disclose a neurodivergence to your supervisor is a difficult one, but with 4-5 months still left to run on your MSc, it could be worth it. With 4-5 months left, there is still time to work more effectively with your supervisor for the write up of your MSc.

I disagree with answers that say "A limitaiton is a limitation irrepsective of what the reason for it is". For many factors associated with neurodivergence, there are ways in which things can be done differently to work with your neurotype, rather than against it. For example, people with ASD can often communicate very effectively if the forms of, and methods for, commuication are set up correctly, and the correct expectiations are set on both sides.

You will need to apply some judgement about how your supervisor might react - academics as a group are a forward thinking and accepting bunch, but obviously there are those that are less understanding. If you have a hard time judging this, you might need to ask help from someone you trust who also knows your supervisor somewhat.

Going forward, I think caution is less important - when choosing a PhD supervisor, anyone who reacts negatively so the information on your neurotype is not someone you wanted as your supervisor anyway.

Answer 5

I'll be finishing my MSc in the next 4-5 months and plan to apply for PhD programs. I’m concerned, though, that my advisor might mention communication issues in his letter of recommendation.

So you want him not to mention it, or just in a soft, or even in a positive way?

If so, what I would do is find the right opportunity to thank him for his efforts when communicating with you because you have XYZ (some common sense explanation of your problem).

You could have brought this earlier, to be honest, but you are where you are.

Not telling him means that he may put it in the letter, especially if he is annoyed by the issue.
Telling him means that he may think "ahhh, this is why..." and not put anything. Or think "they should have told me earlier, what a lack of professionalism" and highlight that you have a problem an do not manage it correctly.

It is really a matter of feeling and a gamble.

If it were me I would tell him.

Answer 6

It is always your choice whether or not to disclose a disability or neurodivergence (addendum: meaning that, within a disability rights framework, you should not feel compelled to disclose your neurodivergence unless you wish to). However, pragmatically speaking, your supervisor may have benefited from being informed that you have specific communication needs. If you feel comfortable doing so, you could try writing them an email to explain the situation and acknowledge that it may have been confusing or challenging for them, leading to unintended tensions in your working relationship. It is unclear from your question whether or not you believe an apology is appropriate in this situation, but it may be in your best interest to extend an olive branch at this time.

All of this being said, your university is very likely to have an office established for students with disabilities, neurodiversity, or other circumstances that require modifications for accessibility. Depending on the policy at your institution, you may or may not be required to provide evidence of a formal diagnosis. Before proceeding with your advisor, I think you should reach out to the relevant administration contact, because they potentially have an official policy or procedure for these types of situations. At my university, we (academic staff) are notified when students disclose a disability or difference that may affect how they learn and interact with us and their fellow students. Upon your disclosure, administration may directly inform your advisor, which could be easier and less awkward for all involved.

Answer 7

Yes, it could be beneficial to share this with your advisor, especially if it impacts your work or communication style. Letting them know may help create a more understanding and supportive environment, allowing for any necessary accommodations. However, consider your advisor’s openness to such topics and only share if you feel comfortable.