Challenges, Strengths, and Strategies of Software Engineers with ADHD: A Case Study

Neurodiversity describes brain function variation in individuals, including Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autism spectrum disorder. Neurodivergent individuals both experience challenges and exhibit strengths in the workplace. As an important disorder included under the neurodiversity term, an estimated 5.0% to 7.1% of the world population have ADHD. However, existing studies involving ADHD in the workplace are of general nature and do not focus on software engineering (SE) activities. To address this gap, we performed an exploratory qualitative case study on the experiences of people with ADHD working in SE. We find that people with ADHD struggle with several important SE-related activities, e.g., task organisation and estimation, attention to work, relation to others. Furthermore, they experience issues with physical and mental health. In terms of strengths, they exhibit, e.g., increased creative skills, perform well when solving puzzles, and have the capability to think ahead. Our findings align with clinical ADHD research, having important implications to SE practice. Lay Abstract - Neurodiversity describes brain function variation in individuals, such as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autism spectrum disorder. People included under this term often experience problems in their work, e.g., due to differences in communication or behaviour, but also exhibit strengths compared to people without these disorders. To better include them, it is essential that we understand how these challenges and strengths manifest in different professions. There is limited research on how neurodiversity affects professionals in software engineering (SE), an environment characterised by a rapid pace, frequent change, and intense collaborative work. Therefore, we studied the strengths, challenges, and strategies of SE professionals with ADHD, a disorder affecting approximately 5.0% to 7.1% of the world population. We find that these professionals perceive many common SE activities as challenging, e.g., estimating how long tasks take, or maintaining focus. Interestingly, they also exhibit highly relevant strengths to the SE industry, such as increased creativity and systems thinking. Based on our findings, we provide several recommendations on how SE companies can better support employees with ADHD.