To mark World Autism Acceptance Month and World Autism Awareness Day, we have reproduced an article appearing in the February 2025 edition of Danish police magazine Dansk Politi which looks at how neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD and autism are accommodated within the Police of Denmark
Michael is an investigator in the North Jutland Police – and he has ADHD. He found this out after 13 years in the police force, when he was close to burning out. Both he and his then manager, Jan Brun Sørensen, wish they had known earlier that Michael had a different-thinking brain, because then they could have acted accordingly. Danish police need talented brains, and it is the job of managers to take the lead in accommodating all personality types. Often it takes very little, says Jan Brun Sørensen.
“The Danish Police must become better at supporting police officers with, for example, ADHD and autism, and the diagnoses should not automatically exclude applicants to the Police Academy. Because in this way, the police can avoid missing out on many talented people.” This is the joint message from Jan Brun Sørensen, development consultant in the management secretariat of the North Jutland Police, and Michael, who is an investigator in the same police district.
“We must not be afraid of different personality types. They are here already in the police, even though they may not show it. But more and more people are being diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and in the police we will certainly be able to embrace them to a certain extent”, says Jan Brun Sørensen.
He recently returned home inspired from a conference on English policing, where they are much further along in including neurodivergent people. A neurodivergent brain means that it functions atypically. Diagnoses such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia (word difficulty), and OCD fall within the neurodivergent realm.
Need for more openness
Michael is a shining example of how police work and an ADHD diagnosis can easily go hand in hand. But it requires openness, recognition and knowledge about neurodivergence – both on the part of the individual and on the part of management, he points out.
“I was first diagnosed when I was 41 years old, after 13 years in the police force, and when I was completely burned out”, says the now 45-year-old investigator, who cannot give his last name or face due to the nature of his work.
“Because I have absolutely nothing to hide and I am very open about my diagnosis, my hope is that I can help others ‘come out’ about their neurodivergence by standing up for themselves. Also those who know they can tick all the characteristics of ADHD, but don’t want to be explained for fear of being put in a box”, says Michael. He continues:
“It shouldn’t be like that. This is 2025, and the Danish police want to reflect society, where there has been much greater openness about diagnoses and neurodivergence in recent years, because more and more people are getting a diagnosis. In my opinion, we are not quite there yet in the police”, says Michael.
Difficulty slowing down
However, the investigator himself experienced broad acceptance from those around him when he received his ADHD diagnosis. Not many, including his then-leader Jan Brun Sørensen, were surprised.
“I had often stood and looked into Michael’s almost glassy eyes and encountered his marked restlessness, which was expressed, among other things, by the fact that he wanted everything at once. I wish I had known earlier that it was ADHD, because then I could have helped him stop”, says Jan Brun Sørensen. He looks over at Michael and adds:
“It’s actually incredible that you didn’t end up with burnout and a stress-related illness.” Michael nods, because the challenge for him and others with ADHD is precisely that it can be difficult to slow down. Michael was going full speed ahead – like a Ferrari with bicycle brakes, is his own comparison. He sought challenges in all sorts of different directions without having a real career path. All stimuli were taken in, and thoughts swarmed. He had to learn the ability to say ‘no’. Fortunately, his ADHD medication is helping him now.
“Already at the lowest starting dose, my overstimulated brain made its way from a multi-lane highway in Los Angeles to the E45 in North Jutland. It was a huge relief”, Michael says.
Stop chasing the dopamine fix
The diagnosis meant that Michael could seek knowledge about what he himself could do to function better in a world designed for neurotypical – or ‘normal’ – brains.
“When I’m at work, for example, it’s about putting music in my ears if I have to write a report in an office with five or six other colleagues. Otherwise, I take in all the impressions from the others and become overstimulated. My antennae pick up everything, which can be an advantage in other contexts”, says Michael and adds:
“Besides, I know today that I shouldn’t chase the dopamine fix I got from driving an emergency vehicle, for example. Basically, it was to patch up the hole inside me for a short while. But I burn out in a department like emergency services. Instead, I have learned to find inner peace and enormous job satisfaction by ‘nerding out’ in research work, where interest and focus go up to a higher level. In my free time, it’s important for me to take care of my training, take an ice bath, or whatever works for me.”
Jan Brun Sørensen has also learned a lot about being a leader for Michael. “I would like to drum up support for us as leaders to be more aware of these signals. Yes, it could be a colleague who is stressed or depressed, but it could also be a colleague with ADHD who is burning out, without the person even being aware that he or she is neurodivergent”, he says.
He points out that a leader of a neurodivergent employee should be aware that a sentence like “Tell me what you need” is not always enough. Sometimes you may also have to say ‘no’ on behalf of the employee.
“A person with ADHD typically takes on too many tasks because they may have difficulty saying ‘no’ or opting out of new challenges. Here, as a manager, you can help your employee not to become overloaded, says Jan Brun Sørensen.
Simple measures can help
In fact, many of the things that challenge a neurodivergent person in their daily lives can be remedied without major expenses or initiatives. Experience from the English police is that 90% of all initiatives that are intended to meet the needs of neurodivergent people can be implemented at no cost. In the management secretariat of the North Jutland Police, Jan Brun Sørensen is already working with tools that will help neurodivergent colleagues.
“We are about to test a transcription robot that we have built together with the emergency services. You speak into your dictaphone, transfer the file to your work computer, and Olivaw, as we have named the robot, translates it into text, which is then inserted into the report in the POLSAS national police database”, says Jan Brun Sørensen, who also teaches other leaders in the district in Microsoft Outlook’s task function.
“It is a structuring tool that can help with organising and keeping track of many things, which can generally be a challenge for neurodivergent people, but also for the rest of us, says Jan Brun Sørensen.
Another tool he teaches is mind maps – or Mindview, as the software is called in the police. A tool that also helps create an overview and visualize processes, which many neurodivergent people can greatly benefit from.
“I clearly believe that we as leaders must take the lead and show that it is possible to adapt work to different needs, and often it is very simple things that are needed”, says Jan Brun Sørensen.
However, he sees a need to shake up parts of a rigid culture that exists in the Danish police. For example, the doors to the offices must always be open to signal that they are available.
“But what if you are dealing with complicated cases and need peace and quiet to concentrate? In my previous department, I introduced the idea that it is okay to close your door. Then I was asked if we had a bad atmosphere here, since the doors to the offices were often closed? No, we just needed to be able to concentrate on our work”, says Jan Brun Sørensen.
“We must not be afraid of different personality types. They are already here in the police, even though they may not show it. But more and more people are being diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and in the police we will certainly be able to embrace them to a certain extent.”
Finding a niche
He is convinced that there is a niche for most neurodivergent people in the police force because there are so many career opportunities. “However, we currently have a recruitment system that discourages neurodivergent individuals. I believe we are missing out on many talented employees in the Danish police force because of this”, says Jan Brun Sørensen.
Michael agrees. He passed the entrance exam for police training without any problems. “At the time, I also had ADHD, but if I had had the four letters as a diagnosis when I applied, I would have automatically been sifted out. I also know that some people don’t dare to be diagnosed before they apply – only after they have been permanently employed. But without a diagnosis, you can’t be medicated. It has helped me an incredible amount in terms of my mind racing and in being able to concentrate better.”
“I am not alone”
Michael says that with his diagnosis and his openness about it, he is in a much better place today. “I will never stop developing and learning about myself, but I have no doubt that the police and I are still the right match. By coming forward, I hope that more attention will be paid to the neurodivergent people who are already in the police. I know that I am not alone, because I know several like-minded people who are also diagnosed.” And since neurodivergent people are attracted to blue lights, adrenaline, rules and frameworks, there will naturally be more, he predicts, adding:
“I hope that in the future people with neurodivergent diagnoses will be hired if they are otherwise suitable for the police. Otherwise, we in North Jutland Police will miss out on many talented colleagues.”
‘The labour market is opening its eyes to atypical brains’
The diagnoses of ADHD and autism have grown rapidly in recent years. Educational institutions and workplaces should become better at including people with so-called neurodivergent brains. They have many qualifications, and society needs them as part of the workforce. This is the opinion of Per Hove Thomsen, senior consultant and professor at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Aarhus University.
“And actually, there are no more people with autism or ADHD than before. But there are dramatically more people are being diagnosed with it. Especially ADHD, where more and more people are being diagnosed as adults. This is mainly due to the fact that there has been greater knowledge and focus on the area, and therefore fewer people are going under the radar.”
This is according to Per Hove Thomsen, senior consultant and professor at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Aarhus University and with extensive expertise in neurodivergence.
“Approximately three to four percent of the adult population has ADHD, while a few percent meet the criteria for autism. Unfortunately, many adults with neurodivergent diagnoses are outside the labour market today. This is both a waste of skills and unnecessary stigmatisation”, says Per Hove Thomsen. However, he senses that a change in attitude is taking place.
“In recent years, I have experienced a greater interest in to include neurodivergent people in the labour market. On the one hand, there has been more knowledge in the area and thus greater awareness that neurodivergent people have many qualifications. On the other hand, the economic situation has helped; there is a need for everyone’s hands – and brains – in the labour market”, says Per Hove Thomsen.
Different mindsets are a strength
A look around the internet also shows that Danish employer associations and other management forums have begun to provide advice on how to be most successful in managing neurodivergent employees, just as many trade unions have set up networking groups for their neurodivergent members.
Per Hove Thomsen is reluctant to generalise about the strengths a neurodivergent person can bring to a workplace, because not everyone is cut from the same cloth. For example, the autism spectrum is enormously broad. Nevertheless, there are some characteristics he can mention:
“People with ADHD typically have an ability to think creatively. They are imaginative and energetic. We also know from American studies that many entrepreneurs have ADHD – presumably because they also favour a certain amount of risk-taking. Whereas the autistic brain generally thinks more carefully and has a greater ability to focus on details and think in depth”, explains Per Hove Thomsen.
He continues: “If you have a group of 10 employees, it can be a great strength to think differently. For example, to have the creative, the risk-averse, the routine-oriented, the anxious and the decisive personality types present.”
Individual needs – and solutions
What might be the typical challenges of employing neurodivergent people? “People don’t know enough about what neurodiversity means, and that they therefore don’t arrange the workplace according to their challenges. It is typical for people with ADHD that they are incredibly energetic one day and flat the next because they manage their energy inappropriately. Therefore, there must be an understanding on the part of employers and colleagues that people with ADHD, for example, need to be able to withdraw a little to recharge”, says Per Hove Thomsen.
He points out once again that this is about people who are different in terms of both challenges and strengths, so an individual interview and assessment is incredibly important in relation to the education or workplace they will be part of.
“You should never automatically exclude anyone, because they have a neurodivergent brain. Because they have a lot to offer that we as a society otherwise miss out on”, asserts Per Hove Thomsen.
The Danish national police are looking at medical admission requirements
A police career requires good health – both physical and mental. Therefore, there are a number of health requirements that must be met before an applicant is considered for police training or for training as a police cadet. Today, for example, you cannot be admitted to training if you have an ADHD or autism diagnosis.
However, the Danish National Police’s HR Department and the Police Academy are currently investigating whether changes should be made to the current guidelines in the long term – both within the physical and mental entry requirements. This is according to HR Director at the Danish National Police, Lene Vejrum.
“It is important to keep up with developments. For example, there have been better treatment options for allergies, and the results of knee surgeries today are far better than before. Within the psychological field, we specifically look at anxiety and OCD, both of which are diagnoses that can be treated and are therefore temporary. We also focus on ADHD, as more and more people are being diagnosed with this”, says Lene Vejrum.
Difficult balancing act
She emphasises that it is far too early to say anything about the outcome of the knowledge gathering that has begun, which also takes into account experiences from the Danish Armed Forces and abroad.
“It’s a difficult balance between the desire for diversity and ensuring that we hire employees who are robust enough for the police job, because it requires something very special”, says Lene Vejrum.
Police medical standards in the Nordic neighbours
- In the Swedish police, since 2021 it has been possible to apply for admission to police training with ADHD or another neurodivergent diagnosis. However, admission requires a satisfactory functional assessment by one’s own doctor or another medical professional.
- In the Norwegian police, applicants with neurodivergent diagnoses such as ADHD and ADD are rejected unless a specialist’s certificate may demonstrate that the diagnosis no longer exists. ∎
This article was machine translated from the original piece in Danish and has been edited for readability. An interview with Tracy Betts, former President of the Disabled Police Association, which featured in the original article can be found on the DPA website.
