FOR many years, Shi Yee navigated the professional world without knowing she was autistic.
Now a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and programme leader at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) in Penang, she is among neurodivergent professionals who are increasingly reclaiming their own stories.
Their journey illustrates the shift highlighted in ACCA’s latest report, Neurodiversity in Accountancy: Navigating Your Career, as organisations increasingly recognise the unique strengths of neurodivergent talent and the value they bring to the workplace.
According to the report, the narrative around neurodiversity is changing, with neurodivergent professionals reshaping expectations of what workplaces should provide, and demonstrating that when the environment adapts rather than the individual, everyone benefits.
Shi Yee’s career journey, presented in the research, reflects how significantly workplace environments can affect neurodivergent professionals.
After graduating, she spent five years in commercial accountancy roles, first in a large organisation where customer demands resulted in constant ad hoc tasks, and later in a smaller company that lacked the structure she needed to thrive.
“I faced challenges doing ad hoc tasks. A lot of requests came suddenly, and I had to respond immediately,” she said of her experience.
The combination of unpredictable demands and difficulty prioritising tasks led to overwhelming stress.
However, Shi Yee’s autism brings distinctive strengths to her current role. Her ability to identify root causes rather than surface symptoms enables her to effectively resolve student challenges and enhance course delivery.
Her need for structure translates into strong teaching capabilities, particularly in complex subjects such as Strategic Business Leader. By creating clear frameworks, she helps students organise their thinking and communicate effectively – a strength widely recognised by her colleagues, according to a March 24 press release.
ACCA skills, sectors and technology global head Jamie Lyon noted that the narrative is moving from “what can neurodivergent people do for organisations?” towards “what systems need to change to enable everyone to work effectively?”.
“This reframe matters because it shifts responsibility: individuals should not need to adapt to the workplace – the workplace needs to be designed better. But the gap is still far too wide,” he said.
In addition to personal insights from neurodivergent accountancy professionals, the report, launched in March, offers practical strategies for organisations to better support neurodivergent employees, as well as guidance for individuals to navigate their careers successfully.
It also identifies five key areas where individual action creates conditions for success. Among them are understanding one’s cognitive profile, making strategic disclosure decisions, leveraging technology, advocating individualised support, and building one’s personal support system.
