Diana Rosberg Connects The Dots (Autism)

When schools are made better for neurodivergent individuals, they become better for everyone. This series profiles current international school leaders who identify as neurodivergent — including those with autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, bipolar disorder, and hypersensitivity. We explore how their neurodivergence has influenced their leadership: the unique strengths it brings, the challenges they’ve navigated, and what schools can do differently to ensure these leaders are supported and empowered. For several of those featured, this marks the first time they’ve spoken publicly about their neurodivergence — a courageous step in a world where stigma still lingers, and a meaningful one in helping all school communities move toward greater inclusion and understanding.

Diana Rosberg has been working in international schools since 1994, and built a track record of success on multiple Senior Leadership Teams. (She is also a co-author of this series of articles.) It takes a large range of skills to lead in dynamic, multicultural environments, and Diana credits her autism as a strong catalyst for developing those skills.

Diana was in her early 40’s when she was diagnosed with autism, self-diagnosed, as is not uncommon for adults with this condition. As she told the story, it was World Autism Day, which had come up in her social media feed. The post included a link to a scientific diagnostic tool for adults developed by British clinical psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen and his team at the Cambridge Autism Research Center. Curious, Diana completed the 50-question survey. Her result left no room for doubt: she was autistic.

Diana and her husband shared the same initial reaction, “Oh. That explains a lot!”

Neither one was surprised or anything other than intrigued at this new way of looking at her world and making sense of how her neurological system operated. As she continued to explore the science related to autism, she confirmed, over and over, how important, useful, and affirming it was to better understand how her brain functioned. Diana’s new learnings also provided unexpected insights into her work with international schools, and allowed her to become more intentional about choosing which skills to apply in which situations. Sitting around conference tables, facing the complex challenges inherent to international schools, Diana’s introspection was put to use in the service of students and learning.

Some people, upon coming to a diagnosis later in life, report that they had always suspected that there was something a little different about how they moved in the world. Diana did not have such suspicions, and in retrospect, she sees that naïvete as a possible signifier of her autism, in that she had always mimicked or masked to fit in with the prevailing socio-cultural norms. 

Masking and mimicking deserve proper explanations: they are mentioned multiple times in this series of profiles exploring different neurosignatures. Masking is an approach in which those with neurodivergence adopt or suppress traits, habits, and mannerisms, in order to appear neurotypical. In one example of masking, an autistic person might intentionally make frequent eye contact with colleagues, despite this feeling unnatural to them. Mimicking is another common strategy, employed more frequently by females than males. Diana credits her mimicking skills with helping her navigate childhood -  her life ran a little smoother when she talked about what other girls talked about and asked her parents for the toys the other girls had. Both masking and mimicking require significant energy, and can contribute to depression and anxiety. Some even theorize that masking and mimicking reduce diagnoses: some neurodivergent people are so successful at presenting in mainstream ways that professionals, and perhaps even those who are neurodivergent, believe what they see. 

As a young child, through mid-adolescence, Diana had trouble fitting in and making friends. As a result, she distanced herself for years, throwing herself into books. Reading turns out to be another key strategy for many young women with autism. Keen readers can learn a lot about the world and how to function within it; mimicking can be accelerated through this process. Diana leveraged reading to gain an early sense of independence and accelerate her academic achievement, including university entrance at the age of 16. She found she could address many challenges by breaking them down into boxes and columns and approaching them with logic. She’d also learned how to navigate social situations with new skills that allowed her to make and nurture friendships. Literature also provided her with excellent insights into managing her emotions, resulting in a more balanced lifestyle. Her career in international education took off soon after graduation; she has taught and led in schools in seven countries, and consulted in many more. She has been happily married to another international school leader for nearly 20 years. 

Here’s how Diana describes the ways in which her brain makes her a stronger leader:

• Big picture thinking with detail-orientation. She collects small pieces of information, scattered all over campus, and is able to put together the entire jigsaw puzzle of a school. Logic is her tool.
• Building pathways. She can map a strategic route from here to there, whatever “there” might be. She can see the steps needed to get to the desired outcome, whether for strategic planning, curriculum, accreditation or finances. 
• Focus. She can stay focused on that route and those steps. She’s not distracted by “fires or shiny things.”
• Team/organizational orientation. It matters more to her that the team wins than that she, personally, is right or wins.
• Excellent in a crisis. She’s able to quickly break down what needs to be done, by whom, in what order. She’s able to stay calm and not become overwhelmed by emotion even in the face of extreme events and physical risks. (This comes at a cost after the crisis passes, when those delayed emotions surface to demand care and feeding.)

Despite her career successes, life has not always been easy for Diana. Certain behaviors and tendencies related to her autism regularly show up and need to be managed. For example, she can get lost in repetitive activities; get frustrated easily when something doesn’t make sense to her; find herself talking too much or too little; and sometimes fidgets or stims. Diana has developed methods that help her address these tendencies. She relies on personal systems for staying organized and keeping herself on track. She deliberately considers how much air she should take up in meetings. Adaptive Schools protocols are a favorite tool for Diana to successfully lead and manage teams. Despite these effective strategies, and her successful experience as a senior leader for over two decades, Diana has found that managing the more challenging aspects of her autism require a tremendous amount of energy, leaving her feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally depleted. This all makes sense to her now, after studying her personal autism constellation.

What is a “personal autism constellation?” First conceived by Caroline Hearst about a decade ago, and then independently conceived by Diana more recently, an autism constellation is a term that we hope people might start using, perhaps replacing “on the spectrum.” To Diana, spectrum implies a thin, straight line, and that people “on the spectrum” experience forms of autism somewhere between “easy/mild” and “hard/profound.” It suggests that someone like her, who is professionally and personally successful, must be on the “light” end of the spectrum. Diana finds that this is far from the truth. Autism presents itself through hundreds, perhaps thousands, of different attributes. If those thousands of possible attributes are the stars in the autism galaxy, then a personal autism constellation is exactly what it sounds like: the specific attributes that one individual experiences, and the beautiful way in which they combine. For more in-depth thoughts on constellations, check out the Autistic Scholar.

Understanding her autism constellation has been liberating in many ways. Diana now knows better how to self-regulate, how much she can push herself, and when to take a step back. Having served as a senior leader in schools for much of her career and lived the toll it takes, she now chooses to be employed in several part-time capacities, serving as a coach and consultant to schools in ways that play to her strengths and allow her agency over how she uses her time and energy. She can deploy useful skills related to her autism in her consulting work while mitigating those traits that might get in her way. The international school world is the perfect setting for this style of working, allowing endless new challenges (something Diana adores) within a recognizable paradigm. 

Diana has been hesitant to be open about her diagnosis because of the stigma attached to autism. She has heard colleagues discuss this topic, and those they suspect to be “on the spectrum,” in ways that promote uncharitable stereotypes. She feels fortunate in her ability to choose a career path in international schools. At the same time, she’s frustrated on behalf of her fellow people with autism who are hiding their diagnoses or simply aren’t aware that they may be autistic; who in either case are suffering because they don’t feel safe and supported enough to fully let their leadership lights shine. It is in this spirit that Diana is sharing her story.

Diana is the first to say that the way autism shows up for her is specific to her. For others, gifts and behaviors create a different constellation. So her advice to schools is tailored to her realities, and is as follows: Schools should speak plainly to leaders with autism. Be specific and direct with feedback, so they know what is required. Recognize that most autistic people need regular doses of alone time, preferably in a quiet retreat space without overstimulating noise and light. You might see an autistic leader engaging in repetitive behaviors, such as solving sudoku: understand that’s what many autistic brains need while they are engaged in deep thought, or resetting after a challenging interaction. These forms of stimming reduce anxiety and allow the brain to keep working on intellectual tasks. Therefore, your leaders with autism will appreciate being judged on the quality of their work output, rather than what it looks like while they are at work.

The payoff for supporting leaders with autism in these ways will be tremendous, for them and for any school or community lucky enough to work with them.