Rachel Kisellus, Witness + Analyst

Incident Summary:

Over the course of my professional life, I was dismissed or pushed out from at least three positions ~ not because of incompetence or lack of commitment ~ but because I functioned differently in ways no one could name.

I now understand that difference as autism.

But at the time, all I had were symptoms: overfocus, emotional exhaustion, misunderstanding of social cues, and an eerie, unplaceable rightness that made some people uncomfortable.

Root Cause Analysis:

• Undiagnosed Neurodivergence
• Systemic Lack of Accommodation
• Culture of Speed Over Sensitivity
• Reward Structure Favoring Compliance, Not Clarity

Each workplace failure did not result from a lack of capability. It resulted from a mismatch between environment and nervous system ~ between corporate expectation and neurodivergent perception.

In truth, my sensory intelligence exceeded what the structure could hold. My body knew things before they were spoken. I spotted ethical faults in the system and named them ~ out loud. That was my fatal error.

Warning Signs (Ignored):

• Emotional meltdowns masked as “just stressed”
• Overachieving followed by sudden withdrawal
• “Too intense,” “too much,” “too opinionated” labels
• Gut-level resistance to unethical workflows
• Needing more time to process but given less
• Reaching out for help and being redirected or silenced

System Response: