Did you know that a recent survey by the Office for National Statistics found that only 29% of autistic adults were in employment? Neurodivergent individuals have many unique strengths, such as problem-solving, pattern recognition, creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, entrepreneurial acumen, and more! There has long been a business case for why neurodiversity inclusion efforts are beneficial. As employers, there is so much we can do to make the workplace accessible for neurodivergent individuals. This article offers a brief introduction to neurodiversity in the workplace and explores some available resources and different ways you can promote neurodiversity inclusion.
What is neurodiversity?
Individual differences in brain functioning regarded as normal variations within the human population
Merriam Webster Dictionary
Neurodiversity was first coined by Judy Singer in the 1990s. The neurodiverse paradigm suggests that there is diversity in neurology just as we see biodiversity in the natural world. As a result, ‘neurotypical’ brain functioning relates to what is considered the ‘norm’ in current society. Terminology around neurodiversity evolves over time, ‘neuro-distinct‘, and ‘neurodivergent’ are phrases which are often used interchangeably to describe a person who differs from ‘neurotypical’ ways of interacting and communicating with the world. In the context of workplace inclusion, neurodiversity is often used as an umbrella term for neurodivergent conditions, which we will cover shortly.
Examples of neurodivergent conditions
This list is not exhaustive, however, these conditions fall under the neurodiverse umbrella:
- Autism / Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- ADHD / ADD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- Tourette Syndrome (TS)
- Dyslexia
- Dyscalculia
- Dyspraxia
Many neurodivergent individuals will have co-occurring conditions, such as Autism and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), or Tourette Syndrome and ADHD, for example. It is important to note that as new research continues to take place, our understanding of neurodiversity also develops, which means the definitions and diagnostic criteria and terminology may evolve over time.
How can employers support neurodivergent employees?
There has historically been stigma associated with neurodiversity due to outdated stereotypes which still have an impact today. Increased awareness around neurodiversity in recent years has gone some way to combat this. However, there is plenty we can do as employers to encourage an open culture where individuals are supported to be their authentic selves and thrive at work.
Universal inclusion
Organisations should aim to be universally inclusive and create a sense of psychological, emotional and physical safety for all individuals. Here are a few ways to incorporate neurodiversity inclusion into your universal inclusion practices:
Workplace training
One way to raise awareness is to provide training on neurodiversity for our employees, managers and leadership teams. Educating our people on what neurodiversity is, and how we can accommodate and support neurodivergent colleagues in the workplace will support a positive and inclusive culture.
Introduce a Neurodiversity policy
Introduce a policy on how your company supports neurodivergent employees. This policy can explain how you will raise awareness of neurodiversity, examples of reasonable adjustments, and how a neurodivergent employee can seek support from a line manager/ HR. This creates a useful resource that neurodivergent employees can return to for signposted routes of support as needed.
Flexible working
Flexible working is incredibly useful for supporting neurodivergent employees. Many neurodivergent individuals experience hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli, such as noise. As a result, aspects of being in a busy work environment or commuting during rush hour may be uncomfortable for neurodivergent employees. Flexible working may therefore look like having different start and finish times for a neurodivergent employee to avoid travel during rush hour, or working from home.
Individual support
Neurodiversity is unique for each individual. Stephen Shore once famously said, “if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.”. Two people with the same diagnosis can have vastly different needs, challenges, talents and skills. Because of this, the best way to support a neurodivergent colleague is to provide individual and tailored support for their experience of their condition. Individuals with a neurodivergent condition will be protected by the Equality Act 2010, and as such, organisations are legally required to consider requests for reasonable adjustments.
Reasonable adjustments
What are reasonable adjustments? ACAS describes reasonable adjustments as ‘changes an employer can make to reduce or remove a disadvantage related to someone’s disability.’ Some disabled workers will not want or need adjustments, however, this may change over time so it is important to keep an open dialogue.
The Equality Human Rights Commission provides a useful overview of how to decide if an adjustment would be classed as reasonable. “An employer can consider:
- how effective the change will be in avoiding the disadvantage [an employee] would otherwise experience
- its practicality
- the cost
- the organisation’s resources and size
- the availability of financial support.”
An employer has a duty to provide a reasonable adjustment, however, employees can also seek support from the Government via the Access to Work scheme for support that falls beyond this scope.
ACAS also explains that reasonable adjustments could include:
- ‘making changes to the workplace
- changing someone’s working arrangements
- finding a different way to do something
- providing equipment, services or support’.
ACAS’ guide to reasonable adjustments is a useful resource for more information: ACAS Reasonable Adjustments
Examples of reasonable adjustments for neurodiversity:
As we have established, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to neurodiversity, and the appropriate support for a neurodivergent individual will also be unique to them. However, a number of resources including the CIPD, and the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) suggest examples of reasonable adjustments that could be beneficial. This is by no means exhaustive, but it could include:
Challenge – Sensory sensitivity
- Hybrid or flexible working
- Noise-cancelling earplugs
- The ability to sit in a quiet area of the office
- Adjustable lighting, access to natural light
- A comfortable, quiet break room.
Challenge – Information processing
- Speech-to-text software
- Extra time to complete tasks
- Providing resources and instructions in modified formats – e.g. different coloured paper, large print or Easy Read formats
- Providing interview questions in advance
Challenge – Social interaction/anxiety
- Hybrid or flexible working
- Supportive mentoring through a buddy/mentor/coach
- Non-compulsory social events
- Clarifying break times and break areas.
- Assigning a designated workspace
- Providing logistical details in advance – e.g. directions, timings.
Challenge – Memory
- Providing written instructions e.g. following up a verbal discussion with an email.
- Use collaborative project management list and task tracker software to record and assign tasks – for example, fellow, Trello etc. (Microsoft office also has a task functionality.)
Challenge – Focus / hyperactivity / impulsivity
- Hybrid or flexible working
- Regular breaks
- Designated non-interrupted focus times
- Regular check-ins with a line manager to organise projects
- Flexible workspace – e.g using a desk that can be adjusted to a standing position, and/or access to multiple areas to work in such as a hot-desking/co-working style environment.
What do I do if an employee discloses that they are neurodivergent?
If an employee discloses to you that they are neurodivergent, we recommend you have an informal discussion with them to establish if they need any additional support at work. If wanted, there may be reasonable adjustments you could make that they would find beneficial. If an employee requests support with identifying what reasonable adjustments may suit them, then a needs assessment with a neurodiversity expert may be useful. Overall, it is important to be led by the individual and not make assumptions about what they may want or need.
Resources round-up
There are constant developments in what we know and understand about neurodiversity and this article provides just a small insight into this topic. We recommend you visit the following resources for more information on neurodiversity in the workplace:
If you would like support with neurodiversity inclusion in the workplace, please do contact our team.
