Practical Guide to Meaningful Neurodiversity Support at Work

At a glance:

• Up to 20% of the global population is neurodivergent, bringing unique strengths to the working environment such as pattern recognition and creative problem-solving.

• However, neurodivergent adults face significantly higher unemployment rates than the general population, suggesting workplaces still have work to do. 
  

• Meaningful support starts with workplace design, rather than retrofitting adjustments after staff disclose their needs.  

Neurodiversity In The Workplace and Common Experiences For Neurodivergent Employees

As workplaces strive to be more inclusive, understanding the varied ways individuals think and work has never been more important. This article begins by clarifying key concepts around neurodiversity and neurodivergence to lay the foundation for a more supportive workplace environment. 

Neurodiversity refers to normal variation in how individuals think, learn and process information. Neurodivergence refers to ways of thinking and learning that differ from the general (or neurotypical) population, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia and dyspraxia. 

It is estimated that up to 20% of the global population is neurodivergent and research has consistently shown that neurodivergent workers can bring unique strengths to their workplaces when given the right conditions to thrive. These strengths include pattern recognition, creative problem-solving and innovation. 

However, neurodivergent adults currently experience significantly higher rates of unemployment and tenuous employment compared with the general population. This gap suggests that many employers still have work to do in creating environments that effectively support their neurodivergent workers to thrive.  

Each neurodivergent individual's experience is unique, but common challenges in working environments can include:

• Sensory sensitivities or overload from physical environments (e.g., lighting, sounds, open-plan layouts)
  
  
• Difficulty navigating social cues or implicit norms (e.g., "unspoken" rules about meeting behaviour) 
  
  
• Issues maintaining energy, productivity and executive functioning (e.g., extended attention and focus) 
  
  
• Pressure to perform within frameworks that may disadvantage them (e.g., traditional interview-based hiring processes) 
  
  
• Worry about stigma, negative assumptions and withheld opportunities, often leading to masking and non-disclosure 

Where Are Organisations Going Wrong With Neurodiversity Support At Work?  

Visibility of, and support for, neurodiversity in the workplace has grown significantly in recent years. Many employers have taken the important step of incorporating dedicated neurodiversity initiatives into broader diversity and inclusion strategies.

However, many organisations still focus on surface-level support within a fundamentally neurotypical work structure. This holds neurodivergent workers to standards and expectations not built for them.   

What this can lead to are supports that over-emphasise:

• Awareness without practical intervention such as acknowledging neurodiversity initiatives or best practice without actual support being implemented within day-to-day organisational practices.
  
  
• Hiring neurodiverse staff without considering how the workplace needs to be structured to appropriately support, develop and retain them.
  
  
• One-size-fits-all work adjustments that do not acknowledge or allow for variability in neurodiverse experiences or needs.
  
  
• Retrofitting supports to inflexible work structures, which relies on workers to disclose their neurodivergence for support, and prioritises accommodations that suit the workplace rather than what the neurodivergent person needs to thrive. 

As Jaydene Tucker, Endorsed Organisational Psychologist and Manager for Organisational Services at Altius, explains:  

"A statement on a job listing about an organisation’s commitment to neurodiversity doesn't fix a poorly designed workspace or a rigid way of working. Meaningful support for neurodivergent staff shows up in how work is designed and experienced day to day, not just in an annual diversity report."  

How Can Workplaces Better Support Neurodivergent Employees?    

Effective support for neurodiversity means thinking less about how neurodivergent staff can change to fit the workplace, and more about how workplaces can set all workers up to thrive through neuroinclusive design.  

Workplace Accommodations That Improve Day-To-Day Work

Reasonable accommodations don’t have to be expensive or complicated. It can even be low-cost or free and offer benefits to the entire workforce.

Examples include:

• Offering written meeting agendas and follow-up summaries

• Providing noise-cancelling headphones or quiet breakout spaces

• Allowing flexible start and finish times to manage energy levels

• Using clear communication instead of implied expectations

• Providing instructions in multiple formats (verbal, written, visual) 

For instance, sharing a straightforward "meeting expectations" document ahead of each session (covering the agenda, speaker order, and whether brainstorming or decision-making will take place) can reduce anxiety for neurodivergent employees and improve clarity for neurotypical colleagues. This type of approach tends to benefit everyone involved. 

Tucker adds:  

"Good leadership development recognises that people’s brains work differently. The goal is to design work around how people think and process information instead of making everyone fit the same mould.”  

Workplace Supports That Help Neurodivergent Employees Thrive 

Day-to-day accommodations are important, but they are only part of the picture. Lasting support requires organisations to look at their broader systems and structures.  

Here are five practical approaches that can build lasting support: 

1. Reshape recruitment and development practices  

   Provide alternate pathways for neurodiverse staff to demonstrate their strengths, such as offering work trials or sample questions instead of traditional interview panels. 

2. Create work environments, policies and procedures in consultation with diverse staff groups.
   The people who live the experience day to day know what works and what doesn’t. Focus on making these policies accessible for all lived experiences.

3. Make flexible conditions proactively accessible for all staff, not just those who disclose neurodivergence. 
   Many accommodations that support neurodiverse workers like flexible hours, written instructions, and quiet spaces have also been shown to improve productivity and wellbeing of neurotypical workers.

4. Encourage explore strengths-based work design.
   Help workers identify which tasks and approaches best suit their unique skillsets. Some people thrive on detail-focused work. Others excel at systems thinking or creative problem-solving. Neither is wrong. They are just different.

5. Create a neurodiversity-informed workforce, particularly leadership groups.
   Targeted training and development should provide awareness and also practical strategies for neuro-inclusive practice. 

Effective leadership development programs now actively integrate neurodiversity into their structure and focus.  Leaders who understand how different brains process information make better hiring decisions, build stronger teams, and reduce psychosocial risk factors across their workforce.  

How Can Altius Support Your Workplace With Training And Coaching?

As workplace wellbeing experts, we understand that embracing neurodiversity can lead to a significant boost in organisational success. Psychosocial risk factors tend to decrease when employees feel psychologically safe and properly supported. 

Altius provides workplace training and coaching services to help individuals, teams and organisations grow their confidence and capability in nurturing neuroinclusive environments. Our programs help all workers be their best and most authentic selves. 

We apply the science of learning to craft engaging and highly effective programs.  Our services are delivered by experienced coaches, psychologists and organisational psychologists. Tailored programs focus on strengthening leadership, building resilience, and creating accountability for high-performing work environments. 

The Takeaway