In the UK, It’s estimated that 15–20% of the population is neurodivergent, including people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and other neurological differences. Despite this, many neurodivergent people still face significant challenges when it comes to finding and staying in work. According the UK Government, only 30.2% of autistic people are in employment, making autism one of the disability groups with the lowest employment rate in the UK. For people with severe or specific learning difficulties, the situation is similar, with only 29.9% in work.
In recent years, however, awareness of neurodiversity has grown significantly in the workplace. With a better understanding of the challenges neurodiverse people can face, employers are now more equipped to support colleagues with learning difficulties and neurological differences.
HR teams have become increasingly supportive too, offering meaningful help to neurodiverse employees. However, conversations about support often begin with what equipment or specialist software is needed. While these tools can be incredibly helpful, many people with learning difficulties already have their own systems or software they rely on to make daily tasks easier.
Unfortunately, that’s often where the support tends to fizzle out, simply because organisations don’t always know what else might help beyond providing a physical tool. This isn’t a lack of willingness to help on their part, it’s usually just a lack of insight into what might help neurodiverse people to thrive.
The good news is that supporting neurodiverse employees doesn’t have to cost anything. It starts with small, thoughtful changes in everyday practice. As part of Neurodiversity week, we’ve put together a few practical adjustments organisations can make to help their neurodiverse colleagues thrive:
One On One Catch-Ups
In busy organisations, it can be especially challenging for neurodiverse employees to keep track of priorities as tasks come in and emails pile up. Regular one-on-one catch-ups with managers create a dedicated space to talk things through without judgement, unload what’s on their mind, and sort out priorities together. This simple routine can make a huge difference to clarity and confidence. People with learning disabilities often carry a lot of shame around performance struggles and avoid communicating these problems by masking them, so having a space where they can talk openly without judgement helps ease the pressure and gets everyone on the same page.
Written Instructions
There’s nothing more confusing than having to piece together the meaning of an email thread that’s been forwarded without context or trying to guess action points from a meeting where tasks were implied rather than stated. When making a request or asking a neurodiverse colleague for support, it really helps to be clear and explicit. A good starting point is to lay out the agenda ahead of the meeting to allow time to prepare or request plainly, explain exactly what you need, and provide the context behind it. Clear communication removes unnecessary guesswork for everyone.
Clear Deadlines
Clear deadlines are incredibly helpful for neurodiverse employees who find organisation challenging. Knowing exactly when something is due makes it easier to plan and prioritise work. Breaking down a project into stages or using a simple Gantt chart can also make the process feel more structured and manageable.
Just like many tools and adjustments originally designed to support people with disabilities (Subtitles, electric toothbrushes, or even Velcro to name just a few), these often end up benefiting everyone. When we introduce supportive practices more widely, we not only create a more inclusive environment for neurodiverse colleagues but also improve working practices across the board. Small adjustments can make work easier, clearer, and more enjoyable for all of us.
To learn more about neurodiversity in the workplace and how your organisation can better support people with neurological differences, you can explore two helpful resources: Understanding neurodiversity – Neurodiversity at Work from Acas, and the Supporting neurodivergent people into employment briefing from the House of Commons Library.
