How to Create Neuro-Inclusive Workplaces

Awareness of neurodiversity in the workplace is growing, but too often there’s a gap between good intentions and practical action, and I want to help employers really make a difference.

As a neurodivergent Independent Social Worker, I’ve seen firsthand how environments built for neurotypical brains can hold people back – both in my own career and through the disabled and neurodivergent people I support.

Creating a neuro-inclusive workplace isn’t just box-ticking. It’s about understanding what neurodiversity really means and putting simple, thoughtful practices in place to help neurodiverse employees thrive. And here’s what you’ll notice: those changes and adjustments will benefit all employees.

Why Neurodiversity-Friendly Workplaces Matter

• ACAS reports that around 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent (including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia).

• According to GOV.UK, only about 31% of autistic adults are in employment, compared to 54.7% for disabled people overall.

• According to Autistica’s Neurodiversity Employers Index (NDEI®), Organisations that have neuroinclusive goals report better employee satisfaction and lower turnover. Many neurodivergent employees say they don’t feel comfortable requesting adjustments or speaking up about their needs.

These gaps aren’t because neurodivergent people lack skills; workplaces often aren’t set up to support differences.

Practical Steps for Organisations Wanting to Be Neuroinclusive

Here are some simple strategies you can adopt as an employer to make your workplace more accessible for neurodiverse employees:

1. Improve awareness and training

   • Use training and events to help all staff understand neurodiversity, including managers and HR.

   • Adopt positive and person-first language, and avoid ableist, stigmatising, or deficit-based terms. E.g. instead of "suffers from," use phrases like "is Autistic" or "has ADHD".

   • Ask neurodivergent employees for their input and preferences to make real-world improvements.

2. Flexible structures and reasonable adjustments

   • Allow flexible hours, remote or hybrid work, longer breaks, quieter or low-stimulus working areas.

   • Make helpful tools like noise-cancelling headphones or task-management apps available.

   • Give advance notice of meetings, with clear agendas to help employees feel prepared.

   • Ensure meetings are necessary, short (no longer than 1 hour!), and purposeful to avoid overwhelm and burnout.

3. Streamline processes and remove barriers

   • Simplify admin and instructions; avoid complex paperwork just to access support.

   • Ensure recruitment and onboarding are accessible (e.g. send interview questions in advance, and ask if any accommodations are required).

4. Create safe spaces and peer networks

   • Encourage staff to share their preferences and mental processing styles privately and openly.

   • Establish neurodiversity networks or staff groups to provide peer support and ideas for improvement.

   • Give employees access to active lunchtime activities to break up the working day and energise them. Yoga, Pilates, HIIT, dance… better still, give your team a say in what they’d like to do.

5. Set and measure goals

   • Have a clear strategy and goals around neuroinclusive culture. Only around 30% of UK organisations currently do.

   • Use tools like Autistica’s Neurodiversity Employers Index (NDEI®) to benchmark inclusivity.

6. Create an open culture

   • Encourage leaders to speak openly about neurodivergence to normalise different brains.

   • Embed neuroinclusive practices into policies, performance reviews, and all levels of leadership.

The Benefits for Businesses

By building a neuroinclusive workplace, employers can expect:

• More creativity, innovation and problem-solving from different thinking styles.

• Increased employee loyalty and retention from neurodivergent staff who feel heard, understood, and supported.

• Better reputation and appeal to a wider talent pool.

• Reduced costs tied to burnout, turnover, or poor wellbeing.

Making the shift towards a neurodiversity-friendly workplace isn’t complicated when you commit prioritising workplace wellbeing. Small adjustments to the working environment and simplified processes provide the right conditions for all employees to flourish.