It’s estimated that 15-20% of people worldwide are neurodivergent, yet many organisations still fail to build neuroinclusion in the workplace. In fact, research from the CIPD in 2024 revealed only half of neurodivergent employees felt their organisation had an ‘open and supportive’ climate for them.

To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17th – 23rd March 2025), a global initiative that challenges misconceptions about neurological differences, we examine key considerations for driving neuroinclusion in the workplace. 

To help create this guide, we’ve consulted with several neurodiverse individuals and diversity advocates on how to support cognitive diversity in the workplace and foster inclusive organisational cultures.

 As someone with ADHD and anxiety, I know how exhausting it is to feel like you have to mask your struggles just to be seen as competent.” – Deborah Hartung

Neurodiversity at work

Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that encompasses differences in brain function and behavioural traits compared with the ‘neurotypical brain’. It includes conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. 

When provided with an inclusive, supportive environment, neurodiverse individuals bring a wealth of strengths and skills that can be harnessed by organisations. However, most workplaces are designed with the neurotypical brain in mind, with little thought given to brain diversity and the barriers that hinder neurodivergent minds.

As a result, many individuals are left feeling the need to mask their true selves and navigate overstimulating, stress-inducing environments that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Let’s explore how organisations can rectify this.

‘Stop expecting yourself from other people’ 

To support neuroinclusion in the workplace, leaders need to stop assuming that the ‘standard’ way of working is the widely accepted preference, and any deviation from this means ‘accommodating’ for ‘difference’.

Leadership and workplace culture expert, Deborah Hartung, says: “For me as someone with late diagnosed ADHD, the biggest advice I have for anyone at work, is just to ‘stop expecting yourself from other people‘.”

While we may struggle with relating to another’s experience or preference, this does not mean it should be seen as ‘other’. “There are thousands of people just like me, walking around, feeling like they don’t fit in or there’s something wrong with them and not knowing that they have a brain that works differently. That’s already hard enough! But then having to constantly ask for ‘accommodations’ or try to explain why we need things to be done differently – it’s exhausting,” says Hartung.

Adopt the social model of disability 

Atif Choudhary, CEO of Diversity and Ability, agrees that people must challenge their assumptions more. Societally, we view individual differences (such as neurodiversity or disability) as being deficits that need ‘fixing’ or ‘accommodating for’. But by adopting the social model of disability, we can reframe our thinking.

“By aligning with the social model of disability, we shift the focus from individual deficits to the barriers society creates,” Choudhary states. “Dismantling gatekeeping based on diagnoses is the only way to prevent othering, fostering a sense of belonging rather than exclusion.” 

The physical working environment – a co-creation project

The physical workspace considerably impacts our productivity levels and wellbeing. Yet most modern workplaces are designed in a way that hampers performance and spikes stress levels.

We typically have to deal with noisy, open-plan offices with harsh lighting, conflicting kitchen smells, and a cluster of background conversations. Combined, these create highly stimulating environments that do not bring out the best work in most people – and yet this working setup prevails.

“Many of us are forced to mask or struggle through environments that actively undermine our productivity,” Hartung states. “If employers want to create genuinely inclusive spaces, they must address sensory needs, cognitive load, and executive function challenges.”

Below are key considerations from our neurodiversity experts on redesigning the physical work environment: 

• Co-create the space with willing neurodivergent employees: Ask for suggestions, test out new ideas, seek feedback and refine the design. 
• Create sensory zones for different working preferences: Make space for quiet and low-stimulation areas for deep work and those who prefer a calmer, distraction-free working environment. 
• Include clear signage for each zone: Outline what is acceptable and unacceptable within the designated area. Clarity is key.
• Set up a desk booking system: Allow employees to have autonomy over where they set themselves up for the day.
• Provide personalised lighting options: Such as dimmable lighting and desk lamps with adjustable brightness and colour temperatures.
• Factor in movement: Humans are not designed to sit at a desk all day – consider sit-stand desk options, walking meetings, and allow space for pacing/fidgeting.

Even if you don’t have the resource to embark on a full workspace redesign, a few simple changes can help neurodivergent employees (and other employees) feel more comfortable in shared working environments.

Flexibility that helps avoid over-stimulation

Flexible working arrangements are an essential component of inclusive work cultures. While your redesigned office space will help lower stimulation levels, it may not go far enough. And that’s where flexible options come in.

“Many neurodivergent people can feel overwhelmed by the rush-hour commute, resulting in them being unsettled and anxious for the rest of the day. Allowing them to start earlier or later helps to bypass this overwhelm, and result in them being far happier and more productive,” says Alex Partridge, the founder of LADBible and UNILAD, the host of the ADHD Chatter podcast.

Partridge goes on to suggest allowing part-time or full-time homeworking too, where neurodiverse individuals don’t feel the need to heavily mask themselves: “Working from home where there is less noise and fewer distractions can be very helpful.”

Confront communication pitfalls

We all have different communication preferences. For neurodiverse individuals, certain communication styles and vague, jargon-fuelled language may cause confusion and hinder performance.

“Don’t expect people to ‘just work it out.’ For many of us, reading between the lines adds mental load, which is not distributed equally, so be explicit, especially when writing,” says Choudhury.

To avoid anxiety-inducing communication breakdowns, consider the following:

• Think about your own communication preferences. Reflect on how you best process information – in writing or conversation? In a group or individually? Share these preferences with your team, and welcome others to share theirs.
• Be clear and explicit. Have you given a precise deadline for that delegated task and a comprehensive brief?
• Avoid jargon and acoynms. This is helpful for everyone, not just neurodivergent people.
• Avoid meeting mishaps: Provide clear agendas and stick to them. Don’t assume those who are quiet have nothing to say. Allow for processing time and the opportunity for participants to follow-up after the session.
• Use multi-modal communication. Meet your team’s varying communication needs by providing updates both verbally and in writing.

Building organisational-wide awareness 

Building awareness is not just about sending your workforce on a one-and-done neurodiversity training course. A cohesive, organisation-wide approach is important.

To uncover best practices in this domain, Ekua Cant, LinkedIn and Career Coach at Be Your No.1 Cheerleader, recently ran a project called Neurodiversity in Focus: “My goal was to advocate for more neuroinclusion and support workplaces to have tools for managers and individuals to foster inclusion in the workplace.”

Through running the project, Cant discovered several components to organisation-wide neuroinclusion:

• Onboarding: Ensure any relevant needs of your new hire are communicated with the right people such as the manager and IT team, and that the right tools are provided from day one.
• Managers: Train your managers to better understand neurodiversity and ensure they provide direct reports with regular wellbeing check-ins to discuss any changing needs.
• Networks and support: Provide a neurodiversity buddy system and/or neurodiversity network to connect individuals (voluntarily) and create spaces for sharing experiences. 
• Company-wide education: Provide all employees with training on how to work effectively with inclusion in mind.

Psychological safety is felt, not announced. It’s in the day-to-day micro-moments where people either feel safe to be themselves — or feel like a problem to be managed.” – Deborah Hartung

Psychological safety – beyond the open door

Building organisation-wide awareness is key to neuroincluson, but it doesn’t stop there. Rather it is the stepping stone to creating a psychologically safe workplace.

Somewhat of a corporate buzzword, psychological safety is often flippantly used to suggest we’re a ‘nice bunch’ whose ‘doors are always open’. But in reality, it runs much deeper within the cultural fabric of a business.

“Psychological safety isn’t about slogans or open door policies – it’s about systemic behaviours that create trust,” says Hartung.

A good starting point for building psychological safety is to become emotionally aware of how you react to differences, says Choudhury. “Start by noticing any tension you may feel in response to differences. When confronted with discomfort, focus on controlling your own reactions rather than expecting others to adjust. Rely on your humility and develop your ability to get things wrong and feel okay about it. “

To build psychologically safety, our experts also recommend the following:

• Language matters. Reframe ‘adjustments’ to ‘productivity boosters’ that enable individuals to do their best work.
• Leaders set the tone. Encourage leaders to vocalise their own communication preferences and flexible working needs. This permits employees to follow suit.
• Micro-aggressions. Make employees aware of common micro-aggressions against neurodiverse individuals. Ensure your company communicates and upholds a zero tolerance for this behaviour.

Neuroinclusion and celebrating difference

Supporting neuroinclusion in the workplace is not an isolated initiative; it’s an ongoing, collaborative endeavour to bring the best out in all your people.

By re-examining common assumptions about work  – from the physical environment to our everyday communications and behaviours – we can begin to create a more inclusive space where everyone can thrive.

Celebrating differences is an amazing journey we all must go on. It’s about dismantling the power structures hiding in plain sight in our workplaces.” – Atif Choudhury

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