Did you know that about 15–20% of people identify as neurodivergent?
If you want the research behind that estimate, see this peer-reviewed overview from NIH/PMC: Prevalence of neurominorities.
This means that millions of employees think, learn, and process information in ways that may be different from the expectations of employers. Neurodivergent individuals include people with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and other brain-based differences.
Traditional work environments can include barriers such as unclear communication and rigid routines that make it harder for neurodivergent people to show their strengths. Creating an inclusive workplace involves understanding neurodiversity, providing accommodations, and building a supportive environment.
Supporting neurodivergent individuals benefits everyone by boosting innovation, retention, and employee well-being. Below is a quick overview of workplace protections and practical steps any employer can take to create neurodiversity-affirming systems.
Click here to jump down to the TL;DR summary.
Legal protections: ADA basics
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that protects neurodivergent employees at work. Employers can’t discriminate in hiring, training, promotion, or firing because of a disability.
Under the ADA, employers must provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so causes undue hardship. Examples include flexible work hours, noise-canceling headphones, and written instructions rather than verbal instructions.
This overview is for general information and isn’t legal advice. For specific situations, consult your legal counsel.
Strengths at work: examples from Dr. Temple Grandin
One of the most well-known advocates for neurodiversity-affirming supports in the workplace is Dr. Temple Grandin, an inventor and educator who is also autistic. In an interview with Authority Magazine, she describes how many neurodivergent people bring strong visual thinking, pattern recognition, and deep focus to roles in engineering, construction, design, and more.
However, traditional hiring can be mismatched with how some candidates communicate and think. Dr. Grandin shared that long verbal instructions and rapid task-switching can be less supportive. She suggests workplaces provide written steps and checklists instead of lengthy verbal instructions. These small design choices help people show their strengths.
6 steps to make your workplace neurodivergent-affirming
Organizations can create a more inclusive and supportive workplace by educating staff, considering diverse needs in company procedures, and implementing necessary accommodations.
Step 1: Educate staff and leadership
Start by learning. Build a shared understanding before you change processes.
Training should include voices of people with lived experience about what made work easier, what got in the way, and which supports helped them show their strengths. It may also help to connect with organizations that have already implemented neurodiversity-affirming policies to learn what worked well and what didn’t.
Step 2: Adapt hiring practices
Traditional hiring processes can unintentionally create barriers for neurodivergent applicants. Employers should focus job descriptions on essential skills for the job, rather than vague requirements like “excellent communication skills” if not truly needed.
Share interview questions in advance so candidates have time to prepare. Some candidates benefit from alternatives to traditional interviews, such as project-based tasks or skill demonstrations.
Step 3: Create clear and predictable routines
Clear communication and predictable schedules help everyone, especially neurodivergent employees. To support this:
- Post visual schedules
- Send meeting agendas in advance
- Keep routines consistent
- Clearly define each role’s responsibilities
- Share written instructions and meeting notes
These practices reduce stress and confusion and make expectations visible.
Step 4: Identify individualized accommodations
Many supports work for everyone and can be offered universally. With these in place, some people will still benefit from individual accommodations. Examples include:
- Allowing an employee to use speech-to-text or text-to-speech software
- Providing written meeting notes
- Offering noise-canceling headphones or quiet workspaces
- Adjusting lighting or seating arrangements
Work collaboratively to identify needs. Encourage staff to share what works best for them, and try different supports to see what helps most.
Step 5: Encourage open communication
Use plain, clear language and avoid jargon or idioms when explaining processes or giving feedback. Make sure information about requesting accommodations is shared in multiple ways. This can include onboarding, the employee handbook, and staff newsletters.
Also, practice the “ask, don’t assume” approach. Rather than guessing what someone might need, ask the employee what works best for them. Keep the tone friendly and nonjudgmental.
Step 6: Reflect and revise as needed
Building a neurodiversity-affirming workplace is an ongoing process. Gather feedback through anonymous surveys, suggestion boxes, listening sessions, and exit interviews.
Use this feedback to improve staff retention. Look for patterns around belonging, control over work tasks, and support from supervisors. Update policies, improve accommodations, and make changes over time.
Build belonging with mentoring
An effective way to create a sense of workplace belonging is mentoring. Pair new hires with more experienced employees who can help them navigate the workplace. When possible, match neurodivergent employees with mentors who also identify as neurodivergent. This provides a relatable perspective and helps normalize conversations about accommodations and support.
Mentoring can target specific skills, like learning procedures and expectations. These connections build confidence and set new employees up for success.
For early-career hiring: how school transition planning connects to work
If you hire interns or recent graduates, it helps to understand how school transition planning connects to early employment.
School-aged neurodivergent learners with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) typically start transition planning and services in high school. Some states begin earlier, in middle school.
Transition planning identifies the learner’s interests, needed supports, and one short-term goal that builds a skill for work or independent living after graduation. These plans also note whether the learner intends to go into the workforce or college and the steps to get there.
Plans are reviewed each year with the IEP. It’s normal for them to change as students explore new interests.
Additional Resources
There are many helpful tools and supports available to help employers develop a more neurodiversity-affirming workplace.
If you work with young adults who are developing key skills for transitioning from school to work or college, Life Skills Advocate offers Executive Function Coaching to teach necessary daily living skills. Coaching can help with goal-directed planning, time management, and organization, which are especially important during large life transitions.
LSA also has a hub of free resources with simple strategies for home, school, or the workplace. For example, techniques like the Pomodoro Technique can improve productivity and focus by breaking work into short, focused blocks of time followed by brief breaks.
Whether you are a small business or a larger organization, the Neurodiversity Hub Employer Resources page offers tools you can apply throughout the steps above. You’ll find education on neurodivergent strengths and barriers, insights from people with lived experience, and ideas for making job fairs more accessible.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
- About 15–20% of people are neurodivergent.
- Neurodivergent employees bring valuable strengths; common barriers are unclear communication, rigid routines, and traditional hiring.
- ADA basics: no discrimination and provide reasonable accommodations unless undue hardship.
- 6 steps: educate leaders; adapt hiring; create predictable routines; offer individualized accommodations; use plain language and ask, don’t assume; reflect and revise.
- Build belonging: mentoring pairs new hires with guides who understand their needs.
- Neurodiversity-affirming workplaces improve well-being, retention, and innovation.
Further Reading
- Krevsky Bowser (2024) – What are the rights of neurodiverse employees in the workplace?
- Medium (2023) – Neurodiversity in the Workforce: Temple Grandin On Why It’s Important To Include Neurodiverse Employees & How To Make Your Workplace More Neuro-Inclusive
- MentorKey (2023) – Why belonging is key to staff engagement and retention – and how mentoring can help
- Neurodiversity Hub (n.d.) – Resources for Employers
- Northwestern Medicine (2024) – Understanding Neurodiversity: Exploring Differences in Brain Function
- Snow (2011) – Ask–Don’t Assume
- Understood (n.d.) – What is IEP transition planning?
- US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division (2025) – Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Life Skills Advocate (2025) – Managing Distractions With the Pomodoro Technique for ADHD
- Life Skills Advocate (2024) – Understanding Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices