Neurodiversity in the workplace: Building an inclusive team

Workplace diversity is important. You want people with different backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives to contribute to your organization and help your team develop innovative ideas and solutions.

When discussing workplace diversity, most people think about racial and ethnic diversity and perhaps religious diversity, but it’s important to include neurodiversity in workplace considerations as well. However, neurodiversity is another vital part of creating a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Learn more about what the term neurodiversity encompasses and how to promote neurodiversity inclusion within your organization.

What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity refers to the different ways that people’s brains work. This includes variations in how people process information and interact with others or their environment. When discussing neurodiversity, you’ll typically encounter the terms neurodivergent and neurotypical.

Neurodivergent people’s brains process information differently than what is considered typical. They may have neurological or mental health conditions that impact sensory processing, motor skills, cognition, communication, or social comfort.

Often, when people say neurodivergent, they’re referring to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Still, it can also include a wide array of conditions, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, Tourette syndrome, and more. Neurotypical people are those whose brains work in a way that has been traditionally deemed as typical.

Benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace

Having a neurodiverse workplace can hugely benefit businesses. Here are a few of the top benefits.

Incorporating different ways of thinking into your brainstorming sessions

When you’re trying to come up with a new idea or solve an existing problem, it’s helpful to have people with different ways of thinking so that you can explore other approaches. Many neurodivergent people have excellent analytical skills, making them particularly adept at problem-solving.

Leveraging the diversified skills of neurodiverse people

Neurodiversity in the workplace brings unique skill sets to the table, with each individual contributing something special. To foster a truly diverse and innovative workplace, consider the benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace. You want a mix of people whose brains work differently, from analytically minded people to creative thinkers.

Boosting employee morale through neurodiversity in the workplace

Neurodiverse employees contribute meaningfully to your company’s culture and the morale of your teams. Creating a more inclusive and accommodating environment for neurodivergent employees is also great for employee morale and retention, as you already have more neurodiverse employees than you think.

Neurodiversity in the workplace isn’t necessarily obvious or apparent and isn’t as uncommon as you think. By embracing neurodiversity at work, you can create better morale and allow current and future employees to feel more comfortable being themselves.

Understanding customer needs better

Your customer base is diverse, so your internal team should also be diverse to properly understand the range of needs and perspectives different customers may have. Neurodiverse employees can help you know how to fine-tune your products and services to connect with neurodiverse customers.

An estimated 15-20% of the world’s population has some form of neurodivergence. This is a significant percentage of customers whose needs you want to respect when considering neurodiversity in the workplace.

Challenges faced by neurodivergent employees

Explore some of the top workplace challenges faced by neurodivergent team members.

Differences in communication styles

Some neurodivergent employees may have a different approach to communication than neurotypical employees, which can cause confusion or communication challenges.

Some people with autism, for example, can speak in a more monotone or flat manner, which can be misinterpreted by neurotypical people who use tone and inflection to communicate emotions and enthusiasm.

Other neurodivergent people interpret things more literally, so sarcasm or figurative language can confuse them. Managers may need to adjust their communication or provide direction to improve clarity.

Sensory challenges in the workplace

Many neurodivergent people struggle with sensory challenges regarding the feel of clothing, noises and sounds, and visual stimuli. People often overlook the sensory experience of uniforms.

Providing specific clothing items as part of a uniform or dress code guidelines, like needing to wear a tie, can create sensory challenges for some neurodiverse talent.

Discrimination and bias

Neurodivergent people often experience discrimination. Many people hold biases about neurodivergent people and make assumptions about their intelligence and capabilities. This can negatively impact their employment prospects and treatment at work.

Creating a neuroinclusive workplace

Building an inclusive workplace requires work and intentional adjustments to hiring and management approaches. Here are some tips for creating a positive environment for a neurodiverse workforce.

Develop inclusive hiring practices

Creating a neuroinclusive workplace, one that embraces neurodiversity in the workplace, starts with your recruiting and hiring process. Many employers miss out on incredible neurodivergent talent due to noninclusive hiring practices or interview processes.

Often, the way we score applicants on interviews and pre-hire assessments filters out great neurodiverse talent. For example, some neurodivergent people may struggle with making eye contact during conversations and interviews.

If a hiring manager isn’t trained in neurodiversity, they may misinterpret this as the applicant being rude, awkward, or disinterested.

Employers often need to set up pre-hiring assessments correctly to accommodate neurodivergent individuals. Extra time or a quieter environment for test-taking is a common accommodation for neurodivergent people in school, and this accommodation may also be needed for timed pre-employment assessments.

Assistive technology can benefit those with conditions like dyscalculia or dyslexia. Examples include graphing calculators or proofreading tools like Grammarly.

Hiring managers should mention whether there will be a test or exercise during the interview when scheduling it. Springing short test tasks on candidates during an interview does not allow them proper time to request and discuss accommodations.

Employers often provide candidates with a contact email or phone number to request accommodations during recruiting. Still, if candidates need to know that an assessment will be given, they may need to realize that they will need accommodations.

Train managers on neurodiversity

Provide managers (and team members at all levels) with the tools and training required to understand and support neurodiversity in the workplace. People often overlook neurodiversity in DEI training, but it is still an important topic to touch on.

Managers must be well-versed in all aspects of neurodiversity in the workplace, from inclusive hiring practices to providing ongoing support for neurodivergent employees, to properly support their organization’s neuroinclusivity initiatives.

Supporting neurodiversity in the workplace: Be respectful

Supporting and embracing neurodivergence in the workplace requires finding a balance between encouragement and belittlement. Neurodiversity at work is absolutely something that should be celebrated, as each person’s unique way of thinking (whether they’re neurodivergent or considered neurotypical) helps make your organization better.

However, you need to ensure you’re not approaching it in a way that feels patronizing.

People sometimes infantilize neurodivergent people. Managers and team members should avoid this and adopt the mindset that neurodivergent people are intelligent, capable employees like everyone else. Celebrate everyone’s wins and hard work, regardless of where they fall within the neurodiversity spectrum.

Of course, you can and should acknowledge when someone has progressed on a skill or overcome a work challenge, but avoid making assumptions about an employee’s capabilities. If you’re overly celebratory or act surprised by a neurodivergent employee’s competency in an essential skill or task, it can come off a bit demeaning.

Encourage employees to provide feedback

Cultivating an inclusive workplace ensures everyone feels heard and that their opinions and feedback are valued. Neurodiverse employees have different ways of looking at things and interacting with the world, so they’re a precious source of feedback. Many are detail-oriented and may bring up issues that others must look into.

They may also have meaningful insights on creating a more neuroinclusive workplace. It’s essential to include the people that you are trying to support in the process and give them a platform when you’re trying to make a positive change at work.

Tips for supporting neurodivergent employees

By making these minor adjustments, you can better support neurodivergent employees within your organization.

Look for ways to avoid overstimulation

Neurodivergent individuals often experience overstimulation and sensory overload, meaning they can become overwhelmed by excess sensory input, such as sounds, smells, visual stimuli, or the feeling of items or people touching them.

Simple changes, such as allowing employees to wear noise-canceling headphones, can help reduce noise and minimize sensory overload.

Create a distraction-free environment

Employees with ADHD may also benefit from a more distraction-free work environment with fewer external stimuli. This can be challenging in open office floor plans as people, conversations, and distractions primarily surround you.

Consider providing quiet work areas, such as empty meeting rooms, that people can use when they need sustained, independent focus to complete an important task.

Provide clear instructions

Some neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), benefit from clear and direct language. Explain precisely what you want with unambiguous language and be willing to provide clarifications as needed.

Help employees prioritize tasks

Time management is a struggle for most people, but some neurodivergent employees find it particularly challenging. Managers can support neurodivergent people by providing time management tools and support and giving them clear guidance on prioritizing the assigned tasks.

Managers can dictate which tasks must be done first by using a project management tool like Asana, Trello, or Monday. They can organize tasks by priority or urgency within the tool. Managers can encourage employees to turn off notifications for designated focus time on high-priority tasks.

Employees can also block off their calendars for this focus time. Tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams help us stay connected in the digital age. However, all these notifications and conversations can also create a distraction.

Legal considerations and accommodations for neurodiversity in the workplace

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that protects the rights of people with disabilities in various areas, including employment. Under the ADA, employers must make reasonable accommodations to allow disabled employees to complete the essential functions of their roles.

The ADA defines a disability as any physical or mental health impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Examples of major life activities include speaking, seeing, hearing, walking, hearing, concentrating, and working. Many neurodivergent employees will meet this criteria.

For example, neurodiverse employees who have ADHD will often find that their condition significantly impacts concentration.

Work with neurodivergent employees to find reasonable accommodations to make their tasks and work environment more accessible. ADA accommodations for neurodivergent people may include creating more sensory-friendly workspaces, providing extra breaks or more time on specific tasks, providing clear written instructions for tasks, and making accommodations on hiring assessments.

More Resources:
Unconscious bias training: What it is & how to improve your workplace
Is autism protected by the ADA? A guide for employers
Pink-collar workers: Their value and importance in the workforce