Leaders play an important role in working with neurodivergent employees to support their social integration, negotiate any required accommodations, and help them to navigate workplace systems. However, many leaders lack experience managing neurodivergent employees (Russo et al., 2023). Therefore, it is important for managers to receive development opportunities to improve their capabilities in interacting with neurodivergent employees. For managers, education should provide clear guidelines regarding the range of modifications that can be made to work practices and systems to support neurodivergent employees. It should support them in having conversations with neurodivergent employees about how work can be tailored to support their unique needs. Our partners include Autistic Nottingham, a charity which provides support and advice to autistic job applicants and employees.
For many, the spark to such an identity comes through receiving a specific medical diagnosis or diagnoses. Here we provide ‘working definitions’ to help develop the neurodiversity conversation in the workplace along consistent – and not confused – lines. These represent Uptimize’s own current working language, which is inspired and guided by both subject matter experts and community focus groups, but may be subject to change over time, with changing cultural perspectives or patterns of popular usage. Organisations are increasingly prioritising EDI and employee wellbeing, recognising the link with a responsible and high-performing workplace. This is a reflection of the lack of understanding in society until very recently. Absence management is a collaborative process which assesses, plans, implements, coordinates, monitors and evaluates the options and services required to meet an individual’s health and employment needs.
Regular, structured feedback helps to avoid surprises and provides a clear framework for development. Make sure your performance evaluation process is as transparent as possible, with criteria clearly communicated from the start. This predictability allows neurodiverse employees to understand how their work is assessed and what they can do to meet or exceed expectations.
Busy, noisy or brightly-lit workplaces can be uncomfortable or even distressing for people with sensory sensitivities. This is common in autistic people, who may feel overwhelmed by things like bright lights or constant background noise. Skills like prioritising and starting tasks can be more challenging for people with conditions such as ADHD or dyslexia. This might make deadlines, to-do lists or sudden changes more difficult to navigate.
First, it means that roughly one in ten workers is working in either fear or embarrassment that their workplace should find out about their condition. They can also make use of resources such as the neurodiversity toolkit produced by the Business Disability Forum. Most employers, whether they realise it or not, are responsible for supporting employees who have are dyslexia, autistim, DCD/dyspraxia, or ADHD . In such cases, it’s imperative that they arrange proper screening and support for employees who feel they need reasonable adjustments to their working practices.
Understanding these barriers is essential for developing more inclusive hiring processes that can tap into this often overlooked talent pool. Understanding the existing awareness and knowledge of neurodiversity throughout the company is crucial. Through Diversity Australia’s comprehensive training courses, companies can access expertly designed programs that address these essential elements across all organisational levels.
Our Neurodiversity support service is designed for people who require some support to maintain a balance to their mental health and wellbeing. Crucially, it also demonstrates that their implementation frequently leads to increased productivity and reduced absence. OSH professionals can control risk, protect workers and drive business improvements. A positive assessment is a short cognitive assessment which explores your innate talents and strengths.
It is simply part of creating workplaces where people can perform, contribute, and stay well – and where businesses can genuinely benefit from the diversity of thinking already in their teams. The neurodiversity movement has been deemed a new civil rights movement for the 21st century. Ethical employers who are serious about promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace would be advised to take note and adjust their communication practices and work environment accordingly. Neurodiversity awareness training is crucial for promoting social inclusion at work and necessitates a strengths-based approach to neurodiversity in the workplace (Lively, 2023). The neurodiversity paradigm challenges the deficit-based medical model of neurodevelopmental differences by applying a strengths-based approach (Aherne, 2023).
Some individuals may choose to disclose a neurodivergent condition, while others may be uncomfortable disclosing their diagnosis with an employer or may not have an official diagnosis and self-identify as neurodivergent. For this reason, it’s important for managers to strengthen their awareness of neurodiversity. The journey towards fully inclusive workplaces is ongoing, but the case for neurodiversity in the Australian workforce is clear.
A Diagnostic Report from Neudle provides formal confirmation of Autism and/or ADHD, but on its own it may not fully meet NDIS requirements, which focus on day-to-day functional needs. The NDIS Needs Report goes further, assessing your support needs across functional domains and completing the psychologist section Neurodiversity Assessment of the NDIS Access Request Form. Understanding this need can be beneficial for broadening acceptance for both neurodivergent and neurotypical workers who may prefer not to socialize with colleagues outside of work hours.
Janette Beetham is a Workplace Dyslexia/Neurodiversity Consultant with over 18 years’ experience. Unfortunately, there are countless individuals reluctant to speak out about challenges they face with their day-to-day work tasks and therefore they don’t seek help in a proactive way when they need it – with many only reaching out as ‘last resort’. Actively including neurodivergent employees at work is sometimes called 'neuroinclusion'. As an employer, making your organisation more inclusive for neurodivergent employees can have many benefits. Workplace Needs Assessments are a great way of understanding what support is available for a wide range of neurodivergent challenges such as managing workloads or team work. But they don’t stop there, we also provide advice on task management, Assistive Technology or re-deployment.