Did you know that 1 in 5 Americans are neurodivergent? Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk are all notable people who have openly discussed their conditions that place them on the neurodiverse scale. Bill Gates has ADHD and dyslexia, Steve Jobs advocated for education reform due to his difficulty with dyslexia, and Elon Musk remarked that he was autistic in his opening SNL monologue. It is incredibly likely that you work with neurodivergent people – or that you may be neurodivergent yourself. What does that mean at work?
Before we begin, let’s break down two different terms: neurodivergent and neurodiverse. These terms are often used interchangeably, but there is one important distinction.
Neurodiversity is the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one “right” way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits. Neurodiversity is a theory.
Neurodivergent is an adjective or label that refers to having or relating to a disorder or condition (such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, OCD, dyscalculia, PTSD, and others) that impacts the way the brain processes information. (M-W)
Alludo conducted a Neurodiversity at Work report in 2023 that broke down the most commonly reported neurodivergent conditions in the workforce.
The top five most commonly reported neurodivergent conditions in the workplace are:
- ADHD (28.5%)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (8.5%)
- Dyslexia (7.3%)
- Dyspraxia (2.6%)
- Intellectual Difficulties (1.7%)
Common Struggles of Neurodivergent People
It’s important to note that neurodivergence is not a monolith. Even people who share the same diagnoses can have wildly difficult preferences and triggers. Keeping that in mind, some struggles that many neurodivergent people have in common can be:
- Reading/writing/arithmetic differences
- Oscillating between hyperfocus and an inability to focus, often based on certain conditions
- Overstimulation/understimulation
- Struggles in social interaction/communication skills
- Social bias & prejudice
Different individuals will require different accommodations or have unique struggles at work based on their environment, differences, and position. This can manifest at work in several ways, such as
- Difficulty absorbing/retaining information in a certain format (such as spoken word vs written word)
- Inability to focus/loss of productivity based on certain environments
- Struggle to integrate into workplace culture
- Lack of training & advancement opportunities
- Feeling psychologically unsafe at work
- Poor employee retention for the organization
Alludo reported that the top four self-reported challenges for neurodivergent employees where:
- Time management (42%)
- Difficulty focusing (35.5%)
- Communication with coworkers and/or manager (34.9%)
- Difficulty sitting still (28.6%)
It’s true that neurodivergent brains process information differently from neurotypical people – and that the workforce is largely built for neurotypical people in mind. This can sometimes result in conflict in the workplace and frustration for everyone involved. Grating against unreasonable expectations can result in low morale, poor productivity, and high employee turnover. However, reasonable accommodations (which are required and protected by the Americans with Disabilities act) can make a huge difference and often cost $0 to implement.
Accommodations
Accommodations are a crucial part of ensuring and protecting inclusive and neurodiverse workplaces. The U.S. Department of Labor defines an accommodation in this way: The ADA requires reasonable accommodations as they relate to three aspects of employment:
- Ensuring equal opportunity in the application process;
- Enabling a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job; and
- Making it possible for an employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment
The challenges that neurodivergent employees face at work can almost be completely nullified by reasonable accommodations – which often cost zero dollars to implement.
Commonly requested accommodations include the ability to work from home, noise-cancelling headphones, taking regular breaks, choice of environment at work (such as a floating workspace or a private one), advance notice of projects to simulate an extended timeline, and allowance of fidgeting devices. There are many different kinds of accommodations – they will be unique to the situation.
The Job Accommodation Network reported that 56% of accommodation requests made in 2024 actually cost nothing to implement. 37% of employers reported that accommodation requests involved only a one-time cost that came out to a median of $300. 7% of employers that fulfilled ongoing accommodation requests had median costs of $1925, a decrease from previous years.
Many neurodivergent employees choose not to disclose their conditions to their employers for a number of reasons– fear of discrimination or prejudice, fear of lack of advancement, etc. A survey by Code First Girls asked their neurodivergent community if they had disclosed their condition to their employer or university, and over half of them (52%) reported that they didn’t feel comfortable doing so.
Advantageous of Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Neurodivergent employees can struggle in the workplace because it’s largely built by and for neurotypical people. However, there are many benefits to neurodiversity in the workforce, both for neurodivergent people and the organizations for which they work.
Neurodivergent people have many unique strengths and can bring perspectives to the table that might not have been presented in a neurotypical conversation. Alludo’s Neurodiversity at Work report included the top four self-reported exceptional skills of neurodivergent employees.
Many neurodivergent employees possess a greater-than-typical ability to process information. In fact, JPMorgan Chase found that individuals enrolled in their Autism at Work initiative were 90%-140% more productive than the average employee.
Diversity in all capacities is important in the workplace – McKinsey reported that ethnically and culturally diverse organizations can be up to 36% more profitable than less diverse organizations. There are many different types of diversity – and neurodiversity is just as important as the rest. Teams containing neurodivergent employees are up to 30% more productive than teams without. Additionally, organizations that have embraced neurodiversity saw a 90% increase in retention, which can lead to increased retention, improved productivity, and a stronger bottom line overall.
Supporting Neurodivergent Coworkers and Neurodiversity at Work
Neurodiversity is an important concept – one that can make a huge difference in the lives of neurodivergent people and improve the workplace as a whole. If you’re not neurodivergent yourself, you might be wondering – “How can I help?” There are lots of ways to support your neurodivergent coworkers. Just a few methods include:
- Don’t take it personally if a neurodivergent coworker reacts in a way that you wouldn’t expect. For example, a happy hour invite refusal or frustration at a priority or deadline change.
- Use a strengths-based approach in management and in teams. Strengths-based approaches are becoming advised as best practices in lots of leadership training
,simply because it helps boost employee morale and productivity in all employees – not just neurodivergent ones.
- Don’t baby neurodivergent employees – get to know them before assuming what they need. Some neurodivergent employees may take longer to form their thoughts or have their own methods of working through processes – don’t assume that you know what they need before they ask you for it.
- Be an ally for neurodiversity – not every workplace is willing to accommodate, and pressure from neurotypical employees can often (unfortunately) have a larger impact than requests from neurodivergent employees.
Ask for accountability from your leadership, and support DEI initiatives, including those that support neurodiversity. DEI is losing steam in the working world – an 11% drop since 2021. Without individual contributors to continue to stress its importance, it will likely continue to decrease in priority until it’s no longer a priority at all. This will result in less diverse, less equitable, and less inclusive workplaces – which is a loss for everyone.
Diversity in the workplace is an incredible benefit to innovation, retention, and problem solving. Diverse teams can get to the bottom of complex issues more quickly and determine the best path forward. If you’re looking for more resources on how to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture at your organization, check out our guide to DEIB training.
