As we learn more about neurodiversity, we are beginning to make our workplaces more inclusive. However, not every workplace has transformed its processes quite enough.

Stylist spoke to a few neurodivergent business owners about their experiences in the workplace over the years. We asked them what works and what doesn’t. We also asked them what changes they’ve made in their own businesses to make them a little more accommodating for a wider range of people with brain differences.

Neurodiversity in the workplace: what the statistics say right now

The term neurodiversity is used to describe people whose brains work differently from the ‘norm’. It encompasses conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, along with learning disabilities. 

Neurodivergent people often struggle in traditional workplaces. People with autism may experience sensory overload, while those with ADHD may struggle with focus during a more traditional workday schedule.

In a recent study, 65% of neurodivergent employees fear being discriminated against in the workplace. They also reported to being more likely to stay in their workplace if it was tailored to meet their needs as neurodivergent employees. Another study found that 81% of employees with neurodivergence feel their employer could provide them with more support.

We need to encourage and support neurodivergence at work

Stylist spoke to Becky Turner, the in-house workplace psychologist at nationwide office interior design and fit-out business Claremont, about how she works to make offices more inclusive.

“The importance of inclusivity in the workplace cannot be understated,” she tells us. “If you’re not creating a physically and culturally inclusive environment, you’re excluding a faction of society and denying people the opportunity to contribute or perform to their best.”

She adds: “It’s thought that as much as 20% of the population are neurodivergent, yet many workplaces still aren’t supportive of these needs, which is demonstrated by approximately 30-40% unemployment in working-age neurodivergent adults.”

It makes business sense to encourage diversity of all kinds at work, explains Turner, so making offices that cater for neurodiversity should be a priority for everyone. 

“Neurodivergent employees often have different skills, perspectives and thinking patterns – all of which can add tremendous value to the performance of teams,” she says. “Plus, by considering and responding to the needs of neurodivergent employees, it creates more diverse and accepting workforces and a positive workplace culture centred on inclusivity. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

“Employers should have bespoke ways of working”

Tara Button is the CEO of Buy Me Once, a business that champions sustainable products. “Being the boss of my own business when I was diagnosed with ADHD meant I had to work things out myself to a certain extent,” she tells us. “Getting a diagnosis was really helpful as it helped me to understand the strengths and challenges that come with ADHD and create working strategies that play to those strengths and mitigate the challenges. For me, hiring highly organised, detail-oriented managers has meant that my focus can be on ideas and creativity, which are the ‘superpowers’ of my ADHD.”

As someone with ADHD and dyslexia, Tara has experienced how employers can make workplaces more inclusive for her needs. 

“I would say the most important thing is to create a welcoming, supportive and empathetic culture for everyone so that people don’t feel they have to hide their neurodiversity or any mental health challenges,” she says. “Once a dialogue is open, we can then create provisions and ways of working according to that person’s needs.”

Specific changes that have helped her in the past include “regular one-to-one catch-ups with staff, where personal states of mind are very much on the agenda” and “allowing access to technology, such as spell-check, I might need to use in my job”.

As she sums up: “I believe that to get the best out of people, whether they are neurodiverse or not, they should have bespoke ways of working, and line managers who know how to play to their strengths.”

“Desk work wasn’t right for my needs”

Lauren Goodman is a business coach and founder of Bluebird Creative and Bride Academy. Because of her ADHD, she works best in silence in a neutral space with pops of colour. 

“From a space sense, I personally need a calm and quiet workspace with a clear desk (which isn’t always possible in the wedding industry),” she says. “One thing I can’t live without is my notebook – and this is translated into a Trello board for my team. This helps me with my ADHD, to keep the focus on my tasks and also be accountable and understanding of my team’s work processes.”

Over the years, she has found a job that suits her.

“I’ve always been drawn to jobs where I’m not sat at a desk in an office,” she says. “On the few occasions when I was younger and had to work in reception, in a call centre, I just couldn’t do the work. I am drawn to work where I am on my feet all day and can keep my brain stimulated and on the go all the time: waitressing, ice skating steward, ice skating coaching, beautician.”

She adds, “Being diagnosed later on in my career with ADHD has really helped me identify why some of the desk work wasn’t right for my needs. My ADHD means I can be really reactive in a great way and this doesn’t work in a really regimented workspace and I now understand, that is OK.”

Practical tips: how to make your office inclusive for the neurodiverse

As someone who specialises in designing offices using psychological insight, Becky Turner has a few tips on how employers can improve the design of their space for people who are neurodiverse.

The first step is to make your workplace one that offers plenty of choices for employees.

“Reflecting all forms of neurodivergence in the workplace can seem overwhelming – especially as what one neurodivergent person needs can be very different to another – but it needn’t be,” she says. “From a design perspective, neurodiversity can be accommodated in many ways, with variety and choice being the ultimate indicators of a neuro-inclusive workplace.”

In terms of office design, Turner recommends: 

• the careful use of colour and patterns to cater for people who may become overstimulated
• prioritising wayfinding to make moving through the office as simple as possible
• paying attention to office acoustics to minimise reverberation
• including hyper-minimal spaces that offer visual and audio privacy
• differentiating quiet work settings, such as a booth for focused work
• wellness or retreat spaces to ensure colleagues can access the supportive environment they need 
• bring zones of dynamic energy into the workplace to support those who seek out stimulation. This may be a social or café space, as well as dedicated collaboration areas that encourage movement and energy.

The most important thing? Communication so that the design can really be tailored to the people currently working there.

“There is so much that can be done to support the neurodivergent community in the workplace, but if you were to do one thing, it would be to engage with colleagues and any (neuro)diversity networking groups,” she sums up. “Giving a voice to colleagues and asking for their input is one of the greatest ways to set about creating a truly inclusive workplace.”

Images: Getty