Neurodiversity: translating the cultural moment into action

Blog posts

10 Apr 2025

Kyla Ellis, Research Officer
Joseph Cook, Research Fellow

As a group with personal and professional interests in neurodivergence and its standing in the workplace, we have been reflecting on Neurodiversity Celebration Week, which took place in March. Educators and employers came forward to demonstrate their support for neurodiversity by showcasing their inclusive practices, highlighting the strengths of their neurodiverse workforce or launching new products. We were struck by how far we have come in terms of our collective awareness and understanding of neurodiversity. Today, we are far more attuned to the spectrum of different neurodivergent conditions, the importance of the language we use, and the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals but also the strengths and abilities linked to having a neurodivergent brain.

This change in attitude is a testament to the hard work of campaigners, parents, guardians and caregivers across many mediums and for many years. The recent explosion of awareness can also be attributed to the proliferation of social media accounts amplifying first-hand neurodivergent experiences, sharing knowledge and forming communities. These efforts have left us in a cultural place where award-winning singers such as Billie Eilish or Dave Grohl can talk about their Tourette’s syndrome and ADHD and where a Neurodiversity Celebration week exists. It is an important step forward.

However, much like claims of pinkwashing or greenwashing, how much do these moments translate into real and lasting changes which benefit the groups they claim to celebrate? As part of our reflection we found ourselves asking, how much does the increased cultural visibility and celebration of neurodiversity translate into sustainable and tangible action in the workplace?

There is plenty of information, guidance and resources that employers can engage with, specifically guidance on workplace adjustments, use of language and the intersectional differences in neurodiversity. Earlier this month, recent guidance from Acas was published, which provides employers and organisations with easily understandable information on neurodiversity, including types of neurodivergence, how to talk about neurodiversity and ways in which workplaces can be more neuroinclusive.

Whilst it is great that these conversations and learning opportunities are taking place frequently and in a variety of settings, we must now turn our attention to what is happening within organisations. Is the advice given to employers being taken on-board?  A report from the Centre for Neurodiversity at Work at Birkbeck found differences in perception between employers and neurodiverse workers as to the strengths and challenges of neurodiversity. They point out that this is likely to impact on the ability for employers to design effective support policies. Indeed, Acas reported a disparity between employers’ and neurodivergent workers’ perceptions of support policies, with employers presuming them to be effective and workers finding them deficient. Clearly, robust research and evaluation of workplace adjustments are needed.

It would be beneficial for employees to share their examples of good practice when it comes to supporting a neurodiverse workforce. A great example of this would be our colleague, Kate Alexander, who eloquently described how she has been supported by IES at work following her ADHD diagnosis. We want to see more stories like this, clearly outlining what works well for the individual and employer so that others can learn. However, it is important to remember that what works for one person may not work for all. Learning from others as to what has worked for them could be a good starting position for many who may have recently been diagnosed or who may think that they are neurodivergent. That said, individual stories, whilst powerful, place the onus on the individual to discuss their experiences in the hope of encouraging change. Many individuals are not empowered to do so, and like any approach to broadening diversity in employment, action from the organisation is often the most effective facilitator to change.

Employers do have access to services such as Access to Work alongside obligations to make reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities and health conditions. However, although readily available resources such as those provided by ACAS outline how adjustments for neurodiversity can work, in practice, Access to Work is currently facing a reported 9-month waitlist for support, and employers often report gaps in knowledge around reasonable adjustments.

Instead, we suggest employers should take more proactive steps to widen inclusion for neurodiverse people. As recent research from City & Guilds found, 35% of surveyed neurodivergent employees felt they had no onboarding support when starting roles, and 41% reported that they encountered challenges ‘most days’ whilst working. Furthermore, with the often reported ‘1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent statistic’ likely to widen in the future with the increase in SEN pupils year on year, a need for acknowledgement, accommodation, acceptance and action is urgently required.

As individuals share their success stories of journeys around neurodiversity and employment, employers should feel empowered to do the same, to demonstrate that they are keeping pace with the ever-changing world of work. For larger employers with established neurodiversity or neuroinclusive strategies, action could take the form of sharing existing good practices, undertaking evaluations of current policies and accommodations and sharing success stories like Kate’s. For smaller employers looking to improve their knowledge, CIPD offer guidance around neuroinclusion and the benefits that can be found in organisations that take inclusive approaches.

Setting time aside to allow line managers to learn or train on how to support neurodiverse individuals, for example, could be a hugely beneficial first step, particularly with the startling statistic that 37% of managers admitted having received no training on neurodiversity. Equipping line managers with the necessary tools, particularly around understanding of health conditions and differences, has also been highlighted in recent IES work around improving support for those working with cancer, with significant gaps in line manager capability identified, with few employers implementing practices to improve the positions of line managers. Line managers are often the first point of contact for many staff, so having a reliable, informed individual to help guide and support can be an invaluable addition to any organisation.

In short, we need to ensure that conversations around neurodiversity are not limited to a celebratory yearly event but are ongoing, inclusive of neurodiverse voices and result in employer actions that are evidence based, sustainable and evaluated for impact.

With thanks to IES colleagues Kate Alexander and Claudia Plowden Roberts in the development of this piece. 

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Any views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Institute as a whole.