Over 15% of the UK public are estimated to be neurodivergent, either diagnosed with conditions such as dyspraxia, ADHD, dyslexia or autism, or simply viewing the world in a different way to their neurotypical peers.
With the vast majority of people spending a third of their lives at work, this has an inevitable influence on a neurodivergent person’s experience in the workplace.
As such, employers need to understand the difficulties these people may face on a daily basis as well as the value they bring in terms of problem solving and creative thinking to name just two examples.
Helping them to mitigate challenges and tapping into their unique skillsets benefits everyone, but how can employers make sure they do this effectively and sensitively?
There are some key things to consider, and taking a holistic approach is vital.
Be specific
Firstly, it is crucial for employers to remember that every person is different, and each neurodiverse employee will have their own struggles or challenges.
While one individual may struggle with noise sensitivity in an office, another might find social interaction on a prolonged basis more challenging.
Whatever an individual’s own challenges might be, they can lead to emotional dysregulation, sensory overload or issues with mental health.
Employers have a legal obligation under the Equality Act to adapt their provisions or company policies to help their neurodiverse employees tackle these potential issues.
Ranging from tweaking lighting and offering noise cancelling headphones to providing assistive tech like mind-mapping or speech to text software, there are plenty of options out there.
Employers should also make a point of changing how they communicate internally.
Does someone need a bigger text size or an audio option? Offering company information in a way that everyone can access goes a long way to ensuring a true culture of inclusion.
Offer mental health support
Neurodivergent individuals often struggle with the way that society is designed.
Many environments – be they educational, work-related, or social – are not neuro-inclusive, leading to stressful obstacles that can have long term effects on those dealing with them.
The ongoing and constant stress of navigating this environment leads to mental health problems and a higher likelihood of risky behaviour.
Today, we are thankfully much further down the line when it comes to implementing mental health support in the workplace, but offering services and actively encouraging their use are slightly different.
It is crucial that any employer regularly signposts the company’s mental health support, enabling tools and services to be accessed digitally and anonymously through apps or 24/7 live chats with qualified mental health counsellors.
Creating an open culture in which talking about any issue will not count against a staff member is key too.
While no one is obliged to divulge any information to their employer, ensuring advocacy from senior leadership when it comes to discussing issues in the workplace and making sure this attitude flows through the entire team goes a long way in establishing the right atmosphere – one which promotes understanding and better communication across the board.
Expand healthcare benefits
The mental health point raises another key issue.
The stress and anxiety of being neurodiverse is only exacerbated by long waiting times for a diagnosis which draw out the process for those actively seeking support.
Even with the NHS Right to Choose scheme in play, assessments for ADHD can still take 18 weeks, a huge period of time within which an individual will have to wait for what may be a crucial turning point in their understanding of how they process the world.
Offering support within the workplace benefits scheme that focuses on clinical outcomes for neurodiverse staff is an important step that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially as private medical insurance (PMI) often excludes such support.
Giving employees access to various levels of cover from top practitioners, including assessments and treatment, shows the employer truly cares and wants to set the employee up for success, both in and out of work.
Taking a proactive approach is a necessity if employers are going to create a more inclusive, supportive environment at work.
Only by doing so can any workplace better understand and support the needs of their neurodiverse employees and give them the tools they need to make the most of their unique and hugely valuable skillsets.
It will drive happiness, engagement and productivity, ultimately having a hugely positive influence across the entire company.