Embracing neurodiversity: 6 ways to support employees and colleagues

We use these skills to do lots of things in our daily lives, like following instructions, solving puzzles, staying calm, and achieving our goals. I wouldn’t want the attendee list to be any longer, as this group was a nice size to still have wider discussions and ask questions freely. Goods and packaging must be in their original condition and returned within business hours, carriage paid with the returns note enclosed. We use evidence, data and qualitative information to lead the way in neurodiversity screening.
Attract and support neurodivergent talent with accessible job ads, flexible interviews, and supportive onboarding. This session dives deeper into the hiring process, highlighting practical changes that actively include neurodivergent candidates, unlocking their strengths and allowing them to shine through alternative recruitment and onboarding methods. Embracing neurodiversity means recognising these differences as part of human diversity—and making adjustments that enable all employees to reach their full potential. For organisations looking to find out more about neurodiversity support services for the workplace. One of the most well-known forms of neurodivergence is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autistic individuals may navigate the  world differently when it comes to communication, social interaction, sensory sensitivity, and routine.

Traditional approaches to “managing people” have often been based on scientific management, which sees the organisation as a machine and people as parts of the machine. Whilst this approach may offer some benefits in terms of scalability and control, it can be at the cost of getting the best out of people and thus producing the best business outcomes. This scientific approach has us writing job descriptions and looking for people to fill particular boxes. And it sometimes has us putting square pegs into round holes, or finding ourselves at a loss when faced with people who are neither square nor circular in their nature.
Beyond legal compliance, making these adjustments is key to fostering an inclusive, productive, and mentally healthy workplace. By shifting away from one-size-fits-all expectations and embracing individual strengths and working styles, organisations can build truly inclusive cultures. When employers actively support neurodivergent staff, they don’t just improve wellbeing – they unlock new levels of creativity, productivity, and potential across their teams. Today, more and more employers are making space for this diversity through a concept known as Neuroinclusion – creating environments that welcome and support neurodivergent employees. With around 1 in 7 people in the UK estimated to be neurodivergent, it’s not just  good practice – it’s essential. A workplace needs assessment is a process that reviews the working patterns of employees who may need extra support to carry out their roles.

Our sincere thanks to all those who contributed their time, expertise and content to help us create this toolkit. Or imagine having to read everything reversed as in mirror-writing, but without the mirror. Here's what Gallup learned about strengths when we looked at the aggregate data. Both groups found activities such as understanding and following written instructions, understanding and following verbal instructions, and working from home or working remotely relatively easy.
We examine how work gets done, identifying barriers and opportunities to make processes more inclusive and neurodiversity-friendly. Our campaign provides expert guidance and insights, while celebrating workplace cultures that drive real business impact. Supporting neuroinclusion in the workplace is not an isolated initiative; it’s an ongoing, collaborative endeavour to bring the best out in all your people. Building organisation-wide awareness is key to neuroincluson, but it doesn’t stop there.
People with autism may also have differences in attention, interests, and how they learn. This can include being very focused on what are often called “special interests” (Aherne, 2023). Following the assessment, these will be supplied in a report that will be shared with both the employer and employee.

Workplace neurodiversity inclusion means creating a professional environment where people with different neurological profiles feel valued and supported. It’s about recognising that neurodivergent individuals bring unique strengths and perspectives that can benefit teams and organisations. Lexxic's workplace needs assessments focus on identifying practical strategies to support success in the work environment. These neurodiversity assessments consider the individuals’ specific job role, daily tasks, and workplace challenges. For those hiring managers who do not yet have experience recruiting and working with neurodivergent individuals, challenging these perceptions may require a change to normal recruitment processes and personal upskilling. Making reasonable adjustments for neurodiverse employees isn’t just good practice—it’s smart business.
If an employee feels that their rights or entitlements have been breached, or feels aggrieved by an employment situation, they can take legal action through the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Fair Work Commission, or the Federal Court. These processes can be of significant reputational and financial risk for an employer when required to defend employment claims. For example, under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act), an employer cannot take adverse action against an employee, for a reason that is against the law (prohibited). If for example, an employer adversely treated an employee because of their disability, or for another discriminatory reason, such as having a neurodivergent condition, then an employer could be found to have breached the employee’s general protections.

During the course you will have face to face access to your trainer for 121’s or to clarify your understanding as you require. Please discuss individual learning preferences prior to your attendance so we can ensure that your expectations are met. Your course will be delivered by leading professionals from the neurodiversity space including the Neurodiversity Workplace Assessment team here at Creased Puddle.
This model covers six guiding principles that can be applied across the employee life cycle to foster an inclusive environment. Ott et al. (2022) also recommend adopting a strengths-based approach to employee selection, providing neurodivergent candidates the opportunity to showcase their capabilities, such as through practical demonstrations. Employers can also adjust employee selection methods to make them more equitable for neurodivergent candidates. For example, interviews could be modified to provide candidates with the questions before the interview, 'trick' questions could be eliminated, and candidates could be given greater time to respond. Interviewers could also be trained to focus on job-related selection criteria, and disregard atypical behaviour such as lack of eye contact.