Embracing neurodiversity: 6 ways to support employees and colleagues

This case established that the deterioration of a worker’s Autism satisfied the definition of a personal injury under the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act. Employers and insurers need to be on notice that as awareness increases, so too will the potential for both statutory workers’ compensation and common law damages claims related to neurodiversity. By focusing on individual strengths and goals, we help neurodiverse employees grow in confidence, increase independence, and thrive in their roles. Our coaching supports personal and professional development, benefitting both the individual and the wider team. This was easily the best Neurodiversity awareness / training session I have been on, there was a good level of information and a focus on the positive aspects of the various conditions.
Creating an inclusive culture where all employees are understood and valued can lead to increased talent acquisition, engagement, loyalty, and much more. Helping businesses create more inclusive environments for neurodiverse individuals through comprehensive assessment and actionable insights. We’ve consulted with several neurodiverse individuals and diversity advocates to gather expert insights on supporting cognitive diversity in the workplace and fostering inclusive organisational cultures. When it comes to neurodiversity, organisations very often struggle to see the trees through the forest. They avoid introducing new assessments into the recruitment process in fear of harming neurodiversity goals, while simultaneously relying exclusively on assessments (i.e. interviews) which are uniquely harmful to their goals.

Most of our assessments are conducted remotely via Zoom or Teams, these are particularly helpful when we are considering the working environment. We can travel to the workplace, please make us aware when making the booking enquiry with us. Whatever the level, you will have a dedicated, qualified assessor to work alongside you and the organisation every step of the way. Every assessment comes with a reporting which includes effective reasonable adjustment suggestions as standard.
Extremely informative and well-paced training session on Neurodiversity in the workplace. Our multidisciplinary team uses evidence-based approaches to deliver meaningful, practical support that helps employees and employers work better together. A workplace needs assessment can identify areas of challenge with aspects of your employee’s job role as well as areas of strengths that can be utilised to support aspects of task accomplishment.

Further, some neurodivergent employees may not know how to request the accommodations they need, or they may fear stigma. My experience tells me that making disability and neurodiversity part of your DE&I strategy isn’t easy. But it is worthwhile, not only to meet societal expectations, but because it makes good business sense. Neurodiversity in the workplace is a wonderful journey if you’re committed to it and plan appropriately. In the next section, I offer some practical changes you can make to your hiring program and recruitment processes to support the success of neurodivergent talent. Approaching change in a neuro-inclusive way should underpin all elements of the employee lifecycle.
Understanding these barriers is essential for developing more inclusive hiring processes that can tap into this often overlooked talent pool. Understanding the existing awareness and knowledge of neurodiversity throughout the company is crucial. Through Diversity Australia’s comprehensive training courses, companies can access expertly designed programs that address these essential elements across all organisational levels.
Neurodiversity is the way we think, move, act, communicate and process information. This paper is not intended as guidance from Acas about how to manage neurodiversity at work. If using a screening assessment, review it for barriers and consider if you can adjust any aspects to be more inclusive.

In our research, Professor Danielle Ropar of the School of Psychology and I promote a proactive strategy in which organisations are encouraged to anticipate the diverse needs of their workforce. We help organisations to identify and remove barriers in their policies, practices and environments so that they can achieve neuroinclusive workplaces that are supportive and enabling for all. Creating an inclusive workplace requires more than policy-making or surface-level gestures. In this blog, I’ll share practical strategies to help leaders, managers and teams better support neurodivergent colleagues.
For Australian employers, the key question is not whether neurodiversity exists in your organisation – it does – but whether your systems allow people to perform at their best. Environments that are dismissive, inflexible, or poorly managed can exacerbate anxiety, burnout, and psychological injury. For leaders, this means neurodiversity should be considered when assessing psychosocial hazards and designing prevention strategies – not as a separate issue, but as part of good people management. It commonly includes people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other neurological differences. These are relatively cheap or free, so budgets should be no barrier to neuroinclusion for truly ethical employers. Supporting neurodivergent staff with some of the challenges they may have faced so far, inside or outside the workplace, this I Will Survive worksheet helps them appraise their coping skills and personal strengths with which to face tough situations.

In summer 2024, we decided to see if we could package this expertise into a solution for organisations so they could grow their own ‘in house’ resource. 8 months later we have received our accreditation and will be delivering this fully accredited Level 4 Neurodiversity Workplace Needs Assessment Training Course throughout 2025. Differences in sensory perception have been reported as a hallmark of neurominority internal experience,102–108 which may affect pain management, sleep patterns and increase routine-change difficulties Occupational Health Services during in-patient care. Pamphlets explaining treatment, obtaining consent, confirming after care may not be read or absorbed by those struggling with literacy or attention.
Providing managers with training on how to support neurodivergent employees ensures inclusion is consistent and effective. Leaders must understand the realities of neurodivergent employees’ experiences and take proactive steps to support them. Our talented consultants have a range of experience in supporting charities and values-driven organisations to develop focused, high-impact inclusion strategies that lead to all individuals feeling supported and engaged at work. Get in touch if you’d like to talk about how we might able to help you do the same. It is helpful to have resources and signposting information available to employees about neurodiversity and specific conditions where possible.