What steps can your organisation take to support neurodiverse employees?
By ILX Team | 16 January 2024
Our research found that 94% of organisations either currently have or are planning to gain an understanding of how to support neurodiverse employees this year[1]. As our workforces continue to diversify, fostering an inclusive environment is not just the right thing to do, it’s a legal requirement. The Equality Act of 2010 mandates that employers make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities, this includes those with neurodiverse conditions.
What is neurodiversity?
Originally coined by 1990s sociologist, Judy Singer, ‘neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one “right” way of thinking, learning, and behaving [Harvard Health]’. The concept asserts that these variations in brain function are natural aspects of human diversity, and should not be viewed as better or worse than the neurotypical way of thinking.
Examples of neurodiverse conditions
Some neurodiverse conditions, include:
- Autism or Autism Spectrum Conditions
- ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)
- Dyscalculia
- Dysgraphia
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Williams syndrome
Steps an organisation can take to be more inclusive
Make adjustments to an individual’s working environment
For neurodivergent individuals an office environment can evoke many sensory sensitivities. Whether it be introducing a clean desk policy, providing noise cancelling headphones or moving someone’s desk to a position that better suits their needs, there are many small things an organisation can do to help make people feel more comfortable.