Supporting neurodiversity in the workplace: Practical steps for small business owners

This was originally published at the PAM Group website.

Most employers don't set out to build a "neurodiverse workforce", yet almost every workplace already is one.

Around one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent, including those with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

That means your team is likely to include people who think, communicate and solve problems differently.

Harnessed effectively, these differences can give you a competitive advantage.

Some employers even proactively employ neurodiverse talent, because of strengths ranging from deep focus and analytical thinking to enhanced creativity and innovation.

Without the right support, however, neurodiverse people may struggle with typical" work environments, processes and procedures.

The key to unlocking their full potential is understanding what neurodivergence is, recognising where it exists within your organisation and creating the conditions that allow those people to thrive.

Identifying neurodiverse talent

Neurodivergence isn't always visible. And not everyone will be aware they are neurodivergent, have a formal diagnosis or feel safe disclosing it.

It's important to be aware of underlying neurodivergent traits and the impact they can have in the workplace.

• Someone with ADHD may be restless or fidgety and find long-term projects challenging or get bored quickly, but be very good under pressure and highly adaptable.

• Dyslexic people may make more mistakes in written communication and have challenges with their working memory but often have excellent people skills and out-of-the-box entrepreneurial thinking.

• Autistic employees can be very literal in the way they communicate and sometimes struggle to understand things from someone else's point of view. That can sometimes come across as inflexible or even rude if the context for this isn't understood. Yet people with autism often excel at following processes, logical thinking and holding lots of information.

• Dyspraxic people may experience difficulties with balance, co-ordination and organisation, but can also be highly creative, resilient and strong at problem-solving.

Playing to neurodivergent strengths

Although it can be tempting, and sometimes beneficial, to craft roles around individual strengths, you can also put low-cost or no-cost adjustments in place to support neurodiverse employees.

A couple of examples:

• If you have someone with dyslexia in an admin role, perhaps they can't help making spelling mistakes in emails to clients.

  That person could benefit from the technology already built into Microsoft products, for example, using AI to proof documents or using template emails.

  Once they're set up to succeed, that employee can perform very effectively in their role.

• Similarly, people with ADHD can benefit from support with prioritising and scheduling their work, setting deadlines and breaking down tasks into smaller goals.

  If they struggle to sit still all day, regular movement breaks or a sit-standing desk can be really useful.

If you think someone might be experiencing neurodivergent challenges, talk to them privately and reassure them you won't share any information with other people that they don't want you to share.

A supportive conversation might be:

"I've noticed over the past couple of months that you seem to be struggling with X, Y or Z. Is this something you've always found challenging? Have you received support in the past? What can we do to help?"

Many employees already know they could do the tasks at hand, if they just had an adjustment, such as a quieter desk or help to prioritise their work but may be reluctant to ask.

Or, they might be trying to cope with their neurodivergence, using personal coping strategies that have worked in the past but are no longer sufficient for their new role.

In my upcoming webinar, I'll be sharing in more detail practical adjustments that small businesses can implement. Sign up now

Your legal responsibilities

Although there are business benefits to supporting neurodivergent employees, you have a legal duty here too.

Many neurodivergent conditions are recognised as disabilities. That means employers must put in place reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, no matter how small their organisation.

Even if someone has never been formally diagnosed, they're still entitled to support in the workplace.

If you fail to support a neurodivergent employee, it could lead to you being taken to an expensive employment tribunal. So, it's important to consider what your organisation can reasonably provide.

This might involve:

• making small changes to their working hours

• altering their working environment

• introducing assistive technology

Access to Work funding exists to help cover these costs, but, according to the National Audit Office, processing times have more than doubled to over five months.

Funding is also likely to be scaled back further, due to ongoing benefits reform placing more responsibility on employers.

It's important to weigh the cost of leaving an employee to struggle against the investment needed to provide appropriate support.

At PAM Group, we can carry out a needs assessment to identify reasonable adjustments and deliver assistive technology, tailored to what your workplace can realistically provide, within weeks, not months.

Creating a neuroinclusive culture

It's likely that you already have some neurodivergent employees. When you're deciding how best to support them, you must think about making them feel safe asking for help.

Awareness training, such as a short workshop, can educate employees and managers about neurodivergent traits and create an environment where everyone is more accepting and understanding.

If you already have people who are openly neurodiverse, they might be happy for you to produce a short success story about how you're supporting them and what's worked well.

This can encourage other workers to seek support without fear and show that your business values neurodivergence.

This matters, because employees who mask their natural traits experience greater stress, anxiety, mental fatigue and burnout.

Not only can it make them less productive, but it can also result in them taking more sick leave, which itself can have a negative impact on other people in the business.

The sooner people with dyslexia, ADHD or autism are supported with low-cost or even no-cost adjustments, the less likely they are to struggle and the more you can make the most of their unique strengths.

How PAM Group can help

As a compassionate and cost-effective neurodiversity partner, PAM Group can help you support your neurodivergent employees to thrive. Here's how:

• Workplace needs assessments: Identify how an employee's neurodivergent traits are affected at work and what practical solutions or adjustments will help.

• Assistive technology: Provide hardware and software that helps neurodivergent employees perform tasks more effectively, efficiently and independently.

• Awareness training: Educate employees and managers about neurodivergent strengths and challenges to create more understanding in the workplace.

For more information, please visit our website.

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