Written By: Kimia Afzal

Much of the time, when a neurodivergent individual enters an organisation, the work environment is not inclusive and ready to embrace them.

For the employer, being aware of the sensitivities that affect those who are neurodiverse and creating an inclusive working environment that enables all employees to be the best version of themselves is a quick win.

Here are some tips to make the transition into the workplace for neurodivergent people a seamless one:

• In your onboardings, creating a “soft skills” module can help candidates who have never worked in a professional environment become familiar with the expected behaviours and norms of such a setting.
• Neurodiversity awareness education programs to educate all members of staff of expectations and ways in which to support.
• Communicate clearly or break down tasks into small steps, avoiding sarcasm, nuance and implied messages.
• A buddy program to ensure that neurodivergent employees have a support system in their team as well as management, helping them to settle in.
• Being aware of sound sensitivity – this can look like having a designated quiet area, allowing recruits to wear noise-cancelling headphones in an open-plan office available to everyone, and communicating unexpected noise changes.
• Allowing modifications to work clothing and uniform to make people feel more comfortable.
• Avoid spontaneous physical touch.
• Encouraging movement breaks.
• Make workplace and social etiquette known while also encouraging employees to not assume a neurodivergent employee’s behaviour or communication style is ‘rude’.
• Try to give notice in advance if plans change and why.
• Be kind and patient.

Ordinary HR practices are excluding and while you may think these reasonable adjustments are just ‘nice to have’, the numbers show us that embracing neurodiversity is empirical to achieving success in business and representing the society that we live in.