Neurodiversity Celebration Week- How to support your autistic staff
Written by Iveta Pudilova, CEO and co-founder of National Neurodiversity Training and Happy Autistic Lady Ltd..
Autistic employees can bring incredible strengths to their workplace, from problem-solving and creativity to unmatched attention to detail. After all, neurodivergent teams are up to 30 per cent more productive than neurotypical teams when they receive the right support. Are you supporting your neurodivergent employees this Neurodiversity Celebration Week?
As the CEO and co-founder of National Neurodiversity Training, my journey into neurodiversity and workplace inclusion began when my sister and co-founder, Vera, was diagnosed autistic. Along the way, I discovered that I, too, am neurodivergent—a revelation that completely changed my world. Suddenly, everything made sense.
What started as a passion project between two sisters quickly levelled up into a multi-award-winning company committed to making workplaces truly inclusive. Today, our team delivers neurodiversity training, consulting, and research for a high-profile client base, including Transport for West Midlands, multi-national tech companies, and Russell Group universities.
Our mission is simple: to create work environments where neurodivergent employees can thrive, because when they do, businesses thrive too!
What is autism?
Autism, or autism spectrum (AS) affects how a person perceives the world and interacts with others. Traits can include sensory sensitivities, engaging in repetitive behaviours, and special interests.
I, for example, have very sensitive hearing. I can hear the electricity buzzing in sockets and cables and struggle to process sounds when there is a lot of background noise. Hearing everything (on what sometimes feels like maximum volume) can get quite overwhelming. Sensory overload can cause migraines, verbal shutdowns, chronic anxiety, and more. So, you’ll often see me wearing earplugs or sunglasses and a cap, when the sensory environment is too bright or loud!
Autism and employment
Autistic individuals often have great strengths that can be invaluable to businesses. For instance, many autistic people excel in analytical thinking, pattern recognition, and attention to detail; skills that are particularly beneficial in sectors like tech, engineering, finance, and healthcare.
Our ability to hyper-focus on tasks of interest can also drive productivity and innovation. Autistic employees frequently bring fresh perspectives to problem-solving, challenging the status quo and fostering creativity. Celebrating these talents isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s a strategic advantage.
Barriers autistic employees face in the workplace
Unfortunately, the barriers start already in the recruitment process. Unemployment rates for autistic people are shockingly high. In the UK, just over 21 per cent of autistic people are in work, making them the least likely to be employed by any disabled group.
Those who are employed still encounter significant barriers at work. Research shows that 54 per cent of managers don’t feel equipped to support neurodivergent employees effectively. Misunderstandings about communication styles, differences with sensory processing, and a lack of reasonable adjustments can make the workplace exhausting and overwhelming for autistic staff.
On top of this, at National Neurodiversity Training, we’ve found that disclosure is a key challenge companies experience. Do you know how many autistic staff you have? I’m guessing not. Companies will usually gather statistics on how many disabled staff they have. However, most neurodivergent employees, including those who are autistic, don’t describe themselves as disabled despite autism and neurodivergence being protected under the Disability Act. How are you meant to know how to provide support if you don’t even know who you’re supporting?
Many autistic employees choose not to disclose due to stigma or a lack of confidence that it will lead to meaningful support. This is why we launched our Neuro-Inclusion Maturity Diagnostic Tool - to help businesses assess their current practices, understand the experiences of their autistic employees, and ensure that support for neurodivergent staff goes beyond just a policy on paper.
Why should you care about supporting autistic employees?
It’s not just about legal compliance. The consequences of insufficient support are far-reaching. A staggering 50% of neurodivergent employees are actively considering leaving their jobs, contributing to an estimated £25 billion in potential turnover costs across the UK. The emotional toll is even greater; navigating an unsupportive and inaccessible workplace leads to burnout, mental health issues, and sick days.
When businesses fail to provide appropriate accommodations and a supportive culture, they risk losing talented employees and damaging their reputations. Worse, they miss out on the innovation and problem-solving skills that autistic individuals can offer.
5 steps for creating an inclusive workplace for autistic employees:
The journey to becoming a neuro-inclusive employer doesn’t have to be daunting. Here are some practical steps you can take this Neurodiversity Celebration Week:
- Implement Data-Driven Practices: It’s important to get your team involved and hear directly from the source. Tools like our Neuro-Inclusion Maturity Diagnostic provide a candid assessment of your current practices and offer tailored recommendations based on real feedback from your autistic staff.
- Neurodiversity Training: Effective neurodiversity training should be both lived-experience-led and expert-driven. Our training programs engage everyone in your organisation, be it empowering autistic staff to lean into their strengths or enabling managers to understand and support neurodivergent employees better.
- Clear Communication: Simplifying instructions, avoiding ambiguous language, and offering written summaries can help autistic employees understand expectations more easily.
- Sensory-Friendly Spaces: Providing quiet areas, allowing noise-cancelling headphones, or adjusting lighting can make a significant difference for autistic employees who experience sensory sensitivity.
- Encourage Open Dialogue: Establishing regular check-ins and celebrating key dates like Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17th - 23rd March), Autism Awareness Month (April), or ADHD Awareness Month (October) is a great way to empower employees, encourage staff to voice their needs, and even boost your brand reputation.
Supporting autistic employees is more than a compliance requirement; it’s an opportunity to unlock untapped potential within your workforce. By investing in neuro-inclusivity through expert-led training and data-driven assessments, businesses can enhance employee satisfaction, reduce turnover, and drive innovation.
Are you ready to embrace neuro-inclusivity and transform your workplace? Why not start today?
Get in touch with Iveta and the team at National Neurodiversity Training via the website.