Wednesday’s Workplace Knowledge
Understanding Neuro Inclusion
Practical insight for more inclusive workplaces.
Welcome to our first Wednesday’s Workplace Knowledge.
We are starting with a topic that has been around for a long time, but is still not always fully understood in the workplace: neuro inclusion.
Over the next four Wednesdays, we are going to take a deeper look at neuro inclusion, what it actually means for organisations and some of the practical areas businesses can work on to create more inclusive environments.
Awareness of neurodiversity has grown significantly, but awareness alone does not create change. The important question is what organisations do with that understanding and how it changes the experience of the people working within them.
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Wednesday’s Workplace Knowledge. Practical insight for more inclusive workplaces.
What Do We Mean by Neuro Inclusion?
Let’s start by breaking the term into two parts.
Neurodiversity is an umbrella term used to describe differences in how people think, process information, learn and communicate.
The term neurodivergent is commonly used for individuals with neurological differences such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autism, dyspraxia/DCD and other conditions. Many of these differences are non-visible, which means organisations may have neurodivergent employees without necessarily knowing it.
Inclusion is about creating environments where people can participate, contribute, develop and succeed without unnecessary barriers.
Put the two together and neuro inclusion becomes more than simply recognising neurodivergence. It is about creating a workplace where different ways of thinking, communicating and working are genuinely understood and supported.
So, where should organisations start?
1. Understand the Strengths Already Within Your Organisation
Neuro inclusion should not begin with a list of everything someone finds difficult. We also need to ask what that individual does well and where their strengths can make a difference.
Neurodivergent employees can bring a wide variety of strengths. For some, this could include problem solving, creativity, lateral thinking, attention to detail, deep focus, seeing the bigger picture or approaching a challenge from a completely different perspective.
There is no universal list of neurodivergent strengths because every individual is different. The important thing is understanding the person rather than making assumptions based on a diagnosis.
This is also where neuro inclusion becomes part of talent acquisition, talent management and talent development.
Are we recruiting people based on the skills and thinking they can bring to the organisation, or are we simply recruiting the people who are best at completing our recruitment process?
Once somebody is within the organisation, are we continually focusing on what they find difficult, or are we helping them develop and use the strengths they already have?
Understanding the talent within your organisation can support the individual, but it can also contribute to innovation, problem solving and business growth.
2. Look at Your Policies
Having an inclusion statement does not automatically make an organisation inclusive.
Look at the policies and processes that affect somebody’s real experience of working within your organisation. Think about recruitment, onboarding, reasonable adjustments, performance management, disciplinary procedures, flexible working, career development and progression.
Would a neurodivergent employee understand how to ask for support? Would their manager understand what to do when that conversation happens?
Are your policies accessible and easy to understand? Could any of your recruitment or management processes unintentionally create barriers?
A policy cannot simply sit in a folder or on an intranet. People need to understand it, managers need to use it and employees need to trust that it will work when they need it.
3. Create the Right Culture
You can have an excellent policy and still have a workplace where people do not feel comfortable asking for support.
That is why culture matters.
A neuro-inclusive workplace creates an environment where people can talk about what helps them work effectively without feeling that they are being difficult or asking for special treatment.
That might mean asking for information to be provided in a different way. It might mean protecting periods of focus time, using assistive technology, asking for clarity around a deadline or requesting a reasonable adjustment.
People need to feel that they can speak up, ask questions and have conversations about how they work best.
Creating that culture can support confidence, wellbeing and retention while helping individuals contribute more effectively to the organisation.
Neuro inclusion is therefore not only a people issue. It is also a business issue.
4. Train and Support Your Managers
Managers have a significant influence on whether inclusion works in practice.
An organisation can have a strong neurodiversity strategy and excellent policies, but if the manager working with an employee every day does not understand neurodiversity, reasonable adjustments or different communication needs, that employee’s experience can be completely different.
Training needs to move beyond simply explaining what dyslexia, ADHD or autism are.
Managers need practical understanding. They need to feel confident having conversations, recognising that people work differently, understanding when support may be needed and knowing where they can go for additional advice.
This also needs leadership from the top. Neuro inclusion cannot sit with one HR professional, one neurodiversity champion or one employee network. It needs to become part of how the organisation manages, develops and supports its people.
It is equally important to listen to neurodivergent employees themselves. The people experiencing your workplace can often provide some of the most useful insight into what is working and where barriers still exist.
Neuro Inclusion Is Good for People and Good for Business
The key takeaway from our first Wednesday’s Workplace Knowledge is that neuro inclusion should not simply be something an organisation talks about. It needs to be something people experience.
It is about recognising strengths, developing talent, creating policies that work, building the right culture and giving managers the knowledge and confidence to support their teams.
When we get this right, we are not simply making a workplace more inclusive for neurodivergent employees. We are creating an organisation where different ideas, perspectives and ways of thinking have the opportunity to contribute.
That can support innovation, problem solving, employee development, retention and ultimately business growth.
Neuro inclusion is good for people, and it is good for business.
Over the Next Four Weeks
Throughout this month’s Wednesday’s Workplace Knowledge, we will continue our deep dive into neuro inclusion.
Each Wednesday we will explore another part of the conversation and look at practical steps organisations can take to move from awareness towards action.
If you would like to explore neuro inclusion further, you can also join the waitlist for our free Understanding Neuro Inclusion session:
You can also book a free 15-minute Workplace Consultation with Arran Smith to talk about neurodiversity within your organisation and explore the support available through Toucan Workplace:
📩 SIGN UP TO WEDNESDAY’S WORKPLACE KNOWLEDGE
If you want practical workplace knowledge delivered every Wednesday, sign up to Wednesday’s Workplace Knowledge and receive our latest articles, insights and guidance directly to your inbox.
Each month, we will choose one key workplace topic and explore it across the month, helping you understand what it means, why it matters and what your organisation can do next.
Wednesday’s Workplace Knowledge. Practical insight for more inclusive workplaces.