Today we’ve launched our Neurodiversity Index in partnership with Do-IT Solutions, and the headline from this year’s report – Despite organisations feeling more confident than ever about supporting neurodivergent staff, the lived experience of neurodivergent employees is moving in the opposite direction.
Now in its fourth year, and in partnership with Do-IT Solutions, the Index provides the clearest picture yet of how neurodivergent people experience work in the UK, and this year’s results show a widening gap between what organisations believe they’re delivering and what people are actually experiencing day-to-day.
A confidence gap that’s getting bigger
Employers report confidence levels of 70-80%, convinced they’re progressing well on neuroinclusion. Neurodivergent employees? Well only 32-38% agree that they:
- feel psychologically safe to be themselves at work
- trust that promised adjustments will actually happen
- believe their organisation understands the reality of their needs
That’s now a 30-35 point gap; significantly larger than in 2025.
The research also shows that neurodivergent staff are twice as likely to wait more than three months for workplace adjustments. And those long waits are rising, not falling.
Professor Amanda Kirby, Founder and CEO at Do-IT Solutions who leads on pulling the report together puts it simply: “Awareness is no longer the issue. What matters now is how work is designed, managed, and experienced day to day. This is not just an inclusion agenda, it’s a productivity strategy and a health imperative.”
Why this matters now
The Index draws on responses from more than 2,200 people, plus roundtables and case studies across ten major industries. What’s striking is how differently sectors are performing:
- Education and public services: High intent, low capacity
- Tech and digital: Flexible, but high cognitive load
- Construction, retail, manufacturing and hospitality: Lowest levels of support despite employing large numbers of neurodivergent workers
These are the same sectors already facing skills shortages, meaning the UK is at risk of losing talent not because of capability, but because workplaces aren’t set up to support people effectively.
City & Guilds Foundation Interim CEO Mike Adamson CBE highlighted this risk:
“Ensuring that a neurodiverse workforce is not undervalued, under-supported or overlooked is essential, not just because it’s right, but because it’s critical to our collective productivity.”
So what do employers need to do now?
The 2026 Index is clear: change requires action, not awareness. It outlines three priority steps for organisations:
- Build manager capability: Make neuroinclusive behaviours part of manager KPIs, and ensure managers have the training and confidence to act.
- Turn leadership intent into everyday practice: It’s no longer enough to have a statement or a champion. Organisations need sector-specific guidance, clear processes and consistent follow-through.
- Shift from reactive to proactive support: Adjustments should be the norm, not something people battle for months into the job. The Index shows that onboarding is the real stress test of inclusion.
Ashley’s story: From overwhelm to opportunity
One of the most powerful voices in this year’s Index comes from Ashley Mills, whose journey shows both the challenges neurodivergent people face and the transformative impact of the right support.
After months of job hunting, Ashley found himself stuck in roles that were overstimulating, poorly supported, or short-lived. Environments were noisy and chaotic, managers weren’t trained, and expectations weren’t set out clearly — a combination that quickly became overwhelming.
Things changed when he connected with Stride, a charity supporting neurodivergent jobseekers. They introduced Ashley to The Hub café, which offered a calmer, more supportive environment. From there, he progressed into a role at Intertrain, with reasonable adjustments in place from the start.
He also took part in neurodiversity training with Intertrain staff, helping colleagues understand autistic communication styles and workplace needs:
“Within the autism community, there’s a concept called the Double Empathy Problem. What Stride and Intertrain have done is an example of bridging that gap – helping people empathise and understand we can all work alongside each other.”
Ashley’s story captures what the Index shows again and again:
When support is proactive, predictable and human, neurodivergent people don’t just cope, they thrive.
Where do we go from here?
The 2026 Neurodiversity Index makes one thing clear: the UK has the will, but not yet the systems, to deliver neuroinclusive workplaces at scale.
Policies, training and awareness campaigns are helpful, but without consistent manager capability, timely adjustments and culturally safe workplaces, neurodivergent employees will continue to experience significant barriers.
This year’s Index is a call to action: Design work with neurodiversity in mind from the start. Not as an add-on. Not as a favour. But as part of a modern workforce strategy.
Because when people can work in ways that suit how they think, process and communicate, they don’t just feel better; they perform better. And organisations do too.