Table of Contents
Neurodiversity at work can present challenges for managers who want to support employees but aren’t sure how to start the conversation. Consider an employee who produces strong work but feels overwhelmed by interruptions and changing priorities. Their manager wants to help but worries about saying the wrong thing. This guide to neurodiversity at work helps managers have better conversations: how to open them, which questions to ask, how to respond to disclosure, how to agree adjustments and how to keep support in place alongside performance concerns.
How line managers open neurodiversity conversations at work
A line manager in this situation may hesitate, particularly if they are unsure how to approach the conversation without making assumptions.
Start with observable work, not labels
Neurodiversity describes natural differences in how people think, learn and process information. Neurodivergence covers types such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia, among others, but a visible working style never establishes a condition. Good neurodiversity conversations at work therefore begin with what the manager has actually seen happen in the work.
- Describe the situation: “Priorities changed three times this week” is factual; “you seem scattered” is a judgement.
- Separate output from strain: Separate performance from workplace pressures: an employee may produce excellent work while struggling with interruptions, changing priorities or other workplace demands. Focus the conversation on what could make their work easier.
- Avoid suggesting a condition: difficulty with concentration, communication or deadlines does not mean someone is neurodivergent.
- Invite their view: ask how the situation feels from their side before offering any solution.
This approach treats the issue as a workplace barrier both of you can look at, rather than a question about who the employee is. The Acas guidance on neurodiversity at work also explains why people with the same condition, such as dyslexia, can have very different strengths and challenges.
Choose a setting the employee can use
Offer a private, unhurried meeting at a time and place you agree together, with no audience and no pressure to wrap up. Ask how the employee would like to take part. Some people prefer questions sent in advance, a quieter room, a written exchange or a video call with the camera off. Don’t treat eye contact or movement as a sign of whether someone is paying attention or how they feel about it.
Make the purpose clear
Prepare examples of the specific work or process involved, not impressions of the employee’s personality. Explain at the start that the conversation is about practical support. Then outline what could happen afterwards, such as trying a change or arranging a follow-up.
An employee does not have to disclose neurodivergence to discuss work barriers. If they would rather not talk about their health with you, you can still discuss working arrangements, offer to check in later or suggest someone else they could speak to.
Which questions reveal work barriers?
Open, practical questions let the employee describe their work in their own terms. They also stop the meeting turning into a hunt for a label. Asking “Do you have ADHD?” puts disclosure at the centre of the conversation, and that is never the purpose of the meeting.
Ask about strengths and challenges
Start with what is working: “Which parts of your work are going well?” Then move on to “What makes particular tasks harder?” Together, these two questions bring out strengths and challenges without either of you guessing at a cause.
Questions about everyday conditions often show where the barrier is. Supporting neurodivergent employees well usually starts with asking whether anything about the environment or working arrangements would help if it changed.
- Noise: “Is the sound level around your desk affecting your concentration?”
- Interruptions: “How often are you pulled away from a task, and by what?”
- Deadlines: “Which deadlines feel workable, and which don’t?”
- Changing priorities: “What happens to your work when plans shift?”
In the illustrative scenario, interruptions and shifting priorities are the obvious places to start. You are looking at how the work is set up, not at the employee’s health.
Explore instructions, priorities and feedback
“How do you prefer to receive instructions and changes to priorities?” asks about a work process, not a condition. A few other phrases tend to help:
| Helpful wording | Why it works |
| “The instructions changed at short notice. How is that process working for you, and what would make it easier?” | It names something you observed and asks for the employee’s account |
| “Would spoken feedback, written feedback or both be more useful?” | It asks about format instead of assuming one style suits everyone |
| “You don’t need to answer now. Shall we pick this up on Thursday?” | It gives time to process instead of expecting an instant reply |
Leaving time to respond matters. Many people give a more useful answer after they have had time to think.
Listen without labelling
As noted earlier, a label does not tell you the answer: preferences and support needs differ from person to person.
Some people mask, meaning they consciously or unconsciously conceal or suppress neurodivergent traits to fit in. Masking can be exhausting, so what you can see in someone’s behaviour may not show everything they need.
Give the employee time to think, and check you have understood them correctly. If they don’t yet know what would help, agree to try an idea and review it. Avoid stereotypes and “superpower” language, which turn a person into a generalisation.
Respond constructively to disclosure
An employee may tell you they are neurodivergent during an informal chat or partway through a formal performance process. Either way, take it seriously. How you respond in that moment affects whether they will feel able to raise things with you again.
Acknowledge the person, then ask about work
Thank them for telling you. Then ask what would support their work, and don’t turn the discussion into a request for medical detail they don’t need to give.
Ask which language they prefer. Neurodivergent individuals do not all describe themselves in the same terms, so follow their lead and avoid phrases such as “suffering from”.
Explain who needs to know
Do not promise absolute confidentiality. Instead, discuss what information may need to be shared, with whom and why, including what is needed to put support in place.
Colleagues do not need to know a diagnosis to understand an adjustment. Share only what is necessary, through the proper channels.
The way a work arrangement is explained to the team is separate from the private health information behind it. Agree that explanation with the employee first. Neurodivergent team members should keep control over their own story.
Handle health information carefully
According to the Information Commissioner’s Office, employers processing workers’ health information need both a lawful basis and a special-category condition (an additional legal condition for sensitive data). The ICO also says consent in an employment relationship is not automatically an appropriate basis.
The ICO advises collecting only the health information you need, restricting who can access it and keeping it no longer than necessary. In practice, record the support needed and agreed workplace adjustments. Only record health information where necessary, and ensure it is kept confidential and securely stored.
Agree practical adjustments and next steps
A good conversation ends with something concrete. Where the barrier and a workable change are both clear, you can discuss and try support straight away rather than waiting for a formal assessment.
Try changes that match the barrier
When discussing workplace adjustments, start from the barrier you have identified, not from a diagnosis. Each option below is something to consider for an individual, not a standard package:
- Written priorities: when priorities change, explain the new one, agree what is paused and revise deadlines so conflicting expectations don’t build up.
- Protected concentration time: set blocks with fewer interruptions for detailed work.
- Clearer instructions: follow up spoken requests in writing, or break tasks into steps.
Keep a short written record of the barrier, the agreed change, who is responsible, the start date and the review date. Acas suggests reviewing adjustments regularly, for example every six months, or when the role, workplace or need changes. Six months is an example, not a statutory deadline.
Understand when the legal duty applies
In England, Scotland and Wales, the Equality Act 2010 requires employers to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled employee faces a substantial disadvantage because of workplace arrangements, physical features or a lack of appropriate aids or support. The duty applies where the employer knows, or could reasonably be expected to know, about the disability and the likely disadvantage.
Not every neurodivergent person meets the legal definition of disability. Northern Ireland has a separate framework under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended. Our guide to reasonable adjustments in the workplace covers this in more detail.
A formal diagnosis is not required before you discuss or offer practical support, as the Acas guidance on adjustments for neurodiversity confirms. Whether a request is reasonable depends on the circumstances, including how effective and practical it is. If you can’t agree to a request, explain why, look for another option that would work and record the decision. Neurodiversity inclusion at work depends on that kind of honest follow-through.
Bring in expertise when it helps
Managers should never try to identify a condition. HR can help when a change affects other teams or policies, needs sign-off, conflicts with other people’s needs or may be refused. Occupational health can advise on how a condition affects work and on suitable adjustments, but its advice informs your decision rather than making it. The adviser needs the worker’s permission before sharing a report with you.
When barriers are unclear or complex, a Neurodiversity Workplace Needs Assessment from Salusphere Global looks at the employee’s role, environment, barriers and existing strategies, then gives written recommendations. It is a workplace assessment, not a clinical one. Clinical services deal with health needs separately. You don’t need specialist input before trying a straightforward change, and good neuroinclusion often starts with that small step.
Keep support available alongside performance concerns
Real performance concerns don’t disappear because someone needs support. Both can be handled together, as long as everyone understands what each conversation is for.
Keep support and standards clear
Be clear about the work outcome you need. Consider any disability-related barriers and relevant adjustments. Never make disclosure or an assessment a condition of being treated fairly.
Acas says employers should do all they reasonably can to support an employee before starting a formal performance, conduct or capability procedure. A formal procedure may still be appropriate:
- When concerns persist after support has been given a fair trial.
- When the issue is unrelated to the employee’s neurodivergence, following appropriate consideration of any support needs and reasonable adjustments.
- With its own adjustments so the employee can take part fairly.
Writing down the expected standard and the support offered gives both of you a shared reference point.
Give specific, fair feedback
Useful feedback covers four things: the work you observed, the expected standard, the gap, and its effect. Then ask what contributed. “Be more proactive” gives the employee nothing they can act on.
Speaking confidently, answering quickly or making eye contact are not necessarily evidence of performance or motivation. Clear, job-relevant expectations and concrete instructions give a more reliable basis for judging work.
Build managers’ communication skills
Many managers find this hard. In an Acas poll of 1,650 line managers in November 2024, 39% said difficulty having a conversation about adjustments was a barrier. In the same poll, 59% pointed to managers’ lack of knowledge about making adjustments. These figures reflect the views of those polled, not UK-wide prevalence.
In an Acas/YouGov survey of 1,000 employees in Great Britain, carried out 5–11 February 2026, 32% said their employer was effective at training managers on reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent employees. Another 35% said it was ineffective. Salusphere Global’s neurodiversity training for managers includes a one-day workshop, online or in person, covering clear communication, support after disclosure, immediate adjustments and longer-term support. Neurodiversity manager training of this kind builds awareness and confidence. If you would like to talk about manager training or support for an individual, we are happy to discuss what would suit your organisation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can team-wide changes replace an individual reasonable adjustment?
No. Changes to general work systems, such as clearer instructions or quiet spaces, can help a whole team. However, they do not replace an individual reasonable adjustment where the legal duty applies.
Should a missed deadline be treated as a sign that an employee is unmotivated?
No. Before drawing a conclusion, look at the task, what was expected and any possible barriers. Clear, job-relevant standards stop working style, how much someone speaks in meetings or how quickly they answer being mistaken for evidence of performance.
Is a specific neurodiversity training course a legal requirement for managers?
No particular course is stated as a legal requirement. Acas recommends training managers on adjustments and discrimination, alongside time for one-to-ones, workload reviews and clear support routes. Good training lets managers practise opening work-focused conversations, listening without labelling, protecting privacy, giving clear feedback and agreeing actions.
