Workplace Practices To Help Employers Support Neurodiverse Talent

by Kristen De Deyn Kirk

One Definition Of Neurodivergence

“Neurodivergent refers to natural variations in how people think, process, communicate, and experience the world. This includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other cognitive differences.

But that definition only scratches the surface. Neurodivergence isn’t just what someone has; it’s how they move through the world. It shapes attention, energy, communication, sensory experience, problem solving, even identity.
It’s not a deficit lens; it’s a difference lens. And more important: It’s a context-dependent experience. A trait that looks like a challenge in one environment can be a strength in another.”

—As Shared by Chelsea Piechowski, Chief Wellness Officer, Randolph College, and Licensed Professional Counselor

Jenn Brooks Kaluza never told anyone at work that she is neurodivergent. She knows she could have spoken up.
“I’m a very black-and-white person,” the former healthcare chief operating officer said, “and when in meetings, sometimes you’re expected to read between the lines and understand unsaid things. I really struggled with that, and that hurt me in my career.”

She wishes she had requested a simple accommodation: “After our meetings, can I send you my meeting notes, just to confirm I understood everything correctly?”

The request is one of the low-cost accommodations she has shared with employers and employees since 2024 when she founded CAYA—Come As You Are, a nonprofit with work and social programs for adults with autism. Several years before, Kaluza’s children were diagnosed as neurodivergent—one with autism and the other with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She has dyslexia, which affects her verbal processing, and ADHD. Kaluza didn’t know until she was in her late thirties. For years, she had been told that she suffered only from anxiety and depression.

Heading up CAYA, Kaluza educates neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals and eases their work systems. One of her first CAYA accomplishments: hosting a neuroinclusive job fair at Batten University (then named Virginia Wesleyan University) in Virginia Beach.

Some jobseekers first completed Work READY, Future Strong, an evidence-based learning program with 12 modules Kaluza developed with Rhonda Osisek, founder of Social Butterflies, a social skills club for children. It teaches social behavioral communication, executive function, resume writing, and interview prep.

Making employees feel welcome

Prior to the job fair, Kaluza offered neuroinclusion training for business owners and managers. She continues to provide training sessions.

“Employers are afraid that they’re going to do something wrong,” she said. “‘Disabilities’ is almost like a four-letter word to a lot of employers, because they don’t know what they should do. I demystify ‘reasonable accommodations.’”

Kaluza emphasizes that accommodations don’t necessarily require money. For a neurodivergent person, it might be more like a manager asking:

  • What is your preferred communication method? Email? Verbal? Zoom meeting?
  • Do you need flexible work hours?
  • Do you need noise-canceling headphones?
  • Do you prefer a table lamp instead of overhead LED lights?

“These things make a huge change in your culture with your employees,” Kaluza continued. “These are very basic, simple things that are low-to no-cost that make every employee, regardless of being neurodivergent, feel welcome, safe. That’s when you’re going to get top production. That’s when you get high retention. I really try to share the ‘value add’ of these practices and that they’re good for everyone.”

Considering needs first

Systems matter, said Chelsea Piechowski, chief wellness officer at Randolph College in Lynchburg and a licensed professional counselor specializing in neurodivergence and whole person wellness. As a founding member of the Wellness Collective and an organizational/workplace consultant, she encourages organizations to be proactive.
“Don’t make accommodations reactive,” she advised. “Build environments where fewer accommodations are needed in the first place.”

Piechowski is conducting research for her doctorate dissertation at University of Lynchburg, exploring neurodivergent adults’ transition from higher education into the workplace. She is interviewing adults who were diagnosed later in life and are participating in a neurodivergent book club centered on The Canary Code by Ludmila Praslova.

“Diagnosis often creates a kind of turning point, a reframing of self. People begin to reinterpret past struggles not as personal failure, but as unmet needs within systems that weren’t designed for them,” Piechowski, who was diagnosed as neurodivergent in college, explained. “The workplace becomes a critical site of that tension. It can either reinforce masking and burnout—or become a space where people finally operate in alignment with how their brain works.

My work focuses on how organizations can shift from ‘fit the person to the system’ to ‘design systems that actually fit people.’”

Creating predictability and clarity

Piechowski recommends organizations take the following actions:

  • Build predictability into roles (clear expectations, structured workflows)
  • Offer flexibility in how work gets done, not just when
  • Train managers on neurodiversity and inclusive leadership
  • Rethink hiring practices; traditional interviews often screen out strong candidates
  • Create psychologically safe environments where disclosure isn’t punished

She’s worked with the author of The Canary Code and supports one of the book’s key takeaways: When organizations pay attention to the people who are struggling most in their systems—the “canaries”—they get early warning signs of what’s broken.

Her observation echoes CAYA founder Kaluza’s: Employers who respond well to neurodivergent employees’ needs create better systems for everyone.

“Anything designed with neurodivergent individuals in mind—clear communication, flexible structures, psychologically safe environments—benefits the entire workforce,” she said. “It’s not a niche solution. It’s a systems upgrade.”

Piechowski has helped build environments grounded in clarity, structure, and flexibility.

“That’s not about accommodation; it’s about good design,” she said, “and when you get the design right, it doesn’t just support me, it opens the door for a whole range of people to do their best work.”

Employees who identify as neurotypical can improve work systems for everyone as well. Piechowski suggests they start with clarity and curiosity, not assumptions, and continue with these practices:

  • Be direct and explicit in communication
  • Don’t rely on reading between the lines
  • Normalize different communication styles (some people process verbally, others need time)
  • Reduce social pressure around things like eye contact or small talk
  • Respect boundaries and sensory needs

“And honestly, just ask,” she concluded. “‘What helps you do your best work?’ is a powerful question when it’s asked with sincerity.”