Reasonable Adjustments at Work
Neurodivergence at Work – Article 3
Reasonable adjustments are not favours, and they do not lower professional standards. They are practical changes that remove avoidable barriers, helping people access their role and demonstrate what they can do.
In this article, I explore reasonable adjustments at work with a practical and compassionate focus. For a neurodivergent employee, a barrier may be hidden. The person may be completing their work while using enormous amounts of energy to manage noise, unclear instructions, constant interruptions, sudden changes or expectations that have never been made explicit.
I have written this article to make adjustments feel less complicated and more human. The most helpful starting point is rarely a generic checklist. It is a respectful conversation about the person, the role and what would make their work more sustainable. Treating everyone identically can preserve a barrier. Fairness means giving each person a genuine opportunity to participate and perform, which may require different routes to the same professional outcome.
The resource considers the everyday experiences that can make working life easier or more difficult. One autistic person may need a quiet workspace while another may need movement or regular contact. One person with ADHD may value reminders while another finds them intrusive. Support works best when it is collaborative and reviewed over time. It looks beyond surface behaviour and encourages us to notice the environment, expectations and systems surrounding the person.
I have written this for neurodivergent employees considering what support may help, managers preparing for an adjustment conversation, employers reviewing working practices, and supporters helping someone communicate their workplace needs. Support does not mean lowering standards, removing responsibility or expecting managers to become therapists. It means creating conditions in which people can communicate clearly, ask for support, use their strengths and remain well enough to contribute.
The article also encourages us to move away from individual blame. Written instructions, predictable deadlines, noise-reducing equipment, protected focus time, flexible hours or a consistent point of contact can reduce strain. Many useful adjustments are simple and benefit the wider team too. When somebody is overwhelmed, struggling or using enormous energy simply to get through the day, asking them to try harder may overlook the barriers around them. Sustainable working grows when personal strategies and organisational responsibility work together.
My hope is that this resource helps start thoughtful conversations before difficulties reach crisis point. Small changes in communication, flexibility, workload, sensory demands, recovery time and psychological safety can have a meaningful effect when they are consistent and genuinely supported.
A neuroinclusive workplace does not have to be perfect. It needs to be willing to listen, learn and respond. When people feel respected and safe enough to be honest, both wellbeing and good work have more room to grow.
By Maggie Learoyd
Psychotherapist | ADHD, Autism & ARFID Specialist
Founder of Space to Breathe Therapy
