Neurodiversity in the workplace is increasingly recognised as a global imperative, and Australia does not lag behind in this respect. Over the past years, the concept of neurodiversity has found resonance with many Australian businesses, which recognise that including neurodivergent people-that is, people living with conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other cognitive differences-means valuable skills and perspectives join the workforce. Yet despite these gains, the test of truly inclusive workplaces that support and accommodate neurodivergent employees remains an ongoing challenge.
The Neurodiversity Index, an exciting tool co-designed by the UK’s City & Guilds Foundation and Do-IT Solutions, offers a richer framework for employers serious about making their workplaces truly inclusive and safe for neurodiverse talent. By participating in the Index, Australian employers will be able to benchmark their practice and contribute to a growing global dataset that will inform future improvements in neurodiversity support and inclusion across workplaces worldwide.
This article gives an overview of the Neurodiversity Index value, business benefits derived, and how the Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative and its associated programs support business in designing inclusive and safe spaces for their neurodivergent employees.
What is the Neurodiversity Index?
The Neurodiversity Index is a global initiative that benchmarks the best workplace practices in including and supporting neurodivergent people. The Index will examine ways that employers are creating supportive environments for their employees with neurodiverse conditions through various means, such as recruitment processes, adjustments to the workplace, and ongoing support mechanisms. It does this, but most importantly, it informs about the way in which enterprises are offering an enabling environment for acceptance and inclusion where employees with neurodiverse conditions can thrive.
Neurodiversity Index 2025
The Neurodiversity Index 2025 is now live!
Australian employers that participate in the Neurodiversity Index 2025 will have the dual advantage of understanding their own practice in pursuit of greater inclusion within their workplaces, contributing to a wider global effort.
This data from the Index will support best practice and inform policy and support systems in the benefit of neurodiverse workers worldwide. Through participation, Australian businesses ensure that they have a place at this very important conversation, and their unique challenges and experiences contribute to the global dataset.
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Why should Australian employers get involved?
The Neurodiversity Index 2025 presents a number of key benefits to Australian employers. The first is the opportunity to reflect on their current practices and provide some suggestions as to how those practices might be improved. Completion of the Index should therefore allow organisations to consider and review their mechanisms concerning the recruitment, onboarding, and support provided to neurodivergent employees and indicate where they fall short. Furthermore, participating in the Index can enhance an organisation’s reputation as an inclusive employer of choice. As awareness rises, organisations found to actively support neurodivergent workers are likely to attract a wider talent pool, including individuals who may have excluded their organisation from job searches. This becomes a competitive advantage in recruiting.
Another benefit for Australian business in participating in the Index is the opportunity to benchmark progress against other organisations. The global dataset arising from the Index will allow companies to understand their standing in relation to other companies in their sector or jurisdiction and provide further insight into how they can further improve their practices.
How We Can Help Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative will help support employers in creating an inclusive and safe workplace through support services and training programs that would enable employers to understand unique needs and accommodate neurodivergent workers so they can perform at their best.
The key offerings of the Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative comprise face-to-face and online training courses with the Neurodiverse Safe Work Academy for the employer/manager. This course will give practical advice on supporting neurodivergent workers, including workplace adjustments, communications strategies, and how to develop sensory-friendly environments.
Whether an employer is new to the concept of neurodiversity or wants more knowledge on how to be inclusive in the workplace, there is something that can be learned from these courses.
Aside from the training courses, the Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative offers the business world a free-of-cost mini-gap analysis that will most definitely enable organisations to review their current practices in relation to neurodiversity inclusion. This is an effective and time-efficient way to capture any gaps in policy or practice by employers and to start the process of amending them.
For the organisations wanting to provide more whole-of-person support to their neurodivergent employees, we offer ND Workplace Profiler and Coaching Programs. For the first time in Australia, this provides a comprehensive diagnosis of the unique neurodivergent profile of the individual worker and identifies key strengths and challenge areas.
These provide the foundation for the coaching sessions that support the worker in working with their strengths and developing skills and strategies to work around their challenge areas. Another one of the reports was provided by Neurodiversity Workplace Profiler: the “Work With Me Passport”, which can be provided to the employer to take some of the guesswork out of identifying reasonable adjustments to support the worker.
When this is provided by employers to groups of workers, data collected can be collated and de identified, then analyzed to provide the employer with an overview of the neurodiversity of their workforce and any commonly identified workplace adjustments. The program should support businesses in devising tailored strategies for supporting neurodivergent employees and creating an inclusive and supportive workplace culture.
Benefits of a Neurodiverse Workforce
Neurodiverse talent brings with it certain strengths to the work environment: creative, meticulous, innovative problem-solving skills. But on the other end of the scale, it faces challenges that indeed need accommodations of some sort. Employers that will take the Neurodiversity Index 2025 survey and work through the Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative will be better equipped to offer the neurodiverse community such an environment in which they can do their best work, ensuring workplace safety.
The key advantage arising from a neurodiverse workforce is that it leads to increased diversity in problem-solving. Neurodivergent employees view problems and tasks differently than their neurotypical colleagues, which they say generates much more creative solutions. In creative industries needing problem-solving, like technology, finance, and engineering, this difference in thoughts can be a real competitive advantage.
It has also been proven through studies that neurodiverse employees tend to be very loyal to companies where they aren’t judged and, in turn, supported. Companies have the opportunity to reduce turnover and improve employee satisfaction by making an environment inclusive for neurodivergent employees who feel valued.
How to Get Started
For Australian employers interested in participating in the Neurodiversity Index 2025, the process is relatively seamless. Employers will be able to sign up for the Index online and complete a questionnaire there regarding workplace practices. The information will be collated to build a detailed picture of how neurodivergent employees are supported in workplaces around the world. Each participating organisation will then receive a detailed report with their results and areas they need to improve upon once the work is complete. This report will point out areas where the organisation is doing well and, very importantly, also suggest pragmatic ways in which they can further support neurodivergent employees.
The Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative will help businesses new to the concept of neurodiversity or unsure of where to start by offering a range of support services designed to guide them through the process. Whether through the free mini gap analysis, in-person and online training courses, or the ND Workplace Profiler and Coaching Program, employers will have at their fingertips the resources necessary for creating an inclusive workplace.
Conclusion
The Neurodiversity Index is a huge opportunity for an Australian lead to create more inclusive work environments. In this respect, businesses can participate in the Index and understand their current practices, benchmark progress against others, and feed into a global dataset that will help shape the future of neurodiverse workplace inclusion. The Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative comes with a variety of programs and resources that will help employers take the next step on their journey toward inclusivity. Investing in neurodiversity, it states, will unleash the potential of Australian businesses and ensure all employees can contribute to full potential.