For years, conversations around neurodiversity at work have focused on how organisations respond when something isn’t working.

An employee begins to struggle with their workload, communication breaks down, or feedback doesn’t land in the way a manager expects. At that point, support is introduced, often in the form of reasonable adjustments, coaching, or informal workarounds designed to help the individual “get back on track”.

That approach has always been necessary, but it is fundamentally reactive.

What has been missing is something that changes the experience of work itself, before those challenges escalate into performance concerns or difficult conversations.

This is where artificial intelligence is starting to shift things in a way most organisations have not fully caught up with yet.

Not because it was designed specifically for neurodivergent employees, but because it gives people far more control over how they process information, structure their thinking, and communicate their ideas. For many neurodivergent individuals, that control is exactly what has been missing.

Neurodiversity at work is often a problem of friction, not ability

At least one in five people are neurodivergent, yet most workplaces are still designed around a fairly narrow expectation of how people should think, communicate and perform.

This mismatch is where many challenges begin.

It is not that neurodivergent employees lack capability. It is that the way work is structured often creates unnecessary friction. Instructions can be vague, information can be overwhelming, and expectations are not always clearly defined. Over time, this creates a disproportionate cognitive load for some employees, particularly those with ADHD, autism or dyslexia.

This is not just anecdotal. Research has consistently shown that neurodivergent employees are more likely to report feeling overwhelmed at work, struggling with communication, and finding traditional workplace structures difficult to navigate.

What is often labelled as a “performance issue” is, in many cases, a design issue.

AI has the potential to reduce that friction in real time.

Instead of relying entirely on managers to adapt their communication, or on employees to repeatedly ask for clarification, individuals can now reshape work in a way that makes sense to them.

For example, an employee who has been asked to “pull together a proposal” might previously have spent hours overthinking where to start. Now, they can take that instruction and ask:

“I’ve been asked to create a proposal on [topic]. Can you break this down into clear steps and suggest a strong structure?”

What was previously ambiguous becomes structured almost instantly, removing one of the most common barriers to getting started.

AI is already acting as assistive technology (whether organisations realise it or not)

One of the most important things for employers to understand is that this is not a future trend.

Employees are already using AI in this way.

Quietly, informally, and often without explicitly framing it as support.

Tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot are being used to:

• translate vague instructions into clear actions
• draft and refine written communication
• summarise long documents or meeting notes
• structure ideas before presenting them
• sense-check tone and clarity in messages

For neurodivergent employees, these are not small efficiencies. They directly address some of the most common workplace barriers.

Take written communication as an example. Many roles expect employees to write clearly, professionally, and with the right tone, yet very little guidance is given on how to do this.

For someone with dyslexia or ADHD, this can create a constant layer of pressure.

Instead of second-guessing every sentence, an employee might now write:

“Can you rewrite this email so it’s clear, professional and friendly, but still sounds natural?”

This allows them to focus on the content of their work rather than the mechanics of writing.

Similarly, for employees who struggle with information overload, AI can reshape how information is consumed.

“Summarise this document into the key points I need to know and highlight any actions.”

This is not about reducing standards. It is about making information more accessible.

The research: why this matters commercially, not just ethically

Early research from organisations such as McKinsey & Company suggests that generative AI can increase productivity in certain knowledge-based tasks by up to 40%.

However, the more interesting finding is not the overall productivity gain, but where that gain is most significant.

Studies from Microsoft and others have shown that employees who initially struggled more with tasks like writing or structuring information often see the greatest improvement when using AI tools.

In practical terms, this means AI has the potential to narrow performance gaps within teams.

For neurodivergent employees, this is particularly relevant. Many individuals have strong analytical, creative or problem-solving abilities but experience friction in areas like communication, organisation or task initiation. When that friction is reduced, performance often improves quickly.

From an organisational perspective, this is not just about inclusion.

It is about unlocking capability that may already exist within the workforce.

AI, disclosure, and the reality of hidden neurodiversity

One of the most complex challenges in neuroinclusion is that many employees do not disclose.

Some do not identify as having a disability, particularly when it comes to neurodivergence. Others may have concerns about stigma or career impact, or simply do not see a clear benefit to sharing that information at work.

As a result, organisations are often working with incomplete data.

AI changes this dynamic slightly, because it allows employees to access support independently, without needing to formally disclose or request adjustments.

In effect, AI becomes a form of universal support.

However, this should not lead organisations to become passive.

If anything, it reinforces the need to better understand the full scope of neurodiversity within the workforce. Many employees who would benefit from support may not appear in disability data, particularly if they do not associate themselves with that label.

This is why it is increasingly important to capture neurodiversity more explicitly, for example through equal opportunities forms or engagement surveys, rather than relying solely on disability disclosure.

What employers are currently getting wrong

Despite the clear potential, many organisations are still approaching AI in a narrow way.

It is often positioned purely as a productivity tool, with a focus on efficiency, or treated primarily as a risk to be managed. Very few organisations are actively linking AI to accessibility or inclusion strategies, and even fewer are equipping managers to understand how it can support neurodivergent employees.

This creates inconsistency.

Some employees are already benefiting significantly because they have discovered how to use these tools effectively. Others are not using them at all, either because they are unsure how, or because they do not feel confident that they are allowed to.

From an inclusion perspective, that gap matters.

How managers can use AI to support neurodivergent employees

Managers do not need to become experts in AI, but they do need to be more intentional about how it is used within their teams.

That starts with normalising it.

If employees feel they have to hide their use of AI, organisations lose the opportunity to shape how it is used and ensure it is being applied in a way that supports both performance and inclusion.

Managers can also use AI themselves to improve how they communicate.

For example, a manager preparing instructions for a task might ask:

“Can you turn this into clear, step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow?”

Or when giving feedback:

“Can you rephrase this feedback so it is clear, constructive and focused on actions?”

These small shifts can significantly improve how accessible communication is across a team.

The bigger opportunity for neuroinclusive workplaces

What sits behind all of this is a much bigger shift in how work happens.

As AI becomes more embedded into everyday tools and workflows, the distinction between assistive technology and standard workplace technology will start to blur.

What was once considered additional support will simply become part of how work is done.

For organisations, this presents a clear opportunity.

Those that recognise AI as part of their neuroinclusion strategy will be better positioned to reduce unnecessary barriers, support a wider range of employees, and improve performance across their teams.

Those that do not risk falling behind, not just in productivity, but in how inclusive and accessible their workplaces really are.

How Enna supports organisations to get this right

AI is powerful, but it is not a replacement for good management, inclusive design, or thoughtful strategy.

At Enna, we work with organisations to build manager confidence, design practical approaches to reasonable adjustments, and embed inclusive ways of working that reflect how people actually think and operate.

If you are exploring how AI can support neurodivergent employees, taking a structured and intentional approach early on can make a significant difference.