Neurodiversity is now on the agenda in most large organisations, yet a lot of the thinking behind it is still shaped by outdated assumptions. Those assumptions affect who gets hired, who gets promoted and who quietly leaves. Here are six myths we still hear regularly in our work with employers, and what is actually true.
Myth 1: Neurodivergent people are less capable or productive
This is the most damaging myth and, sadly, still common. Some managers assume that an autistic, ADHD or dyslexic employee will not meet the same standard as their colleagues. When a neurodivergent person does underperform, the cause is very often the environment or the way the role has been set up, not the person.
Noisy offices, vague instructions, unclear priorities and inflexible processes create barriers. Remove them and the picture usually changes quickly. Our explainer on how neurodiversity shows up at work sets out the most common differences and what helps.
Myth 2: Supporting neurodiversity is expensive
Most adjustments cost little or nothing. Flexible start times, written agendas before meetings, noise-cancelling headphones, a quiet room and clear written instructions are all cheap to provide. Where more specialist support is needed, the government’s Access to Work scheme can fund practical help such as specialist equipment or a job coach.
The bigger cost is usually doing nothing: staff turnover, sickness absence, lost productivity and the risk of a tribunal claim. We have written about the hidden cost of ignoring neurodiversity in more detail.
Myth 3: Neurodiversity is only relevant in some industries
Neurodiversity is often linked with tech, but neurodivergent people work in every sector, from retail and hospitality to law, finance and the emergency services. If you employ people, you employ neurodivergent people, whether or not they have told you. Our article on why many of your employees may be neurodivergent without you knowing explains why.
Myth 4: Neurodiversity means learning disability
Neurodiversity describes the natural variation in how all human brains work. Neurodivergent is the term usually used for people whose thinking differs from what is considered typical, including people who are autistic, have ADHD, or are dyslexic or dyspraxic. Dyslexia and dyspraxia are specific learning differences, which are not the same as a learning disability. Some autistic people also have a learning disability and many do not.
Lumping everything together leads to the wrong support. A dyslexic analyst and an autistic engineer may need very different things, and both may have strengths their employer is not using. See our page on dyslexia in the workplace for one example.
Myth 5: It is only about making adjustments for individuals
Individual adjustments matter, and employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. But neuroinclusion goes further. It is about designing recruitment, communication, meetings, performance management and workspaces so that they work for a wider range of people from the start. That reduces the need for one-off fixes and benefits everyone, including colleagues who will never disclose.
Myth 6: Neuroinclusion is a nice-to-have
Teams that include different ways of thinking are better at spotting problems and finding new solutions. Neurodivergent people often bring strengths in pattern recognition, creativity, deep focus and honest, direct communication. Employers that make good use of that talent gain an edge in recruitment and retention. Those that do not are losing people they never knew they had.
For a broader introduction, read our overview of neurodiversity in the workplace.
How Enna can help you challenge these myths
Myths survive when nobody questions them. Our Neurodiversity 101 workshop replaces assumptions with facts and lived experience, and our session for senior leaders helps those setting strategy see neuroinclusion as a business priority.
If you are not sure how far your organisation has come, our free neuroinclusion maturity assessment gives you a quick benchmark. You can also book a call to talk about training or a full audit.
