Neurodivergence is an umbrella term used to describe differences in how people think, learn, process information, communicate, and interact with others. It can include conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and developmental language disorder (DLD), among other forms of neurodivergence.
A 2024 survey of laboratory professionals found that 48.1 percent of respondents identified as neurodivergent. Neurodivergent professionals can bring valuable strengths to the laboratory, including deep focus, pattern recognition, analytical thinking, creativity, innovation, resilience, and a strong passion for learning.
I am a neurodivergent laboratory professional with more than 20 years of experience across academic research, hospital laboratories, small and large companies, and clinical diagnostics laboratories. Throughout my career, I have experienced both supportive and unsupportive workplace environments. In laboratories where managers and colleagues took the time to understand my strengths and challenges, built trust, maintained open communication, supported my continued learning, and gave me opportunities to grow, I thrived. In other environments, limited support, rigid training practices, poor workplace culture, bullying, and pressure to mask my differences contributed to burnout and made it difficult to succeed.
My experiences have led to an important realization: the problem is not neurodivergent talent. It is a workplace system that often fails to support that talent. Recruiting neurodivergent professionals is only the beginning. What happens after someone joins the laboratory can determine whether that person is retained, able to contribute their strengths, and ultimately, able to thrive.
Lab leaders have an opportunity to create workplaces where people do not have to hide who they are to succeed and where differences in how people think and work can become strengths rather than barriers.
Understanding the individual, not the stereotype
Managers should get to know new hires as individuals, including how they learn and work best. Ask everyone the same targeted questions about learning preferences, training needs, and potential barriers to success. Do not ask employees to disclose a disability. Disclosure should be voluntary and occur when the employee feels safe and comfortable discussing accommodations or other supports they need to succeed. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), reasonable accommodations are changes or adjustments to a job, work environment, or hiring process that enable a qualified person with a disability to perform the essential functions of the job.
Accommodations may include:
- Providing clear, explicit instructions in writing and verbally
- Clarifying responsibilities, priorities, deadlines, and performance expectations
- Allowing additional processing time when appropriate
- Providing written follow-up after complex discussions
- Offering personalized training
- Providing tools such as a computer for note-taking
When the requested accommodation is not reasonable, managers should engage the employee in a collaborative discussion to identify an effective alternative that removes the barrier and supports success.
Effective leadership starts with understanding the individual, not assuming the stereotype. The goal is not to make everyone work or think the same way. It is to give everyone a fair opportunity to successfully perform the work.
Build psychological safety and trust
Research from CIPD / Uptimize found that one in five neurodivergent employees surveyed reported experiencing harassment or discrimination at work because of their neurodivergence. Only about half reported that their organization or team had an open and supportive climate for discussing neurodiversity.
Building psychological safety starts with trust. Neurodivergent employees need to know they can ask questions, seek clarification, raise concerns, or request support without being judged for being different. Lab leaders can begin building that trust from day one by creating clear channels for communication and raising concerns. They should also demonstrate that the employee’s success matters.
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When concerns arise, address them directly with the employee rather than relying on secondhand information or assumptions. Separate facts from interpretations, listen to the employee’s perspective, and remain open to finding a solution. Make sure employees know where to turn when they need additional support.
Psychological safety does not mean lowering expectations or avoiding difficult conversations. It means creating an environment where employees can be honest about challenges, ask for help, and work with their manager to address problems before they become bigger barriers to success.
Address the barriers before addressing performance
GAIN's 2024 Individual Member Survey found that neurodivergent respondents were more likely than their neurotypical peers to have been placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP) or faced disciplinary action. Lab leaders should ask: Are we addressing a performance problem or a workplace barrier?
Neurodivergent employees should be held to the same essential performance standards as their colleagues, with reasonable accommodation when needed.
Before starting a PIP, ask:
- What specifically is not working, and why?
- Were expectations clearly communicated?
- Has the employee received training in a way that supports how they learn best, with clear instructions and enough time and support to demonstrate their abilities?
- What barriers may be affecting their success?
- Could coaching, mentorship, clarification, or reasonable accommodations help?
Use a collaborative problem-solving approach. Clearly define the concern, listen to the employee’s perspective, identify barriers together, develop solutions, establish measurable goals, and follow up to assess progress and whether the solutions are working.
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For neurodivergent employees, PIPs can create significant stress and anxiety. The pressure may increase masking and make it harder to focus, process feedback, and perform at their best. Address concerns early and work with the employee to find solutions before problems escalate.
PIPs can be appropriate for genuine, documented performance concerns. They should include clear expectations and measurable goals, with improvement evaluated through documented performance, not subjective judgments about personality, communication, or work style.
The goal is to be accountable without requiring conformity. Lab leaders should ask: “What is getting in the way of this employee’s success, and what barriers can we remove?”
Awareness to action: building an inclusive laboratory
Building an inclusive laboratory requires turning awareness into action. This includes strengthening onboarding and training, allowing flexibility when someone needs more time to learn a new method, improving the sensory environment, creating clear pathways for advancement and leadership opportunities, and recognizing each employee’s strengths and contributions. Leaders should actively listen to feedback and make meaningful changes, celebrate scientists with disabilities, and create opportunities to celebrate diversity within the lab. For example, recognize Disability Pride Month in July or National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October.
Supporting neurodivergent laboratory professionals and creating an inclusive environment is not about lowering standards. It is about removing unnecessary barriers so everyone has the opportunity to meet high standards and do their best work.
When employees do not feel valued or respected, laboratories pay the price through burnout, turnover, lost productivity, and the loss of valuable knowledge and experience. Investing in an inclusive workplace can help laboratories retain experienced talent, reduce turnover and recruitment costs, preserve institutional knowledge, and strengthen teamwork and productivity.
The goal is simple: create a laboratory where talented people are valued for who they are, supported in reaching their potential, and given the opportunity to contribute, grow, and thrive.
