Workplace discussions about neurodiversity most often centre on developmental neurodivergence: differences in thinking identified by ADHD, autism or affecting skill-based learning (e.g. dyslexia). These conversations are important. However, these profiles represent only a part of the neurodivergence picture that exists as part of our collective neurodiversity.
Neurodivergence refers to differences in how the world is experienced, in thinking or behaviour defined in comparison to what is considered typical neurological processing in the general population. When neurodivergence in the workplace is considered this way, we must also consider the neurodivergence of employees living with neurological conditions that may affect cognition, emotion, behaviour and energy— invisibly, episodically, or variably over time.
Neurological Conditions Are Common in the Workforce
Australian data highlight just how prevalent neurological conditions are across the population.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2025), approximately 2.2 million Australians (around 1 in 12) were living with a long-term neurological condition in 2022. Many of these conditions affect working age adults.
Migraine alone accounts for over three-quarters of all neurological conditions, affecting an estimated 1.7 million Australians. Epilepsy is also relatively common, contributing to a substantial proportion of emergency department presentations and hospitalisations among adults (AIHW, 2025).
In combination with the growing recognition of neurodevelopmental neurodivergence, these are not marginal conditions. They are likely present, whether recognised or not, in every medium-to-large organisation.
Overlapping Functional Impacts Across Neurodivergence
Importantly difference is not disability, though many people who identify with neurodivergence acknowledge there can be functional impacts. Some impacts due to personal factors and others due to systems and environments that don't align with different needs. While neurodevelopmental profiles and neurological conditions differ, their functional impact at work can overlap.
Employees with ADHD, autism, migraine, or epilepsy may experience similar functional impacts when environments are poorly designed or a poor fit:
- High information density
- Constant task-switching
- Sensory overload
- Time pressure without recovery
From a functional perspective, improved system and work design, strategies and adjustments that support one group often support many others.
This reinforces the value of moving beyond label-based approaches towards function- and environment-focused approaches.
Inclusion: Dynamic Capability, Not Static Labels
Brain functioning is not static. Cognitive capacity fluctuates across and within days, influenced by sleep, escalating stress or distress, medication effects, environmental demands, and recovery opportunities. These influences are familiar to all of us, whether or not we identify as neurodivergent.
From a neuropsychological perspective, inclusion is therefore not about categorising people by labels or assuming fixed capability profiles. Human variability is normal. Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in brain function and brain–behaviour relationships that exists across the workforce.
Importantly, organisational research shows that inclusion is experienced when people simultaneously feel a sense of belonging and are valued for their uniqueness within their work group. Environments that emphasise one without the other risk exclusion through assimilation or marginalisation, even when diversity is present, particularly when difference must be suppressed to belong (Shore et al., 2011).
Inclusion, then, is about creating conditions that value this collective neurodiversity. It means designing work systems and environments that minimise exclusion, recognise individual strengths and vulnerabilities (which we all have), and support alignment between people, roles, and work demands.
Inclusion as a Work Design Challenge
In practice, inclusion is not about “accommodation” but about human-centred work design.
We all seek roles that fit our capabilities, interests, and stage of life — choosing different industries, career paths, and ways of working. Inclusive organisations apply the same principle at a system level: designing work that supports participation, access to information, voice in decision-making, and fair treatment as standard features of everyday work. Importantly, research shows these conditions are most powerfully shaped at the workgroup and leader level, through everyday interactions rather than policy alone (Shore et al., 2011).
Every person brings a unique cognitive and whole-person profile to work, shaped by context and life stage. Inclusive systems recognise this variability and support attention, recovery, and clarity as features of good work design, rather than relying on individual adaptation alone.
In this sense, inclusion is not about particular groups. It is about recognising that human variability is universal
What Neuro-Inclusive Work Design Looks Like in Practice
A neuropsychologically informed approach focuses on work system, environment and role design aligned with unique strengths-based personal profiles, and a clear development plan.
In practice, this means:
- Designing roles and workflows that minimise unnecessary and excessive cognitive load
- Allowing flexibility in pacing, sequencing, and timing of tasks
- Using clear, structured communication as a default
- Reducing reliance on individual disclosure by adopting universal design principles
- Supporting leaders to recognise and respond to cognitive stress, fatigue, and variability
These approaches support employees with neurodevelopmental differences, neurological conditions, and those navigating temporary or situational vulnerabilities.
Inclusion Is About All of Us
When organisations acknowledge that everyone has a distinct cognitive profile — with strengths, limits, and changing capacity — inclusion becomes less about accommodation and more about work design, capability alignment and sustainability to support performance.
Neuropsychology provides the evidence base to support this shift. When work systems are designed to align with how brains actually function, workplaces become safer, fairer, and more effective for everyone.
If you would like to discuss neuro-inclusive interventions or system-level approaches in 2026, feel free to get in touch.
Reference:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2025). Neurological conditions in Australia. AIHW. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-disease/neurological-conditions-in-australia
Shore, L. M., Randel, A. E., Chung, B. G., Dean, M. A., Ehrhart, K. H., & Singh, G. (2011). Inclusion and diversity in work groups: A review and model for future research. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1262–1289. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310385943