---

Most managers genuinely want to support neurodivergent colleagues but the moment “reasonable adjustments” are mentioned, the conversation often becomes stressful, defensive, or overly complicated.

Not because managers don’t care.

But because the concept of adjustments is deeply misunderstood.

In practice, adjustments are simple, human, everyday changes that help people thrive. They make work easier, communication clearer, and performance more sustainable for everyone, not just neurodivergent employees.

Yet across dozens of industries, we still see the same misconceptions repeated. Here’s what managers often get wrong… and what actually works.

---

1. Thinking adjustments are “special treatment”

This is the most common misunderstanding and the one that causes the most harm.

A reasonable adjustment isn’t a favour.
It isn’t preferential treatment.
It’s a way of removing unfair barriers so someone can perform their role on equal footing.

If a colleague who uses a wheelchair needs a ramp, no one would call that “special treatment”.
If a neurodivergent colleague needs clearer written instruction or fewer last minute changes, the principle is exactly the same.

What actually helps:
Shift the mindset from “extra support” to “equal opportunity to perform”.

---

2. Believing adjustments must be formal, lengthy or HR controlled

Many organisations treat adjustments as something requiring:

• hr escalation
• assessment
• forms
• panel review
• long waits

Meanwhile, the employee continues to struggle.

The truth is:
Most adjustments take less than five minutes to implement.

For example:

• Sending written follow ups after meetings
• Reducing unexpected phone calls
• Allowing extra processing time
• Giving agendas ahead of calls
• Letting someone use noise cancelling headphones
• Allowing camera off in Teams meetings
• Offering breakout spaces

None of these need HR involvement. They don’t require documentation. They don’t cost money. They just require willingness to adapt.

What actually helps:
Empower managers to make immediate, small changes that reduce common barriers.

---

3. Assuming adjustments only apply to “severe” disabilities

Many neurodivergent people:

• Mask
• Internalise overwhelm
• Present as “high functioning”
• Appear calm while overstimulated
• Are exceptional at their job but exhausted by the environment

Because of this, managers often assume:

“They seem fine — they don’t need adjustments.”

But thriving and coping are not the same thing.

Lots of neurodivergent employees only succeed because they are privately managing burnout-level emotional load.

What actually helps:
Understand that adjustments benefit people long before crisis or burnout.

---

4. Offering generic adjustments that don’t match the individual

A common scenario:

A manager googles “reasonable adjustments”
→ Finds a list
→ Offers the list as a menu
→ None of them actually solve the problem

Neurodivergence is not one size fits all.
Two autistic employees might need completely opposite supports.

The purpose of adjustments is not the adjustment itself, it’s removing the specific barrier.

What actually helps:
Ask one question:

“What part of your day is harder than it needs to be?”

Then design the adjustment around that.

---

5. Forgetting that communication itself often needs adjusting

Many neurodivergent employees struggle not with the content of communication, but the way it is delivered:

• Ambiguous instructions
• Vague expectations
• Implied meanings
• Changing deadlines
• Emotional tone changes
• Multi-step tasks delivered verbally

A lack of clarity is not a small barrier, it can completely derail productivity.

What actually helps:

• Give clear written expectations
• Use bullet points, not paragraphs
• Flag urgent tasks explicitly
• Avoid ambiguous phrases (“ASAP”, “whenever”, “should be fine”)
• Confirm understanding without judgement

---

6. Believing adjustments must be permanent

Some managers worry:

“If I offer this once, I’ll be stuck doing it forever.”

But adjustments can be:

• temporary
• flexible
• adaptive
• used only during busy periods
• phased out when no longer needed

What matters is meeting the employee where they are now.

What actually helps:
Use this framing:

“Let’s try this adjustment for 4–6 weeks and review how it’s working.”

This feels achievable for both sides.

---

7. Seeing adjustments as extra work rather than productivity tools

When managers focus on the adjustment itself (“this is inconvenient”), they miss the bigger picture:

Neurodivergent employees often have exceptional strengths:

• Deep focus
• Creativity
• Pattern recognition
• Analytical problem solving
• Innovation
• Integrity
• Reliability

But those strengths surface when barriers are removed.

A small adjustment can double someone’s output.

What actually helps:
Frame adjustments as a way to unlock high value performance.

---

8. Waiting until someone is struggling before offering support

Many neurodivergent employees will only request adjustments when they’re already overwhelmed often too overwhelmed to know what to ask for.

Proactive workplaces don’t wait.

They bake neuroinclusive practice into everyday management:

• Predictability
• Clear expectations
• Written follow ups
• Low stimulation spaces
• Consistent routines

This reduces crisis points completely.

What actually helps:
Ask early and often:

“Is there anything that would make your day easier or clearer?”

---

9. Forgetting that masking hides the true level of struggle

Masking makes neurodivergent employees appear:

• confident
• organised
• socially fluent
• calm
• capable

But internally, they may be:

• overstimulated
• anxious
• confused by shifting expectations
• exhausted
• burnt out

This disconnect leads managers to assume support isn’t needed.

What actually helps:
Understand that masking is a survival strategy not a sign the person is fine.

---

So what does “reasonable” actually mean?

It doesn’t mean:

• difficult
• expensive
• disruptive
• paperwork heavy

It simply means practical, proportionate and effective.

A reasonable adjustment is any change that reduces unnecessary barriers.

Most take minutes.
Many help the entire team.
All improve wellbeing, morale and clarity.

And the return on investment in retention, performance and culture is enormous.

---

⭐ Final Thought

Reasonable adjustments are not about making exceptions.
They’re about creating conditions where every brain can perform without unnecessary friction.

When managers understand this, neurodivergent employees don’t just cope

they thrive, contribute, innovate and lead.

And the organisation becomes stronger for it.