Launching Our Neurodiversity Training for Schools and Education Trusts
Schools are carrying a lot right now. Staff are supporting a wider range of needs in busy classrooms, trying to
One of the most consistent things I hear in conversations with HR, L&D and inclusion teams is that managers want to support their neurodivergent colleagues, but feel unsure about how to do it.
They worry about saying the wrong thing. They are uncertain what they can ask without a diagnosis. They hesitate over performance conversations, or pass everything to HR because that feels safer.
In one recent conversation, managers were described as “a little bit scared”. That stayed with me. It captures something we need to take seriously when planning neurodiversity training.
We can ask managers to be more inclusive. We also need to give them the confidence, time and practical support to follow through.
Across our conversations with businesses, charities, councils and education organisations, this concern keeps returning. Recently, the requests have become more specific: help our managers know what to say, what they can agree and when they need advice.
These are observations from our conversations, rather than a representative survey of employers. But wider research points to a similar gap.
The CIPD’s 2024 Neuroinclusion at Work report found that just 24% of employers surveyed provided managers with training or guidance on supporting neurodivergent team members. Only 18% provided training on responding when someone shares that they are neurodivergent.
More recently, an ACAS/YouGov survey published in March 2026 found that 35% of employees thought their employer was ineffective at training managers to identify and make reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent colleagues.
The studies ask different questions, so they cannot tell us whether things have improved or worsened. They do show why manager capability deserves sustained attention.
Imagine telling your manager that you are struggling with constant interruptions or unclear priorities. It may have taken weeks to find the confidence to raise it.
If the response is simply, “You’ll need to speak to HR,” you may leave without knowing whether anything will change.
HR involvement can be essential. But managers also need to stay involved in the everyday working relationship. Otherwise, a request for support can become a series of referrals, with nobody quite sure who is taking the next step.
For the organisation, that creates the possibility of delayed support, inconsistent decisions and avoidable escalation. For the employee, it can feel as though asking for help has made work more complicated.
A useful starting point is a conversation about the work itself:
“What is working well at the moment, and what is making things harder?”
“When priorities change, how could I make those changes clearer?”
“What could we try, and when should we check whether it is helping?”
These questions give someone room to explain their experience without asking them to defend a diagnosis or fit a stereotype.
Acas guidance is clear that someone does not need a diagnosis to be considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010, and employers should offer support whether or not a diagnosis is in place.
Managers can explore barriers and possible support without trying to identify a condition. They also need to understand confidentiality, what they can agree themselves and when to involve HR or occupational health.
This is often where managers feel most uncertain.
Can they discuss missed deadlines? Can they explain the impact on colleagues? What happens if an adjustment does not seem to help?
A constructive conversation makes expectations clear while exploring what someone needs to meet them. For example:
“The last two reports arrived after the agreed deadline. Can we talk through what got in the way, whether the priorities were clear, and what support might help?”
That opens a discussion about both the work and the conditions in which it is being done.
Acas advises employers to make sure they have done all they reasonably can to support an employee before using a formal performance, conduct or capability procedure. Where a formal process is needed, reasonable adjustments may also be required within that process.
The practical lesson is to explore barriers early, agree appropriate support, record decisions and review what happens. Managers need guidance on when specialist advice is necessary, especially if concerns continue.
For HR, L&D and inclusion leads, I would start with one question: what should a manager be able to do differently after this session?
I would want them to be able to:
Those skills need practice. A manager in a manufacturing environment may face different choices from someone leading a remote charity team. Training should give people space to work through those situations, including the questions they feel uncomfortable asking.
It also needs something behind it: accessible guidance, clear authority to agree support, time for conversations and an HR team managers can consult. Neurodivergent colleagues should help shape that approach, with their involvement voluntary and supported.
Afterwards, ask employees whether conversations and support have improved. A higher confidence score is encouraging; the day-to-day experience matters too.
The next time someone raises a difficulty, their manager should feel able to listen, explore it and agree on a useful next step. That is a practical outcome worth building training around.
If this sounds familiar in your organisation, get in touch with me at Neurodiversity UK. We can talk through the situations your managers are facing and how practical, role-based training could help.
Book some time in with me here or send us an email at info@neurodiversityuk.co.uk
Or visit www.neurodiversityuk.co.uk for more information on how we can support.
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