Neurodiversity and cognitive diversity statistics

Only 28% of HR professionals are 'very confident' in identifying conditions considered neurodivergent, while almost one in 10 (9%) are 'not at all confident'.

72% of organisations had general awareness training in 2023.

28% of managers had training relating to neurodiversity in 2023.

35% of managers have not had any training.

Half of managers (50%) would feel uncomfortable hiring a person with a neurodivergence.

97% of employees report that an understanding of cognition and neurodiversity is important at work.

35% of organisations have had one or more senior leaders share that they were neurodivergent.

Employees who disclose their needs are 30% more engaged.

76% of employees chose not to fully disclose their neurodiversity.

Only 17% report their organisation has a process in place for disclosing neuro-difference.

96% of people living with ADHD in the UK reported being reluctant to bring up their diagnosis in the workplace.

36% of neurodivergent employees claimed to have not received any guidance or support for adjusting their workplace setting.

Nearly a fifth (18%) reported that they didn't know where to go for help in their organisation.

72% of HR teams struggle to address neurodiversity within their practices.

7% of organisations have a neurodiversity plan globally.

30% of respondents find cognitive assessments the most impactful support for neuro-inclusion, followed by training (27%), individualised strategies (27%) and reasonable adjustments (15%).

Supported neurodiverse people may boost business productivity with a 50% decrease in sickness absence.

Half of neurodivergent employees have taken time off work due to their neurodivergence.

50% of people had been off work during the last year because of neurodivergent-related challenges.

A study by McKinsey & Company found that organisations with higher levels of diversity are 35% more likely to outperform their peers.

30% improvement in identifying risks when a team is cognitively diverse, and a 20% improvement in problem solving.

Companies that establish a neuroinclusive culture have reported 28% higher revenues, double the net income and 30% higher profit margins.

81% of workers said they would leave their job if their employer lacked a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

80% of candidates say inclusion is important when choosing a new employer.

The direct cost of replacing an individual employee is estimated at 50% to 200% of their annual salary, with major indirect costs in lost customer relationships, lost institutional knowledge and decreased team morale.

ChatGPT without human intervention outperformed clinicians alone (by 16 percentage points — 74%) and clinicians with access to ChatGPT (by 14 percentage points — 76%) when making diagnostic decisions from case files, with 90% accuracy.

Disability discrimination tribunal awards in 2019/20 had an average penalty award of £38,800, with a maximum of £265,700. Tribunal awards for neurodiversity were up 133% year on year.

41% of workers with a disability, a chronic health condition, or who are neuro-different report experiencing micro-aggressions, harassment or bullying at work in the past year.

6 in 10 of those workers report being unable to attend organised work events due to inaccessibility.