How common is neurodivergence?

Peer-reviewed research estimates that around 15 to 20 percent of the population is neurodivergent (Doyle, 2020, British Medical Bulletin). Practically, every organization of meaningful size already employs neurodivergent people.

How do I know if I am neurodivergent as a professional?

Many high-achieving professionals discover their neurodivergence later in life. Common workplace indicators: excelling at complex analysis while struggling with office small talk; being highly productive in certain environments but distracted in others; having innovative solutions while finding traditional meetings unproductive; noticing patterns and details others miss. Late identification does not invalidate your experience or achievements.

Masking is the effort of hiding or suppressing how your brain naturally works in order to appear like everyone else. At work it can look like rehearsing small talk before a meeting, holding eye contact that feels uncomfortable, suppressing the need to move, or scripting a conversation in advance so it sounds effortless. Research on camouflaging in autistic adults describes it as a combination of masking and compensation, with consequences including exhaustion and a threatened sense of self (Hull et al., 2017, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders). Masking is often invisible precisely because it works.

Let’s build the foundation

What is neurodiversity?

Q: What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is a term introduced by sociologist Judy Singer in the late 1990s that recognizes neurological differences as natural variations in human brain function rather than disorders to be fixed. It moves away from viewing ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other neurological variations as deficits, acknowledging them as different ways of processing information that can offer significant advantages in the right environments.

Q: Do neurodivergent employees need costly or disruptive accommodations?

No. Most accommodations are simple environmental adjustments - quiet workspaces, written instructions, flexible scheduling - that often improve productivity for all employees.

Q: Is neurodiversity just a new term for learning disabilities?

No. Neurodiversity encompasses cognitive differences that often include exceptional abilities alongside areas that require different approaches.

Natural variations in human brain function rather than disorders to be fixed. The definition, the numbers, the strengths, and what it means for you or your organization.

The definition

Neurodiversity is a term introduced by sociologist Judy Singer in the late 1990s that recognizes neurological differences as natural variations in human brain function rather than disorders to be fixed.¹ The term moved the unit of analysis: from deficit in the person to fit between a mind and its environment. ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other variations become different ways of processing information, ones that carry real advantages in the right setting.

How common is it?

One in five, give or take

Peer-reviewed research estimates that roughly 15 to 20% of the population is neurodivergent², and most of that talent is underused.

15 to 20%of the population is neurodivergent, peer-reviewed estimate²

80%unemployment among the broader neurodivergent population, by some estimates³

30%higher productivity reported for HPE’s neurodivergent software-testing teams³

For organizations, the arithmetic is blunt: at any meaningful headcount, you already employ neurodivergent people. What’s left to decide is whether your environment lets those minds perform at their documented capabilities.

The strengths

Different wiring, real advantages

“Many people with neurological conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and dyslexia have extraordinary skills, including in pattern recognition, memory, and mathematics.”— Robert Austin & Gary Pisano, Harvard Business Review³

In the right role, these are competitive advantages.

Common strengths include:

Exceptional pattern recognition and analytical thinking
Ability to hyperfocus on complex problems
Creative problem-solving and innovative approaches
High attention to detail and quality standards
Direct communication and authentic feedback

For professionals

Am I neurodivergent?

Many high-achieving professionals discover their neurodivergence later in life, often recognizing themselves in descriptions of ADHD, autism, or other conditions. Common indicators in professional settings:

You excel at complex analysis but struggle with office small talk
You’re highly productive in certain environments but distracted in others
You have innovative solutions but find traditional meetings unproductive
You notice patterns and details others miss

What this means: Late identification doesn’t invalidate your experience or achievements. Understanding your neurodivergence can help optimize your strategies and reduce the energy spent on masking or compensating.

The part nobody sees

What is masking?

Masking is the effort of hiding or suppressing how your brain naturally works in order to appear like everyone else.

What it looks like at work

Rehearsing small talk before you walk into the meeting
Holding eye contact that feels genuinely uncomfortable
Suppressing the need to move, fidget, or step out
Scripting a conversation in advance so it sounds effortless
Re-reading an email a dozen times to check the tone
Staying quiet about what you actually need to work well

What it costs

Masking works. That is the problem. It is invisible by design, so the people doing the most of it are often the ones who look like they need the least support.

The bill comes later. Research on camouflaging in autistic adults describes it as a combination of masking and compensation, and identifies consequences including exhaustion, difficulty being accurately identified, and a threatened sense of self.⁵

It is why a capable professional can perform well all day and have nothing left when they get home. The work did not take everything. Holding the mask in place did.

The goal isn’t to stop masking entirely. Everyone adjusts themselves at work to some degree. The goal is to make it a choice rather than a reflex, spending that energy deliberately, where it buys you something, instead of everywhere, all the time, by default.

Setting the record straight

Common misconceptions

Myth

Neurodivergent employees need extensive accommodations that are costly or disruptive.

Reality

Most accommodations are simple environmental adjustments (quiet workspaces, written instructions, flexible scheduling) that often improve productivity for all employees.

Myth

Neurodiversity is just a new term for learning disabilities.

Reality

Neurodiversity encompasses cognitive differences that often include exceptional abilities alongside areas that require different approaches.

The business case

The returns companies report

Organizations building for neurodiversity report concrete returns. Hewlett Packard Enterprise found its neurodivergent software-testing teams were about 30% more productive than others.³ At SAP, a program participant helped develop a technical fix worth an estimated $40 million in savings.³

“We grossly underestimated the impact that having a neurodiverse worker on a team would have… The morale and culture is just strengthened in ways we never would have expected.”— Bryan Gill, Global Head of Neurodiversity, JPMorgan Chase⁴

The workplace reality

Implementation over awareness

These exceptional minds are already performing, inside systems designed for neurotypical processing styles. It’s like asking a left-handed person to use right-handed scissors all day: they’ll get the job done, but imagine how much better they’d perform with the right tools.

Awareness is cheap and widely available. The advantage accrues to organizations that change how work is assigned, reviewed, and run.

For professionals

Self-awareness enables self-advocacy. Understanding your cognitive style allows you to seek environments where you can excel.

For organizations

A strategic business advantage that depends entirely on intentional system design.

Your workforce is already neurodiverse. The open question is whether your systems are built for the minds you already employ.

Sources

Singer, J. (1998). Odd People In: The Birth of Community Amongst People on the “Autistic Spectrum.” Honours thesis, University of Technology Sydney. Singer is widely credited with the first research-based publication of the term (see Doyle, 2020).
Doyle, N. (2020). “Neurodiversity at work: a biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults.” British Medical Bulletin, 135(1), 108–125. doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldaa021
Austin, R. D., & Pisano, G. P. (2017). “Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage.” Harvard Business Review, 95(3), May–June 2017, 96–103. hbr.org
Quoted in “JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft among growing number of companies turning to neurodiverse workers.” CNBC, April 20, 2022. cnbc.com
Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., Allison, C., Smith, P., Baron-Cohen, S., Lai, M.-C., & Mandy, W. (2017). “‘Putting on My Best Normal’: Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2519–2534. doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5

Now you know what it is.

The next step depends on who’s asking. Organizations: let’s look at your systems. Professionals: let’s look at yours.

For organizations For professionals