Here you can find a range of resources, information and guidance focussing on supporting and including neurodivergent individuals, and creating more neuroinclusive environments for all in the chemical sciences community.
Find the sections in the table below which are most relevant to your role:
| Resource | Neurodivergent individuals | Colleagues | Line managers and supervisors | Wider employers and institutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusive recruitment | 鉁� | 鉁� | ||
| The sensory environment | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� |
| The lab environment | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� | |
| Universal design | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� | |
| Assistive technology | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� | |
| Access to work | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� | |
| Disabled Students Allowance | 鉁� | 鉁� | ||
| Training and education on neurodiversity | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� | |
| Allyship | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� |
| Accessibility guides | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� | 鉁� |
| RSC support, networks and mentoring | 鉁� | |||
| Other networks and communities | 鉁� |
The sensory environment
Many neurodivergent individuals process sensory input differently from the neurotypical population.
Sensory input can be experienced as more magnified and can be difficult to filter out, which can be overwhelming. Additionally, some neurodivergent individuals need higher levels of some types of sensory stimulation. It is important to note that every neurodivergent individual has a unique sensory profile, with different patterns for each of their senses. This is also not fixed and the level and type of stimulation an individual can cope with can vary from day to day. Factors like energy levels can hugely impact an individual’s sensory tolerance.
Due to these sensory differences, neurodivergent individuals can struggle with the workplace environment, whether in an office, research laboratory or any other job-related setting.
Adapting the sensory environment can reduce the likelihood of neurodivergent individuals getting overstimulated, anxious and drained, thus helping them maintain high levels of productivity and effectiveness in their role. It can also reduce the need to mask and benefit wellbeing.
Sensory differences outlined
Smell – some individuals are sensitive to an array of smells in various work environments, such as perfume, foods, or chemicals in a lab.
Visual – some people struggle with bright lights, or by being surrounded by too much visual input, for example with walls that are covered in patterns and lots of people moving around them, which can be distracting.
Touch – some individuals are sensitive to touch, for example, when wearing safety protection in a lab.
Sound – some struggle to concentrate or get overstimulated in environments with background noise, such as music, other conversations or loud machinery.
Temperature – some struggle with temperature regulation and are sensitive to heat or cold.
Tips for creating a sensory friendly environment
The seven principles of universal design for inclusive environments
These principles can help create environments designed to foster inclusivity for all neurotypes from the beginning, enabling everyone to reach their potential in their jobs.
A key advantage of universal design is that it benefits everybody, not just neurodivergent individuals. It ensures both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals can access an equitable environment, where inclusive practice is embedded as standard practice.
For example, communicating information using multiple methods as part of a meeting (audio and visual at least) may be a necessary reasonable adjustment for a neurodivergent individual, but can also benefit everybody in the meeting by helping them process the information being presented.
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Assistive technology
There is a wide range of assistive technology available, which can help many neurodivergent individuals with different conditions. There is rapidly developing software and hardware, such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text, mind-mapping tools, spelling and grammar tools, coloured text overlays, screen readers, recording devices and noise-cancelling headphones.
Line managers should review these options with neurodivergent employees and support them in implementing potentially helpful options.
Financial support for adjustments (UK)
is a UK government scheme that offers financial support towards adjustments needed by disabled individuals in the workplace, including neurodivergent individuals. This can include equipment, software, support workers and travel costs.
is accessed through student finance and provides support to cover study-related costs incurred due to a disability, including neurodivergence. It includes specialist equipment, non-medical helpers, travel costs, and other disability-related study support.
Training and education resources
Greater awareness and insight into neurodiversity and neurodivergent conditions are key to building an inclusive and accessible workplace. Employers should educate their employees, to remove misconceptions about neurodivergence and increase understanding.
This training can help create a more inclusive environment for neurodivergent employees, helping reduce the need to mask. It also makes it easier for neurodivergent employees to share information about their neurodivergence with their manager, therefore, enabling access to support and adjustments.
Neurodiversity training and education in the workplace should embrace the ideology of ‘nothing about us without us’, meaning that the training should involve those with lived experience of neurodivergence themselves.
If you are an employer or institution, consider providing training for line managers to equip them with the knowledge and skills to support the wide range of individuals they are likely to manage, including neurodivergent individuals. This should include guidance on inclusive and accessible practices to embed as standard, as well as the implementation of individualised reasonable adjustments.
provides education on a wide range of neurodivergent conditions, explaining what the condition is, how it may impact the individual at work, and supportive ideas and adjustments.
Allyship
We all need to work together if we are to create a welcoming environment for all.
Tips for creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for your neurodivergent colleagues:
- Ask your colleagues how it is best to communicate with them, whether that be face-to-face, emails, phone calls, or other means
- Avoid making assumptions – an individual may share that they have a neurodivergent condition with you. It can be easy to assume they will have similar traits and needs to someone else you know with the same condition. Instead, try and adopt an individualised approach
- Educate yourself about neurodiversity – read neurodiversity-based resources, (some can be found on this webpage). Most importantly, reflect on the resources and use them to change your practices to become more inclusive
- Respect people’s privacy – someone may share information about their neurodivergence with you, but this doesn’t make it public knowledge Don’t share information without the individual’s permission
- Advocate for action from institutions – support your organization’s disability or neurodiversity staff networks in any projects they are working on to improve inclusion for neurodivergent individuals
- Speak up if you hear somebody speaking about neurodivergence or disability in a way that is discriminatory or harmful
- Ask your colleagues if there is anything you can do to help support them or make the environment more comfortable for them, for example, avoiding taking meetings in open office spaces and using a room instead
Accessibility guides
You can use the guides below to plan your meetings, help you write communication and design your website:
Other networks and committees
The following external networks and projects may be of interest to neurodivergent chemists:
- : a network for disabled scientists
- : building a community of neurodivergent individuals in STEM
- : bringing together disability staff networks from a range of organisations