Neuroinclusion in Practice: Neurodivergent Employees, Line Managers and the Missing Middle
New research from the Brain in Hand Research Team — June 2026
About the research
Neuroinclusion has moved firmly onto the organisational agenda. Yet despite growing commitment, many neurodivergent employees continue to experience inconsistent, inadequate, or unreliable support in their day-to-day working lives. The gap between what organisations intend and what employees actually experience remains wide and for many organisations, is widening as awareness outpaces the practical capability to act on it.
This report draws on three complementary research streams to explore why that gap exists, where it breaks down, and what organisations can do to close it:
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A large-scale employer survey of 995 senior HR professionals across the UK.
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20 in-depth qualitative interviews with employers, HR professionals, and neurodiversity leads.
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A six-month diary study following 18 neurodivergent employees in workplace settings.
Across all three streams, one finding emerged with striking consistency: the quality of line management is one of the most significant factors shaping the day-to-day experience of neurodivergent employees at work, and most managers are not yet adequately supported to fulfil that role.
The report identifies what we call the missing middle: the practical implementation layer that sits between organisational intent and employees' lived experience, and that is absent in many organisations.
Key findings
1. Neuroinclusion is on the agenda — but implementation remains uneven
86% of employers surveyed said neuroinclusion was an organisational priority. Yet only 36% of UK organisations report having a formal neurodiversity strategy in place and even where strategies exist, neurodivergent employees frequently report that support remains inconsistent and too dependent on individual manager discretion.
2. Line managers are critical - and under-supported
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A third of neurodivergent employees ranked a supportive line manager as the single most important component of a neuroinclusive workplace. 44% placed it in their top three priorities.
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Yet manager training is among the least commonly adopted neuroinclusion practices. Only 15% of employers identified it as their main organisational priority going forward
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75% of employers reported concern that line managers feel overwhelmed by the complexity of supporting neurodivergent colleagues.
Most managers want to help. What is missing is not goodwill but the practical knowledge, confidence, and organisational backing to translate that goodwill into consistent, day-to-day action.
3. The intention-execution gap is significant
41% of senior HR professionals reported that support for neurodivergent employees within their organisation was fully sufficient. Yet in the diary study, only 31% reported the same, suggesting organisations are overestimating the quality of their own provision.
4. Disclosure remains a barrier
84% of senior HR professionals agreed or strongly agreed that some neurodivergent staff choose not to disclose their neurodivergence because they fear being judged and/or because they don't feel supported. Inconsistent support fails employees and it actively discourages them from asking for help.
5. The missing middle operates at three levels
Effective neuroinclusion requires action simultaneously at the level of the individual, the manager, and the organisation. Most current approaches address only one or two of these consistently. An effective strategy needs support at all three levels:
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For neurodivergent employees: direct, practical, personalised support that helps them manage day-to-day challenges and perform at their best, available in the moment, not just through formal adjustment processes.
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For line managers: training that moves beyond awareness to practical capability, that is scenario-based, role-specific, and supported by ongoing resources they can reach for when uncertain.
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At the organisational level: central budgets, clear accountability, and neuroinclusion embedded into existing processes so support is consistent and independent of individual manager capability.
What the report concludes
The challenge facing most organisations is the absence of practical systems, confidence, and support mechanisms needed to translate neuroinclusive intent into consistent day-to-day practice. The report concludes with ten practical recommendations grounded in what the research shows works in practice.