The Missing Middle in Neuroinclusion: What Neurodivergent Employees and Their Line Managers Really Need
Neuroinclusion has moved firmly onto the organisational agenda. Most employers recognise it matters to retention, employee wellbeing and overall organisational performance. Yet even in organisations where there is strong intent to support neurodivergent employees, many neurodivergent people continue to experience inconsistent, unreliable, or inadequate support.
Our new research explores the missing middle: the practical implementation layer that sits between organisational intent and employees lived experience, and that is absent in many workplaces.
The report draws on a large-scale employer survey of 995 HR professionals, 20 in-depth employer interviews, and a six-month diary study with 18 neurodivergent employees to identify why the gap persists and what organisations can do to close it.
In this article we explain the key components of the missing middle and the important role of line managers.
The line manager is where neuroinclusion succeeds or breaks down
Across all three research streams, one finding emerged with striking consistency: the day-to-day experience of neurodivergent employees is profoundly shaped by their line manager. In our six-month diary study, a third of neurodivergent participants ranked a supportive line manager as the single most important component of a neuroinclusive workplace, with 44% placing it in their top three priorities.
Yet manager training is among the least commonly adopted neuroinclusion practices. Only 15% of employers identified it as their main organisational priority going forward.
Most managers want to help but don’t have the practical skills, confidence or organisational backing to do so. As one employer told us: "A lot of them are scared — scared of doing the wrong thing or saying the wrong thing, and not necessarily sure the best way to go about it."
The challenge for organisations is to better support managers, alongside ensuring that neurodivergent employees have access to practical, direct support that does not depend solely on any single management relationship.
Line managers are not the problem; they are a critical part of the solution.
Our research shows that while managers need more support, that’s not a substitute for direct employee support. Both are needed and neither is sufficient without the right organisational structures in place.
Effective neuroinclusion, our findings suggest, requires action at three distinct levels:
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For neurodivergent employees: direct, practical, personalised support that helps them manage day-to-day challenges, communicate their needs, and perform at their best and that is available in the moment, not just through formal adjustments.
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For line managers: training that goes beyond awareness to practical capability and that is scenario-based, role-specific, and supported by ongoing resources managers 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 not dependent on individual manager goodwill.
The organisations making the most progress have one thing in common: hey address neuroinclusion at all three levels simultaneously, moving it from a policy on paper to a system that works reliably, every day.
As one specialist with experience across hundreds of organisations observed:
The organisations making the most progress have one thing in common: hey address neuroinclusion at all three levels simultaneously, moving it from a policy on paper to a system that works reliably, every day.
As one specialist with experience across hundreds of organisations observed:
It's not just focused on neurodivergent talent — it's also how do you support line managers. This cross-section of how do we provide support in a low-cost but highly personalised way is definitely a concept that people have hooked on to.
Effective support for neurodivergent employees, and their managers, requires practical systems, confidence, and skills to consistently act on the organisational commitment.
Whether you're refining your neuroinclusion strategy or looking for practical ways to close the gap between intent and experience, we’re hosting a webinar on 2nd July where we’ll look in more detail at the ‘missing middle’ and offer 10 recommendations for closing the gap.