The Workplace Experience of Neurodivergent Women

During our recent webinar, we explored a topic that’s gaining much-needed attention: the unique workplace experiences of neurodivergent women.

While conversations around both gender equity and neurodiversity have become more common, the intersection of the two isn’t given enough air-time. Our webinar looked at what we know about women in the workplace, what we know about neurodivergence, and what happens when those experiences intersect.

Here are some of the key takeaways.

One of the first points we discussed was that women continue to experience the workplace differently from men.

Most people have heard of the glass ceiling. It describes the invisible barriers that can prevent women from reaching senior leadership positions, despite having the skills and experience to do so.

A less familiar concept is the glass cliff. This happens when women are more likely to be placed in leadership roles during periods of crisis or uncertainty. These positions often come with higher risks and fewer chances of success, meaning women can find themselves leading in particularly challenging circumstances.

We also touched on the idea of missing rungs on the career ladder. Meaning women are often overlooked for those crucial first management opportunities, making it harder to progress into senior leadership later on.

Together, these barriers help explain why workplace equality remains a challenge, even in organisations with good intentions.

Another key discussion point was how neurodivergence can present differently in women.

We talked about how many neurodivergent women spend years masking their differences in order to fit workplace expectations. Whether it’s ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia or another neurotype, women are often socialised to adapt, compensate and “blend in” from an early age.

While this can help them navigate professional environments, it can also be exhausting.

Masking often comes with a significant energy cost. Over time, it can contribute to stress, burnout and a feeling that success requires constant effort just to keep up.

It also means that many neurodivergent women are diagnosed later in life, after years of wondering why certain aspects of work feel harder than they seem for everyone else.

One of the most important takeaways from the webinar was that being both a woman and neurodivergent creates a distinct workplace experience.

The challenges are not simply added together. Instead, they interact in ways that can make career progression, workplace relationships and professional confidence more complicated.

For example, a neurodivergent woman may already be working hard to manage sensory demands, communication differences or executive functioning challenges. At the same time, she may be navigating workplace expectations around how women should behave, communicate and lead.

This can result in talented individuals being misunderstood or underestimated.

A recurring theme throughout our discussion was that awareness alone isn’t enough.

Organisations that want to support neurodivergent women need to think about how their workplace practices, policies and cultures operate in reality.

Simple changes can make a significant difference, including:

The goal isn’t to create special treatment. It’s to remove unnecessary barriers so people can perform at their best.

The webinar also highlighted the importance of recognising individual experiences.

Whether discussing workplace adjustments, coping strategies or medical support, what works for one person may not work for another.

One attendee question focused on ADHD medication, and an important point emerged from the discussion: support should be viewed as part of a wider toolkit, not a magic fix.

For some people, medication can be incredibly helpful. For others, different approaches may be more effective. The key is working closely with qualified professionals, advocating for your needs and recognising that support can evolve over time.

As awareness of neurodiversity continues to grow, we’re seeing more conversations about the experiences of neurodivergent women, and that’s a positive step forward.

The more we examine the relationship between all genders and neurodivergence, the better equipped organisations will be to create workplaces where everyone can thrive.

If there’s one message we hope attendees took away from the webinar, it’s this: neurodivergent women bring valuable skills, perspectives and strengths to the workplace. Creating environments where those strengths can flourish benefits individuals and organisations alike.

Click here to see what other webinars we have coming up soon.

For more on the subject of gender, click here to read about the importance of trans inclusion.

For advice about burnout click here to read our CEO’s Forbes piece with 3 tips for an emergency reset.