Evidence-based, rights-focused autism mediaA UK government-commissioned expert panel says neurodivergent workers in the UK should get support at work based on what they need, not on whether they hold a formal diagnosis. The Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity published its final report on 2 October 2026, alongside a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) response that points to existing employment programmes.
Key takeaways
- The Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity, chaired by Professor Amanda Kirby, published its final report and recommendations on 2 October 2026.
- Its central message is that workplace support should be “needs-led”: based on the barriers a person faces, not on a diagnostic label.
- The panel recommends Universal Design, meaning workplaces built from the start to suit a wide range of minds, instead of relying only on adjustments made after someone struggles.
- According to the DWP, only 34% of disabled autistic people were in work in 2024/25, compared with 55% of disabled people overall.
- The government response leans on existing schemes such as Connect to Work and Access to Work rather than new legal duties.
What did the UK neurodiversity panel recommend?
The panel recommends that support for neurodivergent workers should follow need, not diagnosis. In practice, that means an employer should not wait for an autism, ADHD or dyslexia assessment before making changes that help someone do their job.
This matters because diagnosis is hard to get. The report notes that waiting for an assessment can hold up adjustments, and that adult assessments for some conditions, such as dyslexia and developmental coordination disorder, are not available in most parts of the UK. Late diagnosis is common, especially for women, as we explored in why so many autistic women are diagnosed late.
The panel also calls for Universal Design to become standard practice across hiring, onboarding and day-to-day work. Universal Design is an approach that plans for human variation from the outset, for example quieter workspaces, clear written instructions and flexible schedules, so fewer people have to disclose a condition or ask for help one request at a time.
Why is the autism employment gap so large?
The autism employment gap is large because many barriers sit in recruitment and workplaces, not in autistic people themselves. The DWP says only 34% of disabled autistic people were employed in 2024/25, compared with 55% of all disabled people, a gap that prompted ministers to set up the panel in January 2025.
The report points to familiar problems: adjustments that take months to arrive, requests refused without explanation, and different ideas about what counts as “reasonable”. It recommends that the government strengthen the Access to Work scheme, which funds workplace support, by cutting its application backlog and easing limits on awards.
How did the government respond?
The government’s response points mainly to plans already under way. According to the DWP, its Connect to Work programme had helped 1,000 people on its neurodivergent pathway into jobs by the end of June 2026, including 470 young people, as part of a wider £3.5 billion disability employment investment (FE News).
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “When we get the right support in place, neurodivergent people thrive at work.” The response did not commit to new legal duties on employers, so it remains unclear how many of the panel’s recommendations will become binding.
What does this mean for neurodivergent workers?
For now, nothing changes in UK law. Workers who are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 already have a right to reasonable adjustments, and the report does not alter that. What it offers is an evidence-based case that employers can act without waiting for a diagnosis.
There is also a “Nothing about us without us” question. The panel included members with lived experience of neurodivergence, but its call for evidence was aimed at academics. Autistic-led organisations and workers will want to see whether the next steps are designed with them, not only for them. We will follow the story in our work and employment coverage and wider rights and policy reporting.
This article is general information, not legal or employment advice.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity: Final Report and Recommendations (2 October 2026)
- FE News — Neurodivergent people need support based on need not diagnosis, report finds (2 October 2026)
- NEN — New report backs government action to help neurodivergent people succeed at work (2 October 2026)
- GOV.UK — Employment prospects for neurodiverse people set to be boosted with launch of new expert panel (January 2025)
This post was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the OtizmTV editorial team.