Executive Summary
Approximately 65.6 million U.S. adults (around 20% of the U.S. population) are neurodivergent, an umbrella term that reframes autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, OCD, ADHD, and other cognitive differences not as handicaps, but as normal variations in how the human mind functions. The neurodivergent community, comprising roughly 20% of the U.S. workforce, is indispensable to the labor market, contributing specialized skills, strengths, and talents, including exceptional memories, expert attention to detail, advanced pattern recognition, and an impeccable work ethic. Despite these contributions, many companies are struggling to retain neurodivergent employees. A 2025 Psychology Today report noted that over half of neurodivergent professionals have either quit a job or considered quitting due to not feeling adequately supported in the workplace. Even more perplexing is that the attrition continues despite many companies boosting hiring initiatives to bring neurodivergent employees onboard. The high turnover rate means that companies pay a steep price through loss of growth, innovation, morale, and productivity. On top of that, high attrition incurs the substantial time, effort, and expense of training and rehiring new employees.
In this white paper, we argue that neurodiverse attrition is driven by more than just a lack of reasonable accommodations. In reality, deeper and more systemic issues, such as ambiguous communication and priorities, lack of opportunities for advancement, and hiring practices and management styles that fail to account for cognitive diversity, are at play. Apart from the cost of attrition, the compelling business case for hiring neurodivergent employees should incentivize employers to fix this problem. Psychology Today reports that out of the organizations that have implemented practical neuroinclusion strategies, 63% see improvements in well-being, 55% in culture, 53% in management, and 45% in innovation. As such, companies of all backgrounds and sizes have a vested interest in preventing neurodiverse turnover and tapping into these skills, talents, and competitive advantages.
