What is a neurodiversity workplace assessment?

A neurodiversity workplace assessment is a structured, non-clinical review of a neurodivergent employee’s role that recommends reasonable adjustments. It needs no diagnosis and can be funded free via Access to Work. The DWP grant scheme is what makes that funding possible. An impartial assessor looks at how the job is actually done and where the work, not the person, gets in the way, then writes up practical changes you can put in place. Acas describes this kind of review in its guidance on adjustments for neurodiversity.

What it reviews, and what it is not

The assessor meets the employee, talks through the tasks they do, the tools and software they use, the physical space they work in, and the ways they communicate with the team. The report sets out the employee’s strengths alongside the points of friction, then recommends changes such as:

• assistive software, such as screen-reading or mind-mapping tools;
• quieter workspace, noise-reducing headphones or flexible hours;
• changes to how instructions and deadlines are given;
• coaching or a support worker to help with planning and workload.

It is not a diagnostic or medical appointment, and that matters more than most employers realise. A worker does not need a formal diagnosis to be treated as disabled under the Equality Act 2010, or to receive adjustments. You should support the employee on the basis of the difficulties they describe, not wait for a clinical label before acting.

The duty the assessment serves

The reason the assessment exists is the legal duty to make reasonable adjustments. Where a way of working, a feature of the workplace, or the absence of an aid puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage, the employer has to take reasonable steps to remove that disadvantage (Equality Act 2010, section 20). The employer carries the cost of those adjustments; the law is clear that the disabled person cannot be charged for them.

Who arranges it and who pays

You can commission a private assessment from a specialist provider, but the same review can be arranged and funded free through Access to Work, the DWP grant scheme. Access to Work will not pay for the reasonable adjustments you must legally make yourself, but it can fund support that goes beyond them, including the assessment, assistive technology, coaching and support workers. The grant is capped at £69,260 for the year 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, it does not require a diagnosis, and it is not repayable.

One practical warning: the scheme has a large backlog. The National Audit Office reports that DWP took on average 66 days to process applications in 2024 to 2025, rising to 109 days by November 2025, with the number of applications awaiting a decision climbing from 21,700 in March 2022 to 62,100 in March 2025. Do not put cheaper or free interim adjustments on hold while you wait for a grant decision; you can act now and let Access to Work fund the rest later. For the wider picture, see what Access to Work is and what it pays for.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.