Construction, Neurodiversity, and the Small Changes That Make a Big Impact

sasha5731
May 8
2 min read

When I saw that 1 in 4 construction workers identify as neurodivergent, it hit home.

After spending 17 years in the construction industry and now five years supporting over 50 neurodivergent professionals, I know first-hand the difference that understanding and the right support can make.

And yet, despite the progress the industry has made in areas like safety, wellbeing, and diversity, so many teams still don’t know about neurodiversity, Access to Work funding, or the simple changes that could transform how their teams perform and feel.

This blog is for every employer, site manager, HR lead, and construction leader who wants to do better, but isn’t sure where to start.

What Is Neurodiversity and Why It Matters in Construction

Neurodiversity refers to the natural differences in how people think, learn, process information and experience the world. It includes conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and more.

In the fast-paced, high-pressure world of construction, these different ways of thinking can be incredible assets bringing creativity, pattern-spotting, strong attention to detail, and deep resilience to teams.

But without understanding and the right adjustments, these same environments can also become overwhelming, isolating, and unintentionally exclusionary for neurodivergent workers.

The Opportunity....and the Gap

The construction industry is full of talent. It’s also full of opportunity, if we’re willing to make small but meaningful changes.

The recent National Federation of Builders (NFB) report shows us:

25% of construction workers identify as neurodivergent
36% of them have never disclosed their neurodivergence at work, often out of fear or uncertainty
75% said neurodiversity was not considered during recruitment or onboarding

That’s a lot of missed potential.That’s a lot of people trying to work without the support they could—and should—have.

Small Changes That Make a Massive Impact

You don’t have to overhaul your entire business to become more inclusive.

Small changes can have a positive impact of everyone

Here’s where you can start:

Awareness Training - A few hours of neurodiversity awareness training for your site teams, project managers, and HR staff can shift the culture overnight from confusion to understanding.

Inclusive Hiring Practices - Review job descriptions to remove jargon and make essential skills clear. Offer interview questions in advance. Provide practical skills assessments alongside interviews.

Environmental Considerations - Think about how noisy, bright, or chaotic your environment can be and offer practical options like noise-cancelling headphones or quiet breakout areas.

Access to Work - This government-funded scheme can provide coaching, admin support, assistive technology. Yet many businesses still don’t know it exists.

How We Help

At The Executive Solutions Agency, we combine our deep construction industry experience with specialist neurodivergent support expertise.We offer:

Neurodiversity awareness training for teams
Recruitment and onboarding support to make your hiring processes more inclusive
Access to Work navigation and support worker services
Coaching and co-coaching for neurodivergent employees and their managers