Autism and Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Unlock talent
A decade of work with employees facing challenges relating to autism, ADHD or other neurodiverse conditions. Coaching builds confidence and unlocks motivation by working past barriers and understanding strengths.
A motivated workforce
Specialist coaches guide, develop and recognise an employee’s abilities so they can reach their potential at work.
Practical and specific
Sessions focus on how a neurodiverse condition affects productivity, wellbeing and work-life balance, and what to do about it.
What coaching covers
Belonging, skills and self-advocacy at work
Experienced specialist coaches have a detailed understanding of what employees with autism, ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions need at work.
- Making the transition into a workplace, and a sense of belonging within it
- Social interaction and the unwritten norms of the workplace
- Accessing services and learning to advocate for themselves
- Time and workload management
- Separating what is personal from what is specific to the workplace
How workplace coaching works
Adaptable to the individual, and most effective when it runs long enough to become habit.
01
Agree the arrangement
The employer and UMO confirm the number of sessions, the delivery method and any workplace context the coach should know.
02
Identify the barriers
The employee and coach establish what is getting in the way at work, and which parts of it are specific to this workplace.
03
Put strategies in place
Coaching works on managing emotional state and wellbeing, time and workload management, and the social experience of work.
04
Embed the practice
Sessions over a set period let the coaching become part of everyday working practice rather than a one-off conversation.
Current hourly rate
Workplace coaching prices
One hourly rate applies to this service. Coaching is commissioned by the employer, and may be funded through Access to Work.
Individual
Specialist neurodiversity coaching
One-to-one sessions with an experienced specialist coach
£80 excluding VAT, per hour
Therefore, the cost of an arrangement depends on how many sessions are agreed. Contact UMO to discuss what would suit the employee and the role.
What coaching is not
Coaching works with the job, not with a diagnosis
It is not therapy, assessment or diagnosis, and it does not decide what adjustments an employer should make.
However, sessions are with an experienced, accredited mental health professional. Where an employee needs clinical care, or the workplace needs a formal assessment of adjustments, the coach supports them towards the right route.
What sessions work on
The focus is individual, and changes as an employee settles into a role or as demands shift.
Transition into the role
Settling into a new workplace and building a sense of belonging within it.
Social interaction
Navigating colleagues, meetings and the unwritten norms of the organisation.
Time and workload
Managing competing demands, prioritising and planning realistically.
Wellbeing at work
Managing emotional state, and telling apart what is personal from what belongs to the job.
Self-advocacy
Accessing services and asking for what is needed, in the employee’s own words.
Productivity
Understanding how the condition affects output, and working with it rather than against it.
Delivery, funding and employer responsibilities
Coaching sits alongside an employer’s own duties rather than replacing them.
Accredited coaches
Sessions are with an experienced and accredited mental health professional who understands neurodiversity at work.
In person or remote
Sessions are usually weekly and last 30 to 60 minutes, delivered in person or online.
Employer duties continue
Coaching does not replace reasonable adjustments, occupational health or an employer’s obligations under the Equality Act.
Trusted information about neurodiversity at work
These sources explain workplace rights, funded support and what adjustments can look like.
GOV.UK: Access to WorkFunding for practical support at work, including coaching and equipment.(opens in a new tab) Acas: reasonable adjustmentsWhat employers are expected to consider, and how to agree adjustments.(opens in a new tab) NHS: ADHD in adultsInformation about ADHD, assessment routes and support.(opens in a new tab)
Questions about workplace coaching
Answers for employers, HR teams and the employees taking part.
The service
Who is coaching for?
Employees with autism, ADHD or other neurodiverse conditions who are facing barriers at work.
How long and how often are sessions?
Usually weekly, lasting 30 to 60 minutes, in person or remote.
Can we book a single session?
Yes, but coaching is usually most effective when several sessions run over a set period, because that is what lets it become part of everyday working practice.
Who delivers the coaching?
An experienced, accredited mental health professional with a detailed understanding of neurodiversity at work.
Cost and confidentiality
What does it cost?
£80 excluding VAT per hour for individual coaching, invoiced to the employer.
Can Access to Work fund it?
Access to Work funds practical support at work for many employees. Check the current guidance, linked above, for what applies in your case.
Is what the employee says confidential?
Yes, within UMO’s safeguarding procedures. Coaching is not a channel for reporting back to a manager.
How does this differ from an assessment?
Coaching works on how the employee manages the job. It does not diagnose, and it does not decide what adjustments an employer should put in place.
Arrange coaching for an employee
Share the role, the barriers the employee has identified and your preferred delivery method, and UMO will match a specialist coach.