New support for neurodiverse employees

Did you know? One in seven people in the UK are neurodiverse. ¹Somebody who identifies as neurodivergent might think, behave and communicate in a way that could be perceived as different to most other ‘neurotypical’ people.

Traditional workplaces are often designed with the ‘neurotypical’ person in mind, or for somebody that society traditionally considers to be ‘normal.’

This means your corporate clients’ neurodiverse employees might need extra support to feel more comfortable and perform at their best.

With access to an assessment and diagnosis for a range of conditions, your clients can show their commitment to a more inclusive workplace, attract diverse talent and help their employees get the support they need to thrive.

How the Neurodiversity Benefit works

To access the benefit, your clients must already have mental health benefits in place and a minimum outpatient allowance of £1,500 for each of their employees named on their scheme. Corporate clients with 50+ registrations on their scheme who already have cover for mental health as part of their health scheme may opt into the neurodiversity benefit as an extra service for a charge.

We’ll cover a diagnosis for the following conditions, as long as their employee has an eligible referral from a GP:

• autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• dyslexia – this is when a person has difficulty spelling, reading and writing fluently
• dyscalculia – this is when a person has a persistent difficulty in understanding number-related concepts
• dysgraphia – this is when a person has difficulty forming letters and words neatly, which can make their writing difficult to read

Dependants over the age of six can also access the benefit. Dependants aged between 6 and 15 can access the benefit with a referral from a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). Dependants aged 16 and older will need a referral from a GP. More information on accepted referrals can be found in the membership guide.

What employees can expect

1. 1.) Employee or their dependant obtains a referral from a GP or SENCo.
2. 2.) We’ll pre-authorise the assessment and let them know who the provider is.
3. 3.) Employee arranges a consultation with the provider, attends their assessment and is provided with a diagnostic report.

To support your conversations with clients, we've developed a client brochure (PDF, 0.3MB), which explains what the Neurodiversity Benefit is and how your clients can access it. As a reminder, we also have a neurodiversity manager's guide (PDF, 0.9MB), an asset from our neurodiversity toolkit launched earlier this year, which you can use to assist your conversations with clients.

1. Neurodiversity in Business (NiB): 2022. British Dyslexia Association. https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/news/neurodiversity-in-business-nib