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The tech sector’s neurodiversity paradox

Tech firms needs to move beyond lip service and into action

Credit: Shamanska Kate / Shutterstock

When did anyone neurodivergent ever achieve anything? Few names spring to mind. Well, apart from Ada Lovelace, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, Alan Turing, Nikola Tesla, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs — and many, many more on a list of history’s most scientifically and technologically pioneering minds.

All are thought to have been neurodivergent, whether with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. How would these great brains assess the UK technology industry’s management of neurodiverse talent today?

It’s time for the UK tech industry to confront an uncomfortable truth: Despite widespread agreement on the importance of neurodiversity, we’re failing to turn good intentions into meaningful action.

Further, the gap between awareness and successful implementation creates a paradox holding back both neurodiverse individuals and the industry....