My own view on this, like any specific and person centric accommodation for those of us with differences in how we process and interact with the world, is that, firstly, we’re not looking for a way of getting out of doing hard work.  Often we’re trying to make it easier to work hard.

Reasonable adjustments aren’t favours.  They’re not an antidote for poor performance, nor are they something you should write off if you’re actually doing pretty well at work.  If you’re an HR lead and someone within your organisation discloses a diagnosis: I urge you to have the conversation about adjustments early, so the individual knows what they can expect.

I give my coaching clients an exercise and ask them to consider a time they performed well, or didn’t perform as well as they wanted.  We look at three elements:

• Task: What were they doing and what process did they use?
• Individual: What version of them showed up that day? (Tired? Hungry? Overstimulated?)
• Environment: Where were they working and under what conditions?

Then we reverse-engineer what would help and this same technique can be applied to the process of considering what a reasonable adjustment looks like in your own workplace.

• Task: Could instructions be delivered differently? (Verbal vs. written, structured agendas, advance notice)
• Individual: What helps them work at optimal capacity? (Flexible hours, breaks, workload pacing)
• Environment: What physical changes would reduce cognitive load? (Noise control, lighting, visual privacy, fixed desks)

The key thing is – this must be person-centred. What works for one ADHDer won’t work for all. Tools like Manual of Me help entire teams (regardless of diagnosis) articulate how they work best, and that’s a brilliant starting point.

So once you’ve had those early conversations, what do some Reasonable Adjustments look like in practice?

• Flexible working patterns – the most requested adjustment, and for good reason. ADHDers often have variable energy regulation throughout the day. We can also find busy commutes neurologically expensive before we’ve even started work.
• Fixed working hours. Many autistic individuals benefit from predictable structure. Knowing their schedule is confirmed and consistent offers psychological safety and reduces decision fatigue.
• Fixed desk spaces.  In a world obsessed with hot-desking, a consistent workspace can be grounding. Knowing where you’ll work each day removes one daily stressor – no small thing.
• Considerations of Input & Output preferences.  How does this person prefer to receive instructions? Feedback? Praise? Have you sent a meeting invite without an agenda? For someone with RSD (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria), that’s spiral fuel. I advocate for Clean Feedback (Evidence, Inference, Impact) to separate fact from catastrophising.
• ‘Assistive Technology’ – Noise-cancelling headphones, Remarkable notebooks, AI note-takers that summarise meetings. One client of mine uses his AI assistant to scan back through the day’s conversations when RSD kicks in, helping him reassess in a calmer state.
• Coaching and Mentoring  – which I’m OBVIOUSLY going to mention, as a coach.  Many of my clients fund their coaching sessions through their employer or through the Access to Work scheme.  Because it’s hugely effective and can have a lasting impact on that individual’s ability to work through their work challenges in a positive, proactive and – most importantly – confidential setting. Some of my best experiences as a coach have been seeing how clients have been able to overcome long standing barriers to performance at work.

So there you have it.

But here’s my challenge to you:

If you’re neurodivergent: Stop asking yourself if your needs are “reasonable enough.” Start asking if your workplace is reasonable at all. The accommodations you need aren’t favours, they’re what allows your brain to work the way it’s wired.

If you’re a manager or in HR: Have the adjustments conversation early. Don’t wait for someone to struggle. Ask: “What would help you do your best work here?” Then actually implement it.

If you’re in leadership: Audit what you already accept as “reasonable” in your workplace. Evenings on email? Weekends on Slack? Last-minute all-hands? If you’re comfortable demanding that, you can be comfortable with someone needing a fixed desk or written agendas.

Reasonable adjustments aren’t about lowering standards. They’re about removing unnecessary barriers.

And if your workplace can’t accommodate that? Maybe it’s not the adjustment that’s unreasonable.

If you’re reading this and wondering what your next step is:

Book a discovery call if you’re recently diagnosed and want support: Click below…

Download Manual of Me and share it with your team – regardless of diagnosis: [manualof.me/zerodata]

And if you’re in HR or leadership and want to run a session on this with your organisation—get in touch. I’m running workshops on supporting neurodivergent teams, and reasonable adjustments is always the session that gets the most questions.

Because here’s the truth: most workplaces aren’t hostile to neurodivergent people on purpose. They’re just designed for a version of “average” that doesn’t exist.

We can do better. And it starts with asking better questions.