The NDEI® is developed and managed by Autistica in collaboration with our academic partners at City, University of London.

We are the UK’s leading autism research and campaigning charity. Our vision is to create breakthroughs that enable all autistic people to live happier, healthier, longer lives.

We have six ambitious Goals that we want to reach by 2030. One of which is to double the employment rate for autistic people. To achieve this, we’re carrying out research and developing tools to help organisations attract and retain neurodivergent talent, including the NDEI®.

1 in 7 people is neurodivergent. Likely, there are already neurodivergent people in your team. However, many organisations might not know how to support a neurodiverse team (with both neurodivergent and neurotypical colleagues) and make the most of neurodivergent talent.

We know from research that neurodivergent people can have cognitive strengths that help them outperform their neurotypical peers in things like:

- Attention to detail
- Logical analysis
- Sustained concentration
- Specific interests and expertise
- Retention of information
- Creative thinking and problem solving

With the right support and understanding, neurodivergent people add plenty of value to a thriving workforce.

Neurodiversity refers to the variety of ways people can experience and interact with the world. Neurodivergent conditions include ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), tic condition (including Tourette Syndrome), anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, acquired neurodiversity, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and epilepsy.

Some people may have more than one way that they are neurodivergent, such as an autistic person also having ADHD and dyspraxia.

Absolutely! Don’t worry if your organisation hasn’t got any specific policies around neurodivergence at this stage. Many organisations are only starting to explore how to support neurodiversity in the workplace. The NDEI® is suitable for organisations at any stage of their neuroinclusion journey. Whether your organisation:

Is new to neuroinclusion in the workplace.
-Has some neurodiversity-friendly workplace policies.
-Has made progress on inclusive policies for neurodivergent colleagues but would like evidence-based ways to make sustained year-on-year progress.

If you take part and your score shows plenty of room for improvement, it means you are in the right place. Now you know what steps your organisation can take for a more inclusive workplace for a neurodiverse team, and you can improve your score next time you participate.

The NDEI® was developed in partnership with people who represent the broad and diverse nature of neurodiversity, particularly with people diagnosed with or identifying as having neurodivergent conditions.

Our research team worked with neurodivergent people on the conceptualisation of the NDEI®, and it was tested with neurodivergent people throughout every stage of its development.

After registering for the NDEI®, you will be contacted before the reporting period begins. The 2024 reporting period has now closed, but you can register for 2025.

When the reporting period begins an organisation representative will complete an NDEI® Employer Survey and your employees will complete the Employee Inclusion Survey during the same period. You can invite all employees to share their thoughts in the Employee Inclusion Survey, regardless of their neurotype. Once these are completed, we’ll calculate your NDEI® score and share a report with tailored recommendations and your roadmap for change.

After taking part in the NDEI® you will receive a report including:

-Identified areas where your organisation has neuroinclusive policies and practices.
-A roadmap for change for better neuroinclusive policies and practices.
-Anonymised feedback from staff who took part in the NDEI®.
-Recommendations for resources, templates and guides.
-Numerous low or no-cost recommendations.
-Free quick wins, and longer-term goals.
-Options for further tailored support, including training and consultancy (as an additional paid-for service).

Each year, we’ll create a market report that outlines aggregated trends across different sectors and industry champions for neurodiversity and neuroinclusion. If you qualify for a gold, silver or bronze award, you can feature in the market report (subject to your prior consent) to celebrate your success and showcase best practices.

Read the step-by-step guide to the NDEI® to learn more about each stage in the NDEI® journey.

There are four sections to the NDEI®. The first three sections are completed on behalf of the organisation by someone with access to HR information and should take one-two hours to complete.

The fourth section is an Employee Inclusion Survey, and should take employees five-10 minutes to complete. Please invite all employees to take part, but we need a minimum of five employees to complete this section.

Neurodiversity landscape

We'll ask you to provide metrics regarding your organisation’s workforce, including the number of employees and how many have disclosed a neurodivergent condition.

Neurodiversity management

You will tell us what practices, policies and programmes are in place to support the recruitment of neurodivergent candidates.

Neuroinclusion management

You will tell us what practices, policies and programmes are in place to support neurodivergent employees.

Neuroinclusion landscape

All employees will be invited to a survey that aims to understand how supported and included they feel in the organisation.

Please ensure at least five employees answer this section.

As a research charity, we ensure the highest data integrity, confidentiality, governance, and compliance standards. We have rigorous systems and protocols to ensure that data captured by the NDEI® is stored and processed ethically, securely and with consent from participating organisations. The NDEI® is compliant with GDPR law.

Read the NDEI® data protection statement.

The NDEI® is not a ranking or benchmarking mechanism. Your organisation will not be ranked against other organisations. Your NDEI® score is unique to your organisation and whether you qualify for an award will not be made publicly available without your written consent.

If you qualify for a participation award, or gold, silver or bronze award, you can display this on your website and corporate materials if you wish. You can also be included as a neurodiversity champion in our annual market report, but we will only do this with your consent.

Any UK-based organisation with five or more employees can take part in the NDEI®. It doesn’t matter whether you already have made great strides in neuroinclusion, or if signing up to the NDEI® is your first step towards a supporting neurodiverse team.

Although many organisations are new to neuroinclusion in the workplace, by taking part in the NDEI® your organisation will know exactly what it needs to become a leading neuroinclusive employer.

If you take part and your NDEI® score shows plenty of room for improvement, you are in the right place. It means you now know what steps your organisation can take for a more inclusive workplace and to better support neurodivergent colleagues.

Organisations can take part in the NDEI® annually. We know that developing and implementing new policies can take some time, but your organisation needs to update your NDEI® submission to mark your progress and retain or improve your award status.

You’ll also receive regular updates and evidence-based resources to keep up with the latest research and help us measure wider trends about creating neuroinclusive workplaces.