disclosing neurodivergence at work

Should you tell your employer you’re neurodivergent? An honest guide

There’s no right answer. But there are better and worse ways to decide.

It’s one of the most common questions neurodivergent people ask about work, and one of the most stressful. Do I put it on my résumé? Do I mention it in the interview? Do I tell my manager now that I’m struggling, or say nothing and hope it passes?

If you’ve changed your mind about this many times, you’re not overthinking it. Disclosure is a real decision with real consequences either way. This guide won’t tell you what to do, because the right answer depends on you, the job and the workplace. It will give you the facts and some useful questions to ask yourself.

This post uses Australian rules. Other countries have their own laws, so check what applies where you work.

You don’t have to tell anyone

In Australia, telling your employer is your choice. JobAccess, the Australian Government’s disability employment service, puts it simply: disclosure is ‘always your choice’.

There is one exception worth knowing about. If your disability means you can’t safely do the essential parts of the job without adjustments, you should let your employer know. Even then, you can share what you need to do the job, without naming a diagnosis.

A few other facts that help:

  • Employers generally can’t ask about disability, unless it directly affects your ability to do the job or creates a safety risk. They can’t ask about your medical history or how your condition developed.
  • If you do tell them, they must keep it confidential and can’t pass it on without your permission.
  • Many neurodivergent people are covered by disability discrimination law, whether or not they think of themselves as disabled. Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act defines disability broadly, including conditions that affect how a person learns or thinks.

Why people tell

The biggest reason is adjustments. An employer can only change things for needs they know about. Written instructions, flexible hours, fewer meetings, a quieter desk, more time for online tests: these can make the difference between coping and burning out.

Other reasons people give:

  • they’re tired of masking, and want to stop pretending
  • they want their manager to understand why they work the way they do
  • they’re already struggling, and it’s better to explain than to be misunderstood
  • being neurodivergent is part of who they are, and they don’t want to hide it

Why people don’t

Because the risks are real. In a 2024 US survey by Understood.org, 59% of neurodivergent workers said they worried disclosing would hurt them at work. Of those who had asked for workplace adjustments, nearly 1 in 4 said they had lost a job or been demoted after asking. Australian research with dyslexic adults found the same fear and indecision about telling anyone.

People also describe quieter costs: being treated differently, being passed over, or being told ‘you don’t look autistic’. Some workplaces that call themselves neuroinclusive turn out to be less inclusive in practice.

None of this means you shouldn’t disclose. It means the decision deserves more thought than ‘be honest’ or ‘never tell’.

What happened when I disclosed

I’ve disclosed twice, with very different results.

The first time, nothing was going wrong. I was already working remotely and I had a great boss. Neurodivergence came up in a conversation, and I chose to say ‘that’s me too’. Life went on as usual. Nothing changed, except that I didn’t have to hide that part of myself any more.

That’s the best case. From what I hear from other neurodivergent people, it’s also rare.

The second time, I disclosed on a job application. I was more than qualified for the role, and one of the few applicants who held the qualification it needed. I never heard back. No interview, no rejection email, nothing.

My thinking at the time was simple: if they won’t talk to me because I’m neurodivergent, they’re not the employer for me. That was a bold call to make while I was burnt out and broke. I put my health first, and it worked out. But it’s easier to say than to live by when you need the income, and it might not be the right call for you.

The fear of discrimination is real. So is the cost of hiding. That’s why there isn’t one right answer.

Disclosure isn’t a single moment. It’s a series of choices, and you get to make each one.

It isn’t one decision

One of the most useful things to know is that you don’t decide once. You can choose at each stage, and the pros and cons change along the way:

  • On your résumé or application. The earliest point, with the least control over who reads it.
  • Before or at the interview. Useful if you need adjustments to the interview itself.
  • After a job offer. Once they’ve chosen you, but before you start.
  • During probation. When you know the job, but your position is less secure.
  • Once you’re settled. When you know the people and the culture.
  • When something goes wrong. Often the hardest time, and the most common.

You can also tell some people and not others: a manager but not the whole team, or HR but not your manager.

Questions to ask yourself

Before you decide, these questions help:

  • Do I need anything to do this job well that I can’t get without asking?
  • How much is hiding it costing me in energy?
  • What do I actually know about this workplace? How have they treated other people who are different?
  • Who would I tell, and why them?
  • What would I do if it went badly?

If your answers point in different directions, that’s normal. It usually means the timing or the person matters more than the yes or no.

You can share needs without sharing a label

This surprises a lot of people. You can ask for what you need without naming a diagnosis. For example:

‘I do my best work with written instructions. Could you send me the key points after our meetings?’

That’s a reasonable request from anyone. It gets you the adjustment without opening a conversation you’re not ready for. It won’t suit every situation, and some adjustments are easier to get with a formal disclosure, but it’s a useful in-between option.

Want help working out your next step?

The Disclosure Kit takes you through this decision stage by stage, whether you’re job hunting or already in a job. It includes:

  • a decision guide for each stage, from application to after something goes wrong
  • scripts for what to say, and to whom
  • email templates you can adapt
  • what to do if disclosure goes badly
  • links to official rights information for Australia and other countries

Sources

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