How to better support your neurodivergent clients.

1. The importance of asking, not guessing.

It may seem an obvious one, but don't make assumptions. Start open conversations with your clients about their accessibility needs. This can start at onboarding by simply asking what their preferred communication style is. If you’ve met one neurodivergent person, you’ve met one neurodivergent person.

2. Streamline your communication style.

Reduce unnecessary wording to clarify your requests. Instead of saying, "would you mind just looking at X again because I think it might…," be direct and state your needs. Use bullet points for easier reading but limit the number of requests to avoid overwhelming your client. If there are several tasks, break them into smaller ones.

When you need to provide a lot of information at once, give a warning and suggest alternatives. For example, include the line "This does not need to be done in one go." and offer meetings to discuss it.

For clients with demand avoidance (PDA), choose your words more carefully. The PDA Society offers email templates, and AI tools may assist you as well.

3. Reduce social demands.

Most neurodivergents struggle with social situations. So limiting how many people they need to deal with helps a lot. For example:

• Providing only one or two points of contact.
• Liaising with HMRC on their behalf. 

Rejection sensitivity (RSD) is often found in neurodivergent individuals, especially those with ADHD. You can help by being empathetic and careful with your words. They might prefer to communicate through a chosen person. This person is typically a VA funded by Access to Work or a family member.

4. Create a brave space

It’s common for neurodivergent individuals to not disclose their needs due to past experiences. A recent report by The Entrepreneurs Network, found that 96% of neurodivergent entrepreneurs had experienced discrimination due to their neurodiversity.

It's essential that your client can feel safe to share their vulnerabilities and ask for help. Offer support but avoid framing it as “fixes” and do not shame them. Instead, be compassionate and curious.

Don’t just claim to be inclusive. Provide real support and highlight this in your marketing and on your website. Such as including a visual carousel in your posts or adding alternative text for images. Ettie Bailey-King's newsletters called Fighting Talk are a great resource to use.

5. Ensure your meetings are accessible.

If you meet your clients face to face, consider if there are any sensory issues in the environment where you plan to meet. Such as;

• Overhead lights
• Noise levels
• Strong smells

The National Autistic Society (NAS) has a Sensory Differences Guide. It has great examples to help you think about your environment.

Even with adjustments, always ask your client first. Accessibility is individual and needs can change day to day. This is true for all your clients, not just those with disabilities. Here are some simple questions to think about:

• Can you use a private room?
• Can you turn off the overhead big lights and use lamps instead?
• Can you meet them out of your office in their safe space?
• Can you invest in some fidgets your clients can use when at your office?
• Do you even need to meet face to face for this meeting? Can it be done virtually?

1. Accessible documents.

Look into providing accessible versions of the documents you send. Accessibility is particularly important for your letter of engagements (LOE). How could they be improved?

• Can you send it in a dyslexic friendly font?
• Can you arrange an appointment to read it through with them?
• Can you use more visuals?
• Are your colours easy to read?
• Could a screen reader work on this document?

2. A bit of pressure and validation.

Make sure you are saying thank you. Even for things you may feel is "expected" like sending their receipts. Recognising their efforts will have a big impact for your client. Avoid removing challenges entirely though. Those with ADHD often need some pressure to be able to do the THING! 

Body doubling is a great example of pressure done right. This is when you have someone with you while you do a task. Plus it works virtually too!

• Could you offer a hot desk in your office?
• Could you provide virtual group body doubling?
• Could you create a video of you working for on demand body doubling?

3. Additional reminders and deadlines.

Your client is not lazy, and they do care!

What they need is additional support, not judgement. Being neurodivergent effects your executive function. One of the ways this can show up is around memory and organisation. This means clients can really benefit from additional reminders and artificial deadlines. Tailoring these to your clients will get you the best results as it is not a one sizes fits all. Here are some examples;

• Set milestones throughout the project.
• Send reminders to send receipts at the end of the month.
• Customise the language in your reminders to get the tone right.
• Offer accountability check-ins. These can be phone calls, texts or meetings.

4. Have quick resources.

Offer some readily available links and resources to address common questions or concerns. You can have these on your website or customer portal!

Create personal video guides. It can be helpful to see examples with their data. Doing this reduces the need for them to contact you. Which is great news for both of you. 

5. Processing time and meeting notes.

Try to avoid pressuring them for immediate answers/actions. Respect their need for reflection and processing time. If they seem happy to go ahead then and there, still offer it. 

After meetings send your client a summary detailing what was spoken about. Share recordings and transcripts if you can. This will be helpful for referencing later, on both sides. It can also be helpful to send agendas with your meeting requests. This helps them know what to expect.