Career support that works for you
Practical guides and tools for neurodivergent people, from finding work to growing in a career. Start with what you need today. You do not need a diagnosis to use any of it, and nothing asks for one.
What would you like help with today?
Choose any starting point. You can pause, change direction, or come back to the guide whenever it is useful.
Explore work that fits
Compare jobs on the working conditions that matter to you, with unknowns kept as questions to ask.
Compare jobs with the Job ComparisonRead the guide: Neurodivergent-friendly jobs: how to judge the work and the workplace, not just the title
Find a manageable next step
Turn a search or an application into one step that fits the time and energy you have today.
Make a small plan with the Job Search Step PlannerRead the guide: A manageable job search: small steps, accurate applications and supports that fit you
Prepare an application
Connect one requirement to a real example and check what is still needed before you submit.
Prepare my application with the Application Evidence BuilderRead the guide: A manageable job search: small steps, accurate applications and supports that fit you
Prepare for an interview
Organize examples of your work with the STAR method and practice explaining them.
Build an interview example with the STAR Interview CoachRead the guide: Interview tips for autistic, ADHD and other neurodivergent adults
Compare an offer
Review annual base pay with the arithmetic shown, list the terms to clarify, and draft an ask.
Review an offer with the Offer and Negotiation PlannerRead the guide: Salary negotiation for neurodivergent people: compare an offer and ask clearly
Start a new role
Plan your first three months around expectations, support and what to learn first.
Plan my first months with the 30-60-90 Day Plan BuilderRead the guide: Starting a new job as a neurodivergent person: the first 90 days, with a plan you can change
Grow or change direction
Try a small, bounded career experiment and prepare a useful conversation about it.
Explore my next direction with the Career Experiment PlannerRead the guide: Career growth for neurodivergent people: deciding what progress means for you
Ask for support
Draft an ordinary working-preference request or a formal accommodation request, kept separate.
Prepare a support request with the Accommodation Request DrafterRead the guide: Should you disclose ADHD or autism at work? How to ask for support or an accommodation
Or start from what feels difficult
These are shortcuts, not questions. Nothing is asked, saved or worked out about you from what you choose.
- Getting startedPick one small step sized to today.
- Understanding expectationsTurn unclear expectations into questions to ask.
- Finding examples of my workShape a real example into a résumé line.
- Reading or writingDraft a request for a format that works for you.
- Comparing choicesPut two or three jobs side by side, unknowns included.
- Managing demandsSet a boundary before trying something new.
- Asking for helpPrepare the words before you need them.
Read at your own pace
Eight guides follow a working life, from choosing work to growing in it. Read them in order or jump to the one you need. The scripts in them are examples to adapt: you decide which words fit and what you want to share. Nothing here assesses your ability or predicts your career.
Choosing work
Neurodivergent-friendly jobs: how to judge the work and the workplace, not just the title
No honest list of the best jobs for ADHD or autism exists. Here is how to judge a role and its conditions, read a posting, and check fit before you commit.
13 min read
Searching and applying
A manageable job search: small steps, accurate applications and supports that fit you
Job search tips for ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other neurodivergent needs: steps sized to your energy, form and timeout traps, and how to cope with rejection.
14 min read
Interviews
Interview tips for autistic, ADHD and other neurodivergent adults
Practical interview preparation for autistic, ADHD, dyslexic and other neurodivergent adults: examples, clarifying phrases, assessments and asking for access.
17 min read
Sharing and support
Should you disclose ADHD or autism at work? How to ask for support or an accommodation
Should you disclose ADHD or autism at work? Questions to ask first, how a preference differs from a reasonable accommodation request, and U.S. federal guidance.
15 min read
Offers and pay
Salary negotiation for neurodivergent people: compare an offer and ask clearly
How to compare a job offer, show the arithmetic, ask for it in writing, take time to decide and negotiate by script or email, with examples across kinds of work.
16 min read
Starting a job
Starting a new job as a neurodivergent person: the first 90 days, with a plan you can change
A practical guide to the first 90 days of a new job with ADHD, autism or another difference: expectations, a working note, day-one logistics, check-ins and burnout.
18 min read
Growing
Career growth for neurodivergent people: deciding what progress means for you
How to choose a career direction (specialist, management, lateral, change or independent work), ask for promotion criteria and test a path cheaply.
15 min read
Networking
Networking for neurodivergent people: ways to build contacts and find a mentor
Networking and mentoring on your own terms: messages, short calls, event plans, scripts to open and close a conversation, and how to set up a mentor.
12 min read
About your entries in the tools
- Your entries stay on the page while it is open. Moving between the career tools keeps them.
- Refreshing or closing the page removes them. Nothing is saved to an account.
- Nothing is sent to an employer or anyone else. Every draft is yours to edit, copy or download.
- Downloads and copied text can contain personal information, and clearing the page cannot remove them.
- None of the tools asks for a diagnosis, and none of them scores you.
Help from a person
For questions about workplace accommodations, the Job Accommodation Network (opens in a new tab), funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, gives free, confidential guidance to workers as well as employers. For job training and employment programs, USA.gov lists public services for people with disabilities (opens in a new tab). If you receive disability benefits, the Social Security Administration's benefits counseling (opens in a new tab) can explain how work and earnings affect them before you accept an offer.
Sources and scope
The guides draw on research, official guidance, and specialist organizations; the research review behind them also drew on disability-led guidance, such as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's. Each guide cites its sources beside the claims they support. Practical exercises are options to try, not proven employment interventions, and the tools have not been evaluated for hiring outcomes. Legal information covers U.S. federal employment law; state and local rules, and your own circumstances, can change the answer. See how we research our guides.
All 51 sources in the research review, with notes on each
Reviewed . Each note says what the source can and cannot tell us. A study of one group does not describe every neurodivergent person, and a provider's description of its own service is not evidence that it works.
Research and specialist guidance
- Job Accommodation Network. Neurodiversity (opens in a new tab)Undated. U.S. technical guidance on varied support needs and individualized accommodation ideas. Useful for support exploration, not proof of effectiveness or automatic entitlement.
- Bölte et al. Career Guidance and Employment Issues for Neurodivergent Individuals: A Scoping Review and Stakeholder Consultation (opens in a new tab)First online October 28, 2024; 2025 journal issue. Review of 78 articles plus Swedish consultation. Broad career framework; uneven condition coverage and limited geographic representation in stakeholder input.
- Lauder, McDowall and Tenenbaum. A systematic review of interventions to support adults with ADHD at work (opens in a new tab)August 22, 2022. Review of 143 studies, dominated by clinical interventions. Identifies a workplace-evidence gap at its search cutoff; does not establish that practical supports cannot help.
- Hotte-Meunier et al. Strengths and challenges to embrace attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in employment (opens in a new tab)November 8, 2024. Systematic review of 79 studies and 68,275 adults across 22 countries. Heterogeneous employment evidence covering challenges, strengths, adaptations and fit.
- Grinblat and Rosenblum. Work-MAP Telehealth Metacognitive Work-Performance Intervention for Adults With ADHD (opens in a new tab)March 27, 2023. Randomized study of 46 adults, eleven individual sessions, three-month follow-up. Professionally delivered intervention with promising results; small sample and subjective outcomes limit transfer to a self-service product.
- Davies et al. Career progression for autistic people: A scoping review (opens in a new tab)March 13, 2024. Thirty-three studies, mostly qualitative or mixed methods. Progression was addressed indirectly; evidence supports further research and tailored support, not a guaranteed promotion strategy.
- Davies et al. A qualitative exploration of autistic people's journeys to career success and fulfilment (opens in a new tab)First online December 20, 2024; April 2025 issue. Interviews with 18 autistic adults. Useful for member-defined success and ongoing support; small, relatively educated sample limits generalization.
- Raymaker et al. Defining Autistic Burnout (opens in a new tab)April 6, 2020. Participatory exploratory research using 19 interviews and 19 public internet sources, five analyzed in depth. Supports attention to cumulative demands and support; not a diagnostic scale or prevention trial.
- Cope and Remington. The Strengths and Abilities of Autistic People in the Workplace (opens in a new tab)First online October 7, 2021; March 2022 issue. Qualitative online questionnaire with 66 autistic respondents. Self-reported strengths; authors caution against universalizing them.
- Maras et al. Ameliorating the disadvantage for autistic job seekers: An initial evaluation of adapted employment interview questions (opens in a new tab)December 18, 2020; 2021 issue. Fifty adults completed two mock interviews about six months apart. Adapted questions were associated with improved ratings; not evidence of real hiring outcomes.
- Norris et al. Disclosing an autism diagnosis improves ratings of candidate performance in employment interviews (opens in a new tab)October 26, 2023; 2024 issue. Ratings from 119 observers of mock interviews. A context-specific potential benefit; disclosure conditions were not a real-world hiring experiment.
- Ameri et al. The Disability Employment Puzzle: A Field Experiment on Employer Hiring Behavior (opens in a new tab)June 23, 2017; 2018 issue. Applications to 6,016 accounting positions. The reported 26% reduction pooled two disclosed disability conditions; it is not an autism-only estimate.
- Davies et al. Access to employment: A comparison of autistic, neurodivergent and neurotypical adults' experiences of hiring processes in the United Kingdom (opens in a new tab)January 4, 2023. Self-selected survey. The main abstract reports 225 autistic, 64 other neurodivergent, and 88 neurotypical participants; a conflicting count appears in the lay abstract. Useful for barriers and preferences, not population rates.
- Koldas et al. Facilitators and Barriers to Employment of Neurodivergent Individuals: A Systematic Literature Review of Employee and Employer Experiences (opens in a new tab)December 6, 2025. Fifty-six studies across 12 countries. Qualitative and mixed-method evidence predominates; recurring facilitators should not be presented as quantified causal effects.
- Binsfeld et al. Employment of Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Integrative Review of Barriers and Facilitators (opens in a new tab)August 14, 2026. Thematic synthesis of 22 empirical studies. Reinforces organizational and interpersonal factors; calls for intervention and longitudinal research.
- British Dyslexia Association. Reasonable adjustments in the workplace (opens in a new tab)Undated. Practical reading, writing, communication and workplace-support suggestions. UK context: use ideas, not its legal framework, in a U.S. guide.
- British Dyslexia Association. How does dyscalculia and maths learning difficulties affect adults? (opens in a new tab)Undated. Specialist explanation of possible everyday numerical demands. Not an intervention evaluation or a basis for limiting career options.
- Zaguri-Vittenberg et al. Exploring the multidimensional occupational participation of young adults with developmental coordination disorder (opens in a new tab)April 2025. Descriptive study of 55 adults aged 21-35. Participation includes transport, administration and daily activities; narrow sample and no community involvement reported.
- Job Accommodation Network. Tourette Syndrome (opens in a new tab)Undated. U.S. accommodation ideas organized around individual limitations and tasks. Examples are not universal needs or entitlements.
U.S. rights and current policy
- EEOC. Questions and Answers on the Final Rule Implementing the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (opens in a new tab)March 25, 2011. Updated disability-definition and coverage guidance. Prefer this over pre-amendment definitions in older publications.
- EEOC. Job Applicants and the ADA (opens in a new tab)October 7, 2003. Guidance on hiring-process access, requests, qualifications, questions and confidentiality. Still useful for those topics; its older disability definition must be read with ADAAA updates.
- EEOC. Enforcement Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship under the ADA (opens in a new tab)October 17, 2002, with an ADAAA notice. Explains the interactive process, request language, effective alternatives and documentation. Guidance is not a determination of an individual case.
- Job Accommodation Network. Disability Disclosure (opens in a new tab)Undated. Explains timing and context of sharing disability information. Supports individual choice rather than a universal disclosure rule.
- U.S. Department of Justice. Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, and Disability Discrimination in Hiring (opens in a new tab)May 12, 2022. Describes disability risks in automated hiring, relevant assessment and accommodation obligations. Does not mean every automated assessment is unlawful.
- U.S. Department of Labor. Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form (opens in a new tab)Current notice concerning the August 21, 2026 rule. States the self-identification form (formerly CC-305) is discontinued, effective September 21, 2026. Older linked documents can be stale.
- DOL/OFCCP. Modifications to the Regulations Implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended (opens in a new tab)Final rule published August 21, 2026. Most provisions effective September 21, with one procedural amendment effective December 21. Official Federal Register text establishes the self-ID and utilization changes.
Accessibility and privacy
- W3C. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 (opens in a new tab)Recommendation, December 12, 2024 edition. Technical accessibility requirements and conformance framework. Selected implementation checks do not establish complete conformance.
- W3C. Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities (opens in a new tab)Working Group Note, April 29, 2021. Supplemental cognitive-accessibility patterns beyond WCAG; not a separate conformance level.
- W3C. Avoid Data Loss and Timeouts (opens in a new tab)Content published April 29, 2021; pattern interface January 2022. Supports preserving work and allowing sufficient time. Saving sensitive data also needs appropriate controls.
- W3C. Provide Reminders (opens in a new tab)Content published April 29, 2021; pattern interface January 2022. Reminders should be requested and personalized by the user.
- W3C. Limit Interruptions (opens in a new tab)Content published April 29, 2021; pattern interface January 2022. Supports control of notifications, changing content, sounds and distracting material.
- W3C. Provide Human Help (opens in a new tab)Content published April 29, 2021; pattern interface January 2022. Help should be easy to find and use; a product must not imply live support exists when it does not.
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network. One Idea Per Line: A Guide to Making Easy Read Resources (opens in a new tab)Page undated. Disability-led guidance developed with people with intellectual disabilities; distinguishes Easy Read and plain-language formats.
- W3C. Privacy Principles (opens in a new tab)W3C Statement, May 15, 2025. Principles for minimization, purpose, transparency and choice. A design framework, not proof of legal compliance.
- W3C. Involving Users in Evaluating Web Accessibility (opens in a new tab)Undated in the reviewed extract. Combine standards assessment with diverse user evaluation; do not generalize from one tester.
Career tools and human support
- O*NET. Interest Profiler Services (opens in a new tab)Undated, current documentation. Direct access, embed and API options; 30- and 60-question versions and Spanish availability. Check current integration documentation and terms.
- O*NET. Interest Profiler Manual (opens in a new tab)March 2021. Technical foundation for vocational-interest exploration. Does not establish disability-specific suitability or ability.
- O*NET. Career Exploration Tools Content License (opens in a new tab)Undated, current terms. Distinguishes verbatim redistribution under CC BY-ND from modifications under the Tools Developer License, including validation obligations.
- CareerOneStop. Work Values Matcher Help Page (opens in a new tab)Undated. Describes a 20-statement work-values activity. Link to the original exercise; do not assume copying or modifying it preserves its properties.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Information Included in the Occupational Outlook Handbook (opens in a new tab)Current overview. Explains occupational duties, preparation, wages and projections, with links to local data. Occupational aggregates are not individualized offers or employer conditions.
- MIT Career Advising and Professional Development. Negotiate job offers (opens in a new tab)Undated. Practical preparation, priorities and written terms. Use the preparation guidance; do not repeat its broad reassurance that the worst possible response is merely “no.”
- Stanford Neurodiversity Project. Neurodiversity at Work (opens in a new tab)Undated. First-party program and mentor guidance, including explicit communication and workplace navigation. Program practices are not outcome evidence for LAYIQ.
- Mentra. Neurodiversity Employment Network (opens in a new tab)Current first-party website. Establishes an existing career and employment service for benchmarking. Marketing claims and provider surveys are not treated as independent proof of effectiveness.
- Social Security Administration. Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (opens in a new tab)Undated, current program page. Individualized information on work, benefits and health insurance for eligible SSDI/SSI beneficiaries, particularly those working or about to start.
- USAGov. Job training and employment programs for people with disabilities (opens in a new tab)Updated August 27, 2026. Current starting point for vocational rehabilitation, Centers for Independent Living and other employment resources. Services and eligibility depend on the program.
- Job Accommodation Network. Executive Functioning Deficits (opens in a new tab)Undated. Practical ideas for planning, time management, memory, prioritization and task supports. Use respectful member-facing wording and present options individually.
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Real Work For Real Pay: A Self-Advocate's Guide to Employment Policy (opens in a new tab)Toolkit page undated. Disability-led employment resource with Easy Read and plain-language versions. Current policy details need checking before reuse.
- Brouwers et al. Barriers to and Facilitators for Finding and Keeping Competitive Employment (opens in a new tab)April 3, 2024; 2025 issue. Eight focus groups with 64 autistic adults in the Netherlands. Qualitative evidence on conditions and support; predominantly educated, all-White sample limits transfer.
- O*NET. Career Exploration Tools (opens in a new tab)Current catalogue. Confirms retirement of the Work Importance Locator and Ability Profiler.
- EEOC. Coverage of State and Local Governments (opens in a new tab)Undated, current page. Describes employee-count coverage and notes possible state/local protections where federal coverage does not apply.
- Job Accommodation Network. Employers' Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation During the Hiring Process (opens in a new tab)Undated. Guidance for accessible recruitment, requests, documentation and the interactive process. Used in the member appendix; practical and legal guidance, not an outcome study.
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