LEARNING DESIGN FOR A NEURODIVERSE AUDIENCE
Interaction recently partnered with Brain In Hand , who are leaders in supporting Autistic and ADHD people at work — designing and delivering a leadership programme where around 75% of the team identify as neurodivergent.
Our design is bespoke, so understanding an audience and designing the learning around what’s going to help people engage and what could get in the way is always a big consideration. It seems fitting to share this during Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Working with Brain in Hand hasn’t completely changed how I design learning.
But it has sharpened it, reinforced some principles, and challenged me to apply them more consistently.
Eight things I’ve discovered about learning design for a neurodiverse audience…
Clarity beats clever
It’s easy to overcomplicate. If people have to work hard to understand what you mean, they can’t fully engage with the learning. Being direct, structured, and intentional makes a noticeable difference.
Cognitive load is often underestimated
Long explanations, busy slides, too many ideas at once adds friction. I’ve found myself placing more emphasis on pacing, spacing, and giving people time to process.
Different people need different ways in
Not everyone wants to engage in the same way. Some need time to think, others to talk, others to see or try something. Designing with a mix of reflection, discussion, and application creates better access without adding complexity.
Language matters
Ambiguity, metaphors, or throwaway comments don’t always land as intended. Being deliberate in how things are framed — clear, but still human goes a long way.
Facilitation needs to stay flexible
Good design still needs responsive delivery. Reading the room, adjusting pace, and occasionally moving away from the plan isn’t a lack of structure, it’s meeting people where they are.
Giving permission to learn in different ways
One simple shift that stood out was making it explicit: “engage in a way that works for you.” That might mean stepping back, not contributing every time, doodling, walking, or muting a camera for a moment. Removing the unspoken “right way” to engage leads to more meaningful contribution.
Sharing materials up front
Providing slides and the agenda in advance feels like a small adjustment, but it changed the dynamic. People could see where things were going, process in their own time, and arrive better prepared.
Psychological safety shows up in the work
Creating space for honesty and challenge isn’t fluffy. It’s what allows people to connect the learning to their own context. When that’s there, the conversations are richer and far more relevant.
My takeaway? What I learnt was that designing for neurodiversity isn’t about doing something completely different. It’s about applying the fundamentals: clarity, choice, space, and safety with more intent.
Designing for neurodiversity is just designing better.