Celebrating Neurodiversity in Construction
At SC4 Carpenters Ltd and SC4 Decorators we Celebrate Neurodiversity every day.
We are proud of the neurodivergent people who work for us at all levels...
...from Directors, Katy Hall and Conrad Hall, who share their personal stories in the hope of making the Construction Industry an even better place to work for all neurodivergent people, ....
... to the neurodivergent and neurotypical managers, employees and carpenters and decorators who work for us,
... and the neurodivergent people we work with.
This industry is all the better for having you in it.
Why would you hire someone who is neurodivergent to work in your construction business?
Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025 got me reflecting on just this question.
Well for a start you probably already did.
Recent studies have found that around half of quantity surveyors and at least half of tradespeople are neurodivergent.
What are the benefits?
This is undoubtedly because of the skills, benefits and unique characteristics that neurodivergent people bring to construction. For example, at SC4 we value and benefit from the skills of autistic people and those with ADHD and dyslexia, including:
- enhanced focus, attention to detail and knowledge of a specialist interest, such as carpentry;
- pride in building someone's home;
- self-motivation and working well on their own or in small teams;
- enjoying working outside an office environment;
- high levels of empathy;
- great spatial awareness, thinking in 3D;
- lateral thinking, creativity and problem solving;
- an aptitude for design, maths and engineering.
And all of these skills are equally valuable in numerous other roles both in and outside construction.
What are the challenges?
However, neurodivergent (ND) people may be up to 10 times as likely (70%) to suffer from poor mental health than neurotypical (NT) people (7%), often as a result of having to mask their authenticity and fit in with NT norms, and cope with daily criticism of their neurodivergent traits. For example, some experts estimate that children with ADHD receive a full 20,000 more negative messages by age 10, on average.
As well as specific learning or communication difficulties, a neurodivergent person will more than likely be coping with comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, hypersensitivity, hyperactivity, emotional disregulation, mood swings, social awkwardness, communication, memory or time-keeping issues, PDA (pervasive drive for autonomy), RSD (rejection sensitivity dysphoria), chronic pain and fatigue (overwhelm/burnout, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, etc), and may have developed a number of coping strategies, which may provide additional stress or damage their mental and physical health.
What can You do to help?
As an employer, how can you reap the benefits while making reasonable accommodations to support the challenges of being neurodivergent?
Knowledge is key:
👩🎓 Educate yourself about the various conditions.
💕 Empathise and be compassionate.
💑 Take the time to listen and be understanding.
⚖️ Don't judge - accept the ND person's lived experience and the accommodations they need.
⏲️ Be flexible - allow for different ways of working.
👏 Provide positive criticism and praise the things they find difficult.
And remember if you have met one ND person you have met one ND person.
We are all different with diverse skills, experiences, challenges and gifts to offer.
Find out more in our Neurodiversity in Construction blog
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