Neurodivergent people have always been part of the engineering world. Their creativity, curiosity, pattern‑spotting and ability to hyperfocus have shaped entire industries.

Yet many neurodivergent engineers are still working without the support and understanding they need to thrive.

To explore this, we sat down with three neurodivergent members of the engineering community:

• Helen Cumming, Chartered Engineer with ADHD and dyslexia
• Tim Rutter, Chartered Mechanical Engineer with ADHD and autism
• Charlie Loughlin, Data Manager with ADHD, former IET member

Together, they talked about how understanding themselves and advocating for their needs at work has changed everything.

Watch the video or read on for more.

 

The road to diagnosis

For many people, recognising their neurodivergence happens gradually. For Helen, Tim and Charlie, diagnosis came after years of noticing that their minds often worked differently from their peers.

Helen’s discovery

Helen started therapy for anxiety during lockdown. As her therapist learned more about her coping mechanisms and thinking style, they raised the possibility of ADHD.

Helen went through the DSM‑5 criteria and gathered examples from childhood and adulthood. Her GP used that information to refer her for formal assessment.

It was lockdown that made everything flare, partly because I’d stopped exercising. Without knowing, I had been using exercise to manage my symptoms for years.

Tim’s turning point

Tim wondered if he might be autistic after seeing similarities with friends who shared their experiences. He didn’t consider ADHD at all, until the clinician assessing him for autism suggested it.

ADHD was a total curveball. But actually, it’s the part that’s been most challenging in my life.

His dual diagnosis helped him understand why long, unstructured meetings felt impossible, why changes to routine felt disruptive, and why he started personal projects but struggled to finish them.

Charlie’s lightbulb moment

Charlie’s best friend stayed with her for a weekend and pointed out several ADHD-like traits. When Charlie mentioned this to family, she learned that they’d suspected the same for years.

Because of her IET membership, Foothold was able to support her in getting an assessment for ADHD.

I had my official diagnosis within about a month. Suddenly everything made sense.

Diagnosis brought relief for all three, along with reflection on the years they’d spent trying to fit expectations that didn’t match how their minds worked.

Masking neurodivergence at work

Before diagnosis, all three had spent a lot of energy hiding or compensating for their neurodivergent traits.

For Tim, this meant constantly ‘performing’ social behaviours such as eye contact, facial expressions, and where to look in conversations.

People don’t realise how tiring that is. Rather than following the conversation, I’d have to be thinking about what my eyebrows should be doing.

Charlie would tell herself to sit still and not fidget. But this made it harder for her to engage. Over time, she discovered that crocheting or doodling gave her the stimulation she needed to stay focused. She describes it vividly:

It’s like having two brains, and one is a toddler. If you don’t give the toddler something to do, the rest of you is trying to corral the toddler, so you can’t concentrate.

Helen described being told she talks too much, asks too many questions or needs to “sit down and shut up”.

These kinds of negative comments and judgmental attitudes can deeply impact people’s confidence and sense of self. Helen still hesitates to phone colleagues for fear of “asking something silly.” Tim, likewise, spent a lot of his life feeling that he didn’t fit in and couldn’t cope in certain situations.

Strengths neurodivergent engineers bring

Engineering thrives on diverse perspectives. When neurodivergent engineers are allowed to work in ways that suit them, they bring a huge range of strengths.

Helen, Tim and Charlie highlighted some of theirs:

• Hyperfocus during critical project phases
• Deep‑dive problem solving
• Creative, unconventional thinking
• Processing large datasets quickly
• Passion and energy
• Ability to see connections others miss

Charlie explained that in her experience:

If you let someone with ADHD work the way they work best, you can get three days’ worth of work in one.

How workplaces can empower neurodivergent engineers, or hold them back

The group agreed that challenges arise not from neurodivergence itself, but from environments that aren’t set up with different thinking styles in mind. They talked about several examples:

Sensory environments

Busy open‑plan offices can be overwhelming for anyone who processes sensory information intensely.

Communication styles

Verbal-only instructions and last‑minute schedule changes can be particularly difficult for people who benefit from structure, written information or preparation time.

Meeting culture

Long, unstructured meetings with no breaks aren’t good for many people, but can be especially disruptive when you’re neurodivergent.

Norms around behaviour

Natural regulatory behaviours such as stimming, fidgeting or moving around are often misunderstood.

Support that helps

Small adjustments made enormous differences for Helen, Tim and Charlie:

• Compassionate managers
• Weekly structured 1:1s
• Being able to wear noise-cancelling headphones
• Permission to fidget, doodle or craft
• Flexible or remote working
• Well-run, efficient meetings
• Receiving slide packs and agendas in advance
• Using digital notes apps or organisation tools

Once I had a supportive boss, the relationship improved and the whole team improved.

Accommodations like this can benefit everyone, not just neurodivergent staff.

Tim explained that it’s important to normalise different working styles. He suggested starting new team relationships with a question: “How do you work best?”

How diagnosis helped

All three said diagnosis brought self-understanding and confidence. It helped them drop some harmful masking behaviours, identify tools and strategies that worked for them, and advocate for the adjustments they needed.

Helen said:

You don’t need a diagnosis to get support, but it makes advocating for yourself much easier.

How Foothold can help

If you are (or think you might be) neurodivergent, here’s how we can support you.

Eligible engineers, students and apprentices can access:

• Free, fast-tracked assessments
• Counselling support
• Career coaching and mentoring

Learn more about support we offer

Differently Wired Hub

Foothold’s Differently Wired Hub is a free online space full of practical information about autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Tourette’s. There, you’ll find:

• Tools to explore whether you might be neurodivergent
• Practical guidance for navigating work and life
• Stories from neurodivergent engineers
• Resources for employers on building inclusive environments

Explore the hub