The Neurodiversity & Entrepreneurship Association have launched a 12-month initiative called ThriveND, which aims to create an inclusive business support network for neurodivergent entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals across West Yorkshire.

Neurodivergent people, including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia among other cognitive differences are significantly more likely to opt for self-employment due to a lack of tailored support in traditional workplaces.

With many neurodivergent individuals facing barriers such as perfectionism, rejection sensitivity, or cognitive overload depending on their diagnosis, an estimated 18% of self-employed individuals are neurodivergent, favouring more flexible workload management.

Rob Edwards, the Founder and CEO of the Neurodiversity & Entrepreneurship Association, who himself received a diagnosis of ADHD nine years ago, said: “We look at things like managing neurodivergent overwhelm and approaching your workload, which with a different neurotype can be quite challenging.

“Especially like with my ADHD, I’ve got a hundred thousand spinning plates whizzing around my head all the time, to get that tied down to getting stuff done is really useful.”

Read the full story on the 360 Wire website here.