Neurodiversity Hiring Pilot Program Gains Momentum

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the progress made and prepare for the challenges that remain in ensuring equal job opportunities for all.

According to HR Daily Advisor, it is widely reported that up to 85 percent of college graduates with autism are unemployed or underemployed. In response, Los Angeles County launched a Neurodiversity Hiring Pilot Program that aligns candidate skills with vacant county jobs.

In April, citing the barriers to employment faced by the neurodivergent community, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (BOS) directed the Chief Executive Office’s Legislative Affairs & Intergovernmental Relations branch, in collaboration with the Department of Human Resources (DHR), to develop this pilot.

Recently, the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities (LACCOD) received a presentation on the program’s progress. “This is an untapped pool of folks with enormous talent that hasn’t been leveraged by the county in a systematic way before,” said Johan Julin, Chief Hiring Strategist for DHR. “This will be carried forward, will be expanded, and will be of great use to the county.”

The board motion called for a scalable framework allowing for expansion, Julin said. One key component: identifying available positions, the departments they are in, and training hiring managers and teams on how to leverage and support all types of minds.

The plan calls for training and hiring 25 neurodivergent professionals. So far, 10 positions have been identified, primarily within accounting and Information Technology. The estimated startup cost is $300,000, although no funding has yet been allocated. With the county facing budgetary pressures, finding outside sources of funding will be crucial, Julin added.

In addition to training new hires, the plan includes training for supervisors to better understand neurodivergent and all employees, communicate effectively, and support a more inclusive and collaborative workplace. The county will also support workplace accommodations through the efforts of Monica Paraja Dominguez, Senior Manager at DHR. There will also be peer support, via an ambassador program composed of county employees who have self‑disclosed neurodiverse conditions and are willing to serve as mentors. “Hopefully this will be a model for other counties to follow,” Paraja Dominguez said.

The motion, authored by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Holly J. Mitchell, describes “neurodiversity” as the concept that people have different ways of thinking, learning and behaving. It encompasses a broad range of conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Attention‑Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, cerebral palsy (CP), Twice Exceptional (2e), Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), Tourette Syndrome (TS), Down Syndrome, speech or language impairment, and hearing loss. The definition emphasizes that neurodiversity includes a spectrum of neurocognitive differences and does not always constitute a disability.

“Expanding equal employment opportunities to fully include individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities will not only foster a more inclusive workforce but also provide valuable insights into the experiences of those living with developmental differences, ultimately enhancing service to residents with similar lived experiences,” the supervisors wrote.

Cathy Gott, Commissioner of the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities, noted that while she joined the Commission in 2017 with a neurodiversity hiring program already underway, progress was delayed by the COVID‑19 pandemic and hiring freezes. Momentum picked up again after the board unanimously approved the motion in April.

“The progress has been remarkable, and we have nearly all systems in place,” Gott said. “We have hiring managers ready and willing to receive specialized training, and our community partner, NeuroTalent Works, has crafted a comprehensive training program including coaching and support for the talent as well as for hiring managers and their departments—a proven model they’ve successfully implemented with many large companies across the country.”

Several county departments have committed to hiring neurodiverse individuals through the county’s Career Development Intern program, which assists at‑risk youth, foster youth, individuals with disabilities and homeless individuals in gaining the skills and abilities necessary to compete for full‑time permanent positions.

“It is my sincere hope that Los Angeles County will be a model for disability and neurodiversity inclusion and employment for other cities and counties across California and the U.S.,” Gott said.

Carlos Benavides (Commission President) and Ramon Ray Pizarro (Commission Vice-President) voiced support for the initiative, saying it helps bring equal opportunity for all.

“I believe no disability should be left behind,” Pizarro added. “Even if it helps a small percentage of the community, the initiative needs to advance.”

Neurodivergent job applicants may be well qualified for a job but might face difficulties in standard hiring practices — for example they may struggle with eye contact or self‑expression in interviews, something hiring managers often view negatively but could be due to sensory processing, Benavides explained. “That’s why we back this initiative 100 percent, to remove all barriers to employment, especially in interviews.”

Working with county staff is NeuroTalent Works, the nonprofit that partners with companies to embrace neurodiversity hiring. On hand for the presentation to the Commission was Jessica Lee, the nonprofit’s co‑founder and executive director.

Even when someone in the neurodivergent community does get hired, there are still barriers to overcome. “We also see that 59 percent of neurodivergent employees worry disclosure will have a negative impact on their career and most decide not to disclose because of the stigma that so often follows,” Lee said. “So a critical part of our training is to grow not only an understanding of how all minds think, process, and communicate, but to have an appreciation for it. The future of work includes all types of minds.