FAQs

Neurodivergence describes a difference in the way some people think, feel or behave as a result of differences in the way their brain works (also called neurological differences). Most references to neurodivergence are for lifelong differences that develop during childhood, rather than differences that may be the result of other health conditions like stroke or head injuries. We talk about neurodivergent people in relation to ‘neurotypical’ people (which you can read about above), but researchers have estimated that 15-20% of the world’s population are neurodivergent.

Because neurodivergence is a relatively new concept, there is still some discussion about what it includes, but it usually refers to conditions like:
– ADHD
– Dyslexia
– Autism
– Dyspraxia
– Dyscalculia
– Dysgraphia
– Tourette’s
– Epilepsy

Neurodivergence can be confusing if you are not already familiar with it. If you want to learn more, you can find more information on our blog here.

Mental health is a term used to describe the wellbeing of our ‘mind’ including how we feel and think, which can in turn affect our behaviour. People with ‘good’ mental health can still experience low mood and the worries associated with everyday life, but it doesn’t have a significant and long-lasting impact on their overall quality of life. On the other side of the spectrum, people who are experiencing ‘poor’ mental health need support from medical professionals, social care systems and friends and family to stay safe and function in everyday life. Mental health at this end of the spectrum often involves being diagnosed with a specific mental health condition, like generalised anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder.

People experiencing low mood or anxiety, as well as people with diagnosed mental health conditions, can also find they have trouble at work or when they’re studying. That’s because our cognitive function (how we process, remember and use knowledge) is often affected when we experience poor mental health. These difficulties can make a person feel worse, but there are different approaches to work and learning that can help overcome or manage the impact of mental health.

The word ‘disorder’ is still used in some medical and academic settings, but it is no longer considered a helpful term by many researchers, healthcare professionals and people with mental health conditions. This is because it can suggest that people with mental health conditions are ‘wrong’ in some way, when in fact they live with something that deserves suitable treatment and empathy like any other health condition.

Reasonable adjustments are practical changes that helps remove barriers at work for someone with a neurodivergence, mental health condition or disability. Adjustments can include changes to the environment, communication, workload, or access to tools and technology. They are tailored to the individual and are designed to help them perform at their best while ensuring the organisation meets its legal duties under the Equality Act 2010.

You can read more about reasonable adjustments here. Most reasonable adjustments are free or low cost and easy to implement.

Aim Forward combines specialist neurodiversity, mental health and disability expertise with a clear, practical approach that delivers results. We help organisations reduce risk, strengthen legal compliance, improve productivity, and support their employees to thrive.

Our assessments and recommendations are clear, actionable, legally aligned, and easy to implement, giving managers confidence while removing pressure and uncertainty.

No. We work with organisations of all sizes, including SMEs, national employers, charities, public sector organisations, and global companies.

Our services are tailored to your structure, resources, and internal processes.

Our core workplace services include:

• Workplace Needs Assessments
• Diagnostic Assessments for SpLDs (including dyslexia, ADHD, dypraxia and dyscalculia)
• Coaching
• Training for managers and employees
• Consultancy and strategy development

We provide end-to-end support to help organisations build neuroinclusive, productive working environments.

Workplace needs assessments lead to improved productivity, clearer communication, better wellbeing, and reduced risk.

Many organisations see a 5x ROI through increased performance, reduced absence and turnover, and more effective support planning. Assessments allow issues to be addressed early, preventing more significant challenges later on.

Yes. We work with organisations to design or refine their neurodiversity and disability support pathways, including policy reviews, process mapping, leadership capability, training, culture change, and reasonable adjustment frameworks.

Our approach is practical, evidence-based, and tailored to your organisation’s goals and sector.

Yes. We offer training for managers, leaders, HR teams, and employees on neurodiversity, reasonable adjustments, communication, inclusive leadership, and day-to-day support.

Sessions are interactive, practical, and designed to build confidence and capability.

Yes. We offer retainers, annual support packages, and bespoke multi-service agreements. These can include a set number of needs assessments, training sessions, consultations, and ongoing advice to support managers and HR teams year-round.

Yes. Our diagnostic assessments are carried out by Educational Psychologists (HCPC or BPS registered) or qualified Specialist Assessors with an Assessment Practising Certificate (AMBDA, PATOSS, Dyslexia Guild).

Our needs assessors are experienced disability specialists with a range of disability-specific qualifications and extensive experience working with neurodivergence, mental health, and other disabilities, including lived experience.

We understand the sensitivity of your data and follow strict GDPR protocols to protect all personal and special category data. Reports are only shared with an employer when the individual has given explicit written consent.

All information is stored securely, shared only when necessary, and handled in line with regulatory requirements and our internal data protection policies.

Yes. We frequently work alongside Occupational Health teams and our services complement, rather than replace, Occupational Health provision.

We provide non-medical, strategy-based assessments that align with Equality Act requirements and help inform wider Occupational Health planning.

Yes. We work across a wide range of sectors including education, healthcare, tech, construction, legal, financial services, public sector, hospitality, and more.

Our assessors have extensive experience supporting diverse work environments, role types, and organisational structures.

Yes. We deliver assessments across the UK through secure video appointments and, where required, in-person sessions. Our training and consultancy services are also delivered nationally.

You can contact us directly at [email protected], call us on 0113 873 0770 or complete an enquiry form on our website. We will discuss your needs, recommend the most suitable service, and guide you through the next steps. If you are referring an employee, we will liaise directly with them to arrange their appointment and share all the necessary information.

Our diagnostic assessments are for adults who want or need a diagnosis of a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) and think they may have dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia or ADHD.

You might be looking to get a diagnosis for:

– a greater understanding of how and why you work or think the way you do
– specific terms to describe your experiences and to help others understand you
– evidence of eligibility for support schemes such as Access to Work (in the workplace) or Disabled Students Allowance (in higher education)
– evidence of a SpLD so your workplace can put in place reasonable adjustments for you
– evidence of a SpLD so your educational institution can start the process of accessing exam arrangements for you.

You can find out more about our diagnostic assessments and how they could help clicking here and hear from others who had a diagnostic assessment with us here.

We will ask you to complete a background information questionnaire. This covers your education, medical history and any previous assessments you may have had. If you want a hand or have questions, our Support team is always ready to help. You may need to fill in a few more documents, based on the answers to your background questionnaire. Our Support team will be ready to help you with these too, if you need it.

We aim to make the process as simple as possible, and we are always here to answer any questions you have.

Your assessor will discuss the information in your background questionnaire with you, as well as asking you to complete several tasks. These are not pass or fail tests: they are designed to highlight indicators of a SpLD as well as your strengths and weaknesses. The following areas will be explored:

• Language and practical tasks
• Memory
• How long it takes you to process information
• Reading ability
• Writing and spelling skills
• Maths skills

There is nothing you need to prepare or revise for, so we encourage everyone not to worry.  There aren’t many people who enjoy completing lots of tasks, but our assessors are experienced in making it as easy as possible and you can take breaks whenever you need.

We offer remote video assessments and in-person appointments in Yorkshire.

Within 10 days you will have a report that reflects the information from the diagnostic assessment, including a diagnostic decision. The main body of the report gives detail about what aspects of learning have been assessed, your performance during the assessment and your strengths and weaknesses, including how these impact on your work or studies.

Our diagnostic assessors are either Educational Psychologists registered with the HCPC the or British Chartered Psychological Society or Specialist Assessors with an Assessment Practicing Certificate from AMBDA, PATOSS or Dyslexia Guild.

A diagnostic assessment can last up to 3 hours, but you can take breaks whenever you need them. You can find out more about what happens in a diagnostic assessment by clicking here. 

Please get in touch for pricing and availability.

You can book a diagnostic assessment by clicking here or by contacting our friendly support team on [email protected] or calling 0113 873 0770.

Unfortunately, the person being assessed must be on their own throughout the assessment. This is due to the regulations which govern diagnostic assessment testing. One of the reasons for this rule is that diagnostic assessment tasks are often tiring and require focus and concentration, so distractions need to be minimised. It also means there is no opportunity for the person sitting in on the assessment to interrupt, make comments or be tempted to answer for the person being assessed.

Where appropriate we will reach out to encourage parents and carers to:
– complete a background questionnaire, as they may have additional insight into childhood experiences and learning
– have an opportunity to ask any questions or share relevant information before or after the actual assessment

No, having a diagnostic assessment does not necessarily mean that you will be given a diagnosis. A diagnostic assessment is carried out by a qualified professional who administers several tests to identify if you have a specific learning difficulty (SpLD).

The testing is designed to build a picture of your cognitive profile (a unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses). Depending on what type of diagnostic assessment you book, from this testing your assessor will be able to determine if you have dyslexia, a SpLD with characteristic features of ADHD, dyspraxia or neither of these.

After the assessment, you will be provided with a report which clearly states the outcome of the assessment and the diagnostic decision.

If you have dyslexia or a SpLD with characteristic traits of ADHD or dyspraxia, this is recognised as a disability under the 2010 Equality Act. As a result, you will be able to access reasonable adjustments for work or where you study, and government support schemes such as Access to Work and Disabled Students’ Allowance.

When you book a diagnostic asssessment, our Support team will discuss with you which type of diagnostic assessment best meets your needs, either:
– A dyslexia diagnostic assessment. 

– a diagnostic assessment for a specific learning difficulty with traits of either ADHD, dyscalculia or dyspraxia. 

There are different costs associated with these as they involve different types and amounts of testing.

If you book a diagnostic assessment for a specific learning difficulty with traits of ADHD or dyspraxia then the diagnostic assessment will cover dyslexia as well as any specific learning difficulties identified at the point of booking. 

If you book a dyslexia diagnostic assessment the diagnostic assessment will only cover dyslexia. However if based on your background questionnaire, your assessor thinks you might have traits of other specific learning difficulties (SpLD), such as ADHD or dyspraxia you may be offered the opportunity to pay a ‘top up’ fee and complete additional questionnaires and testing in order to assess for these as well.

It is your choice whether you chose to progress only a dyselxia diagnostic assessment, or to explore the possibility of other diagnoses too. Our support team can guide you through this and help answer any questions you may have.

Our diagnostic reports and needs assessment reports are not intended to be used in a court of law.

If you require the diagnostic report or needs assessment report for a tribunal, court case or immigration proceedings, you would require an expert witness which we cannot provide.

A workplace needs assessment provides clear, practical benefits for the whole organisation.

For the organisation

• Improves productivity and performance
• Strengthens legal compliance with the Equality Act
• Reduces sickness absence and turnover
• Helps identify cost-effective adjustments
• Supports an inclusive culture and positive employer brand

For line managers

• Gives clear, expert recommendations
• Reduces pressure and removes guesswork
• Supports early problem-solving
• Improves communication and working relationships across the team
• Ensures adjustments are realistic for the role and team

For employees

• Provides personalised strategies and adjustments
• Improves confidence, productivity, and wellbeing
• Increases understanding of strengths and working style
• Offers support without needing a diagnosis
• Creates a shared plan with their manager

The employee meets with a specialist assessor for 1.5–2 hours via video conference. Together they explore the impact of the employee’s diagnosis or potential diagnosis on workplace tasks such as communication, reading and writing, organisation, meetings, focus, time management, and wellbeing.

The conversation is relaxed and collaborative, with no tests. This is followed within 10 working days by a detailed report that outlines strategies that can be considered as potential reasonable adjustments.

A referral helps ensure an employee receives the right support quickly and legally. It provides managers with clarity, removes uncertainty around adjustments, and helps address challenges early.

It is particularly useful when an employee has a diagnosis, is awaiting assessment, or has raised concerns about their workload, environment, or wellbeing.

No. A diagnosis is not required. Support should be based on need rather than diagnosis, and many employees experience barriers long before formal assessment.

We can explore suspected neurodivergence or co-occurring conditions during the workplace needs assessment.

Over 20% of our clients who have a neurodivergent diagnosis have co-occurring conditions. Understanding the complex overlap between different neurodivergent diagnoses and mental health is an important part of empowering neurodivergence in the workplace.

We offer support across all different types of disability, as it is important to consider a holistic perspective of support and reasonable adjustments.

We have 10+ years of experience working with:

– ADHD
– Dyslexia
– Autism
– Dyspraxia
– Dyscalculia
– Mental health conditions
– Long-term health conditions
– Physical disabilities
– Hearing impairments
– Visual impairments

All of our needs assessments are unique to the individual, so you can be confident the recommendations take into account the holistic experience of the employee.

A workplace needs assessment is not a medical assessment. It focuses on day-to-day working strategies, strengths, and challenges rather than clinical opinions.

It provides practical, tailored recommendations for adjustments and tools, whereas Occupational Health assessments focus on fitness for work and medical considerations. Both services complement each other.

You can read more about the differences between the two types of assessment here.

No. A workplace needs assessment does not assess fitness for work. It identifies strategies and adjustments to help the employee perform effectively and productively in their role.

Fitness-for-work decisions remain within Occupational Health.

Appointments are typically available within 10 working days. The assessment lasts 1.5–2 hours, and the written report is usually provided within 10 working days after the session.

Recommendations vary but may include communication strategies, workload structuring, environmental changes, flexible working patterns, scheduling tools, AI and assistive technology, memory and organisation tools, wellbeing strategies, or adjustments to meetings and information processing.

No, our needs assessment reports can only recommend strategies and adjustments that could be considered as potential reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

It is up to the employer to decide what is reasonable to change. We make recommendations based on the employee’s needs as described to us in the workplace needs assessment, but these are not automatically agreed as ‘reasonable adjustments’ within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010. This is because the Equality Act 2010 currently leaves the responsibility of deciding what is ‘reasonable’ to each employer.

In the workplace pre-assessment form (that the line manager or HR representative has the option to complete in advance) there is the opportunity to share any reasonable adjustments or strategies that have already been tried, or any reasonable adjustments or strategies that would not be considered ‘reasonable’ by the employer (e.g working from home). These will then not be included in the report.

Many adjustments are free or low-cost. Where paid tools or technology are recommended, we will always suggest cost-effective or free alternatives where available.

Managers are not obligated to implement every option, recommendations are flexible and can be tailored to budget and operational needs.

If you have concerns on the potential cost of recommendations, you can share this with us in advance, and this can be taken into consideration in the assessment and report.

Yes. Our assessors aim to provide realistic, proportionate recommendations based on the specific role, team, environment, and budgetary information shared by the employer.

The aim is always to support performance while maintaining operational requirements. Please be sure to share any information on this in advance with the assessor via the pre-assessment form,

Our reports clearly highlight which suggestions can be considered as potential reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act. We explain the rationale behind each recommendation so you can make informed decisions that support both the employee and the organisation’s legal duties. However, it is up to the employer to decide what is reasonable to change.

If there are any reasonable adjustments or strategies that would not be considered ‘reasonable’ by the employer (e.g working from home), then please let us know in advance of the assessment. These will then not be included in the report.

If you are in any doubt about your legal responsibilities you should seek specific legal advice relevant to your circumstances. 

No, the assessment is a one-to-one session with the employee. This helps the employee speak openly and ensures the conversation remains focused on their experiences.

Managers and HR contribute via a pre-assessment form if they wish, and are fully involved in the implementation of recommendations afterwards.

Please get in touch for pricing and availability.

In most cases, the employer funds the workplace needs assessment and report as part of their duty to consider reasonable adjustments and support employee wellbeing. This also helps with legal compliance and proactive risk management.

Yes. We can provide follow-up coaching and consultation to help managers implement recommendations confidently. We can also provide manager training, as well as support wider team communication, adjustment planning, and strategy reviews.

Our assessors have extensive experience supporting neurodivergence, mental health conditions and disability across a range of sectors.

They hold a variety of specialist qualifications, understand co-occurring conditions, and have decades of combined experience, sometimes including lived experience. This ensures a sensitive, informed, and practical assessment.

A needs assessment lasts 1.5-2 hours. You can find out more about what happens in a needs assessment by clicking here.

You can book a needs assessment by clicking here or by contacting our friendly Support team on [email protected] or 0113 873 0770.

No, we don’t provide Access to Work assessments, however our assessments and recommendations can be taken into account when applying for Access to Work.

Our diagnostic assessments are accepted by Access to Work as evidence of dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia or dyscalculia. You can find out more about our diagnostic assessments by clicking here.

Access to Work is a government funded employment support programme. It provides funding to employers of Disabled people, where the adjustments required at work as a result of an employee’s disability would not be considered a ‘reasonable adjustment’.

We have worked with many employers who find the Access to Work process to be complex, time consuming and doesn’t meet their needs. As a result we have developed our more bespoke support services for employers designed to provide fast, tailored and effective support. We can recommend exploring the support available via Access to Work funding, particularly where the adjustments required for an employee are very expensive and would not be considered reasonable for your organisation.

Yes. Our reports provide detailed information about workplace barriers, strategies, and adjustments, which can support an Access to Work application. However, we do not complete Access to Work forms on behalf of the employee.

Yes. We offer both workplace and study-related needs assessments. Study needs assessments are suitable for individuals who need practical recommendations for studying, exams, or academic tasks and can support applications for reasonable adjustments or study-related support pathways.

Our diagnostic reports and needs assessment reports are not intended to be used in a court of law. If you require the diagnostic report or needs assessment report for a tribunal, court case or immigration proceedings, you would require an expert witness which we cannot provide.

Everyone has a different idea of what they want from coaching sessions, so we will ask your employee to provide some background on why they want coaching and what they are hoping to achieve with their sessions. This helps us to ensure the time we spend with them is tailored to their needs.

We aim to make this process as simple as possible, and we are always here to answer any questions you may have.

If you or your employee has had a needs assessment with us and you have specific questions, or are looking for follow-on support, get in touch with our friendly Support team by emailing [email protected] or calling 0330 133 9600 to discuss how we can help.

The most common package is for 6 sessions over 6 months, to allow a period of time to embed your employee’s strategies in the workplace.

Every employee has a different idea of what they want from follow-on sessions however, this is flexible and the number of coaching sessions your employee has with us will be based on your needs at the time.

The cost of each coaching session will depend on how many sessions you want to book. If you have had a needs assessment with us and are looking for follow-on support, get in touch with our friendly Support team on [email protected] or calling 0113 873 0770 to discuss what you need.

Coaching sessions are available for anyone who has already had a needs assessment with us. If you are looking for follow-on support, get in touch with our friendly support team on [email protected] or calling 0113 873 0770 to book your coaching.