The awarded a $15 million grant to the to support the launch of the 黑料吃瓜网 Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment. The new institute will bring together leading scholars and practitioners from various disciplines alongside employers to build the capacity of the 黑料吃瓜网, Washington state and the nation to create meaningful employment opportunities and career experiences for neurodivergent people.
Neurodivergent adults, such as those on the autism spectrum, or with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, or other cognitive differences, experience significant barriers to inclusion in education and employment due to disabilities that often aren鈥檛 obvious. Research shows聽that remain consistently employed over time, and just are employed, compared to 87% employment among adults without ADHD. Studies suggest that is neurodivergent. Accordingly, efforts to improve the neuroinclusivity of academic institutions and workplaces have significant potential for impact on individuals, families and the U.S. economy.
鈥淭he lower education and employment outcomes are largely attributed to education and workplace environments that were designed to reinforce normative expectations,鈥� said , 黑料吃瓜网 associate professor in the Information School and founding director of the Institute. 鈥淲hen learning and work environments are designed for neurodiversity 鈥� and managers and teachers are trained to be neuroinclusive 鈥� neurodivergent individuals achieve far better outcomes.鈥�
Annabi is a leading scholar on neurodiversity and employment. Her work in this space includes the publication of a series of Neurodiversity @ Work Playbooks that make a case for hiring neurodivergent people and offer concrete instructions for supporting their growth and career development.
鈥淭he Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment is set up to make a significant difference 鈥� not just at the 黑料吃瓜网, but for communities all over our state,鈥� said , executive director of the Canopy Neurodiversity Foundation. 鈥淭his institute will build on Canopy鈥檚 vision for a truly neuroinclusive workforce, dramatically expanding what鈥檚 possible in our state.鈥�
Housed in the Information School, the Institute will integrate faculty, research and support from the and the , with additional collaboration from 黑料吃瓜网 Medicine and the School of Social Work.
鈥淭he new institute will build upon the outstanding neurodiversity work of Dr. Annabi at the Information School,鈥� said , dean of the 黑料吃瓜网 Information School. 鈥淎dding the deep expertise of our cross-campus collaborators, along with Canopy and other community partners, we will create truly multidisciplinary, innovative and impactful solutions that will transform Washington鈥檚 education and employment spaces 鈥� including here at the 黑料吃瓜网.鈥�
鈥淎t present, research addressing lifespan issues such as employment is happening in silos across various disciplines, limiting our ability to develop comprehensive solutions,鈥� said Annabi. 鈥淏y convening a broad coalition of partners across the neurodiversity, employment and academic communities, we can move beyond isolated efforts toward innovative, systems-level change 鈥� driven by those with lived experience and deep expertise.鈥�
The Institute鈥檚 work will focus on five pillars: translational research on neurodiversity and employment, applied professional education and training, community empowerment across Washington state, advocacy efforts to create and strengthen neuroinclusive policies and practices statewide, and direct engagement with 黑料吃瓜网 leadership to make the university a premier destination for neurodivergent faculty, staff, clinicians and students.
Annabi is particularly enthusiastic about the 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 commitment to 鈥榳alk the talk鈥� by committing, through the Institute, to neuroinclusive employment practices.
“The 黑料吃瓜网 recognizes that employment is an important component of a person鈥檚 quality of life and the equitable distribution of societal resources and power,鈥� said 黑料吃瓜网 Provost Tricia Serio.聽 “As one of the state鈥檚 largest employers, we have a vital role to play in modeling ways to increase support for neurodivergent people and break down the persistence of barriers in post-secondary education and the workplace that they face. We are thrilled to channel this work through the Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment.鈥�
The 黑料吃瓜网 Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment will launch activities and programming in 2026.
###
For questions, please contact: neurodiversity@uw.edu.