The case for neuroinclusive workplaces is rooted in numbers—higher productivity, better retention and breakthrough innovation. But behind the data are real people whose lives and careers have been transformed by environments that embrace neuroinclusive design principles.

In Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces, HOK Director of Thought Leadership Kay Sargent weaves together first‑person stories and expert “Spotlight” interviews to show how inclusive design changes lives and drives business success. The following excerpts from the book highlight key voices and experiences that bring the research to life, revealing why neuroinclusive workplaces are no longer a trend but a necessity.

A few years ago, at IFMA’s World Workplace Conference in Nashville, a woman approached HOK’s Kay Sargent about the impact of her previous presentation on neurodiversity. Before attending that talk, she told Sargent she had been ready to fire a “problem” employee who, though highly intelligent with fresh insights, was disengaged and disruptive in meetings. “As I described the attributes of neurodivergent individuals—their amazing skills, the challenges they face and how they are often perceived as having behavioral issues—her internal alarm bells started to go off. She realized her colleague fit that description and they had not been addressing the situation the right way,” Sargent recalls.

The dismissal was halted. Simple adjustments—excusing him from non-essential meetings, recording sessions for later playback, allowing him to stand or write on a board during meetings and creating planned opportunities for input—turned a near exit into one of the team’s top performers. The episode proves that curiosity, not judgment, can convert potential attrition into untapped talent.

For Angelita Scott, PhD, director and community concept lead for the WELL Building Standard and WELL Equity Lead at the International Well Building Institute, neuroinclusion is both personal and professional. “I have a son on the autism spectrum,” she explains. “I always felt that when the time was right, I would use my work to advocate for him and other kids.”

That advocacy is gaining momentum through partnerships with HOK and others to explore neuroinclusive design. “Interior design has the power to change people’s lives, either negatively or positively,” Scott notes, pointing to standing-room-only workshops that show growing interest in this work. Through her work, she’s creating strategies to support neurodivergent people and give voice to marginalized populations.

Personal experience pushed Elizabeth Namugenyi, director for budget and business administration at the International Finance Corporation, to rethink an organization that has about 200 globally dispersed staff members. “Until about two years ago, I knew very little about neurodiversity,” she explains. “Then my daughters were diagnosed—one autistic, the other with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.” This led her to understand the daily challenges neurodivergent individuals face.

Namugenyi is now making IFC’s workplaces more accommodating to both neurodivergent and neurotypical staff, adding controllable quiet rooms and running a neurodivergent intern program that has enhanced team performance through attention to detail. The key, she says, is a test-and-learn mindset: “Let’s do what we always do. Let’s pilot something… It’s an evolution, not a revolution.”

Noise tops the list of sensory barriers, but it’s far from the only one, says Kristi Gaines, PhD, IIDA, IDEC, associate dean of the graduate school and professor in the Department of Design at Texas Tech University. “People actually need sensory stimulation,” she found after surveying more than 500 special education teachers who work with children on the autism spectrum about classroom environments. “The lack of stimuli was just as detrimental as too much sensory stimulation.”

Her prescription for offices emphasizes variety: “It’s not one-size-fits-all. It’s good to have flexibility, different types of spaces, and some private areas. But environments also need to be predictable.” Since 2015, she has focused on incorporating nature and natural elements, noting the crucial importance of natural light and views in supporting well-being.

Travis Hollman, CEO of the world’s largest manufacturer of locker solutions, learned early about misperceptions of neurodiversity. “She told me I was the dumbest kid she had ever taught,” recalls the dyslexic and ADHD entrepreneur about his third-grade teacher. Now he emphasizes the potential: “Many neurodivergent individuals have above-average intelligence… If you can get one person with half the brains or creativity of Steve Jobs, it can change your entire company.”

Hollman’s firm is developing personal work pods where users “can control everything—from the lighting to the temperature, the desk height, the tactile surfaces, and a door you can close.” These adaptable spaces help all workers thrive, and he sees bigger changes ahead: “Research shows that the neurodiverse can do an incredible amount of work in the right environment.”

From preventing an unnecessary termination to transforming a 200-office global organization, these experiences show how neuroinclusive design drives both human and business success. The payoff comes through better talent retention, enhanced productivity and breakthrough thinking that emerges when diverse cognitive styles are embraced.

When organizations move beyond accommodation to true inclusion—through evidence-based standards, flexible spaces and innovative solutions like Hollman’s adaptive pods—they unlock hidden potential. Neuroinclusive workplaces don’t just help people succeed; they help businesses win.

In this one-minute clip from a 2025 HOK “Up Next” discussion on LinkedIn, Sargent reflects on why neuroinclusive design isn’t about catering to a niche—it’s about creating spaces where everyone can thrive.