I’ve attended countless tech conferences where successful professionals share their career journeys, but rarely do these narratives include the profound impact of neurodivergence on navigating the industry. That’s why recent conversations about late-diagnosed autism and ADHD in tech have resonated with me so deeply.
The tech industry’s relationship with neurodivergence is complex and evolving. While companies increasingly recognize the unique perspectives and talents neurodivergent individuals bring, the path for those who receive diagnoses later in life remains challenging yet potentially illuminating.
Take the experience of a Microsoft engineer who recently shared her journey of receiving autism and ADHD diagnoses well into her career. Her story highlights a phenomenon becoming more visible in our industry: accomplished professionals discovering explanations for lifelong patterns only after establishing themselves in tech.
“Late diagnosis can be both validating and disorienting,” explains Dr. Rachel Nemeyer, neuropsychologist specializing in adult neurodevelopmental conditions. “There’s often a period of reexamining past experiences through this new lens, which can be emotionally complex but ultimately empowering.”
The Microsoft engineer described how certain aspects of her work came naturally—hyperfocusing on complex coding problems, detecting patterns others missed, and thinking outside conventional approaches. Yet she struggled with workplace norms that neurotypical colleagues seemed to navigate effortlessly.
According to a 2023 study in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, approximately 2.2% of software engineers receive autism diagnoses as adults. The number is even higher for ADHD, with nearly 4.8% of tech professionals discovering this neurotype after age 25.
What makes this particularly relevant is how these diagnoses can transform professional self-perception. Many report that understanding their neurological differences provides context for both their strengths and challenges.
I spoke with Taylor Chen, founder of Neurodivergent in Tech, who received dual diagnoses at age 31 after a decade as a database architect. “Everything suddenly had an explanation. The intense problem-solving abilities, the struggles with certain types of communication, the sensory issues in open offices—it wasn’t that I was failing at being ‘normal,’ but that I was operating with a different neurological operating system.”
Companies like Microsoft, IBM, and SAP have implemented neurodiversity hiring initiatives, recognizing the unique value these perspectives bring. However, these programs typically focus on individuals with established diagnoses, leaving those who discover their neurodivergence mid-career to navigate disclosure decisions and accommodation requests without clear precedent.
The revelation can prompt challenging questions: Should I disclose my diagnosis? Will this information recontextualize past workplace interactions? What accommodations might help me perform at my best?
“The tech industry has this paradoxical relationship with neurodiversity,” notes Dr. Maya Sampath from Stanford’s Center for Neurodiversity. “On one hand, many tech environments naturally reward abilities often associated with autism and ADHD—pattern recognition, hyperfocus, creative problem-solving. Yet the social expectations and workplace structures can create significant barriers.”
For women and people from underrepresented groups, late diagnosis comes with additional layers of complexity. Historical diagnostic criteria centered on male presentation patterns, leaving many women undiagnosed until adulthood. This diagnostic delay often means years of developing compensatory strategies that mask neurodivergent traits—a phenomenon psychologists call “camouflaging.”
The Microsoft engineer shared how she had learned to carefully script social interactions and manage sensory sensitivities through careful wardrobe choices and strategic positioning in the office—all while excelling in technical domains.
What makes these journeys particularly relevant to our industry is how they challenge our understanding of inclusion and workplace optimization. If talented engineers can reach senior levels while unknowingly navigating these additional challenges, what might be possible with appropriate support and accommodations?
Some tech companies are beginning to recognize this, creating resources for employees who receive mid-career diagnoses. These include connecting them with mentors who share similar neurotypes, providing education about workplace accommodations, and fostering neurodiversity employee resource groups.
The recognition of neurodiversity as a dimension of workplace identity represents an evolution in how we think about building inclusive tech environments. Rather than viewing accommodations as exceptions to standard practice, forward-thinking companies recognize them as optimizations that allow talented professionals to contribute at their highest potential.
As our industry continues its halting progress toward true inclusion, the experiences of late-diagnosed professionals offer valuable insights. They remind us that talent manifests in diverse neurological patterns, and that making space for these differences ultimately strengthens our capacity for innovation.
For those navigating their own late diagnosis journeys in tech, communities like Neurodivergent in Tech and ADHDinTech provide peer support and practical strategies. Most importantly, they offer reassurance that receiving these diagnoses doesn’t change who you are or what you’ve accomplished—it simply provides a more accurate map for the territory you’ve already been navigating.
As the conversation around neurodiversity in tech continues to evolve, these perspectives enrich our understanding of what it means to build truly inclusive environments where diverse minds can thrive. And that, ultimately, is how our industry will develop technologies that serve the full spectrum of human experience.
