How it works
Scroll through the findings
At each finding, the people it counts move to the middle of their group and fill in. Everyone else stays as an outline. The labels above the groups name who is being compared each time.
The unseen cost of neurodivergenceBarriers beyond the learning environment
Each visualisation on this page compares two illustrative groups of 100These groups are proportionally scaled representations of the referenced statistics. They do not represent real groups of specific people. people. On the left, 100 neurodivergent people. On the right, 100 people representing the general populationEach finding names the group its study compared against. For some findings this is the general population, and for others it is a narrower group, such as non-autistic adults or other children. The contextual statistics below give estimates for the general population..
Contextual statistics: click or tap to expand.
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Published estimates put neurodivergent people at about 15 to 20 in 100 people.
Source: Thompson and Miller, 2024, CIPD, Neuroinclusion at work
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About 1 in 100 adults in England are autistic: 1.8 in 100 men and 0.2 in 100 women.
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1.6 in 100 males and 0.9 in 100 females in England had a recorded ADHD diagnosis in 2024/25.
Source: NHS England, ADHD management information, November 2025
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In 2025, 41,285 pupils had autism and 39,036 pupils had dyslexia recorded as a reason for support.
Source: Scottish Government, Pupil census supplementary statistics 2025
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1.7 in 100 children aged 7 met the diagnostic criteria, and about 3 in 100 more met broader criteria.
Source: Lingam et al., 2009, Pediatrics
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Across five datasets of 641,860 people, transgender and gender-diverse people reported higher rates of autism and other neurodevelopmental diagnoses than cisgender people.
Trauma, barriers and the social model
“autistic people may be more likely to experience traumatic life events”National Autistic Society, professional practice
Many of the events autistic people report as traumatic come from their surroundings.
- Bullying
- Abuse
- Sensory events
- Changes of routine
- Social misunderstanding
Each of these comes from how other people behave, or from how places and routines are set up. Those are the barriers around a person.
The social model of disability
The British sociologist Michael Oliver (1990) named the social model of disability. It places the barrier in the setting around a person: in how places, information, services and routines are designed, and in how other people respond. A characteristic, such as reading slowly or noticing sound strongly, belongs to the person.
The barrier is a design decision, and a design decision can change.
Trauma-informed practice
Scotland's National Trauma Transformation Programme describes being trauma informed like this.
“Being able to recognise when someone may be affected by trauma, collaboratively adjusting how we work to take this into account and responding in a way that supports recovery, does no harm and recognises and supports people's resilience.”
It applies to everyone in a group, whether or not anyone has shared their history.
Source: National Trauma Transformation Programme, NHS Education for Scotland
What the findings show
The findings below describe outcomes in work, healthcare, trauma, childhood, length of life and suicide. The studies link these outcomes to depression, to support that people needed and did not receive, and to healthcare that was difficult to get. The UK ADHD researchers describe the risk factors as modifiable, which means they can change.
That link between trauma and barriers is why trauma-informed practice is fundamental to the Learning Access Toolkit.
A session designed to be predictable, to offer choice and to avoid further harm may help the people who need it most, without anyone having to tell you anything.
Content note
Two findings on this page are about suicide.
They are covered until you choose to show them, and you can scroll past them. Every finding, including those two, is also written out in full at the end of the page.
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100 neurodivergent people
100 people in the comparison group
Work
In paid work: 21 against 58
In Scotland's 2011 census, 21 in 100 autistic adults were in paid work. For all adults in Scotland, the figure was 58 in 100.
That is 37 fewer people in paid work, in every 100.
Fifteen months after graduating, autistic graduates are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled graduates.Buckland Review of Autism Employment, 2024
Source: Rydzewska et al., Scotland's Census 2011 · Buckland Review of Autism Employment, 2024
Healthcare
Find it difficult to visit a GP: 80 against 37
80 in 100 autistic adults said they found it difficult to visit a GP. For non-autistic adults, the figure was 37 in 100.
That is 43 more people who find it difficult, in every 100.
In the same survey, 72 in 100 autistic adults found it difficult to decide whether a symptom was worth a visit. 53 in 100 found it difficult to communicate with their doctor.
Source: Doherty et al., 2022, BMJ Open
Trauma
Probable PTSD after trauma: 45 against about 5
Among autistic adults who had experienced a traumatic event, 45 in 100 met the threshold for probable PTSD. For non-autistic adults, the figure was about 5 in 100.
That is about 40 more people, in every 100.
“autistic people may be more likely to experience traumatic life events”National Autistic Society, professional practice
Autistic people report bullying and abuse as traumatic. They also report sensory events, changes of routine and social misunderstanding. Each of those three can happen during a session, which is one reason the design of a session matters here.
Source: Rumball, Happé and Grey, 2020, Autism Research · National Autistic Society, professional practice
Childhood
Four or more adverse childhood experiences: 18 against 7
18 in 100 children with ADHD had four or more adverse childhood experiences. For other children, the figure was 7 in 100.
That is 11 more children, in every 100.
Years of life
Up to 14.6 years of life lost
UK health records show that adults diagnosed in these groups die younger, on average, than other adults. Each square is one year of life lost.
- Autistic women with a learning disability: about 14.6 years
- Women diagnosed with ADHD: about 9 years
- Men diagnosed with ADHD: about 7 years
- Autistic men with a learning disability: about 7 years
- Autistic adults without a learning disability: about 6 years
The ADHD researchers name risk factors that can change, and support and treatment that people needed and did not receive.
Source: O'Nions et al., 2024, Lancet Regional Health Europe · O'Nions et al., 2025, British Journal of Psychiatry
Content note
The next two findings are about suicide.
They are covered until you choose to show them. You can scroll past them.
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Suicide
Have thought about suicide: 66 against 17
66 in 100 adults newly diagnosed with Asperger's had thought about suicide. In the general population, the figure was 17 in 100.
That is 49 more people, in every 100.
Suicide
Have attempted suicide: 11 against 3
11 in 100 adults with dyslexia or another learning disorder had attempted suicide. For other adults, the figure was 3 in 100. Among women, the figures were 17 in 100 and 3 in 100.
That is 8 more people, in every 100.
The higher rate remained after accounting for depression, ADHD, childhood adversity and income.
In Danish and Swedish records, diagnosed autistic people died by suicide at three to seven times the rate of the general population.
Source: Fuller-Thomson et al., 2018, Journal of Learning Disabilities · Kõlves et al., 2021, JAMA Network Open
Corrections
Figures the studies do not support
These figures are often repeated. The research does not support them in the form they are usually quoted.
“Autistic people die 16 years earlier”The 16 years comes from a 2016 Swedish study. It is based on the average age at death of the 2.6% of autistic people who died during the study, which is a different measure from life expectancy. A 2025 analysis found that 70% of the papers citing the study read the figure wrongly.“ADHD costs 12.7 years of life”This estimate came from a life expectancy calculator applied to 131 people. The UK records of 30,039 adults give about 7 years for men and 9 for women.“5% of autistic adults marry”Nobody has traced this figure to a study.
Source: Hand et al., 2025, JAMA Network Open · Barkley and Fischer, 2019 · Power et al., 2013, JAMA Psychiatry
What the studies point to
The studies link these outcomes to factors that can change
The studies on this page link these outcomes to depression, to support that people needed and did not receive, and to healthcare that was difficult to get. The UK ADHD researchers describe the risk factors as modifiable, which means they can change.
After the findings
The design of a session can change.
The sessions you design are part of the setting a learner meets, and you can change them.
A single change may make a session more predictable for everyone in it, including people who have not told you about their experiences. Before you close this page:
- Choose one barrier you have seen in your own sessions.
- Read the Barrier Brief for that barrier in the Learning Access Toolkit.
- Make one change for the whole group, whether or not anyone has asked for it.
- Write the change down, and look at it again after your next few sessions.
If any of these findings is about you or someone close to you: Samaritans 116 123 · Breathing Space (Scotland) 0800 83 85 87 · text SHOUT to 85258 · 999 in an emergency.
Every finding in full
The complete set of findings, written out, including the suicide findings. Each finding gives what it measured and its source.
Trauma
45 in 100 met the threshold for probable PTSD
Autistic adults who had experienced trauma and met the threshold for current probable PTSD: 45 in 100, against about 5 in 100 non-autistic adults. 61 in 100 had met the threshold at some point in their lives.
So an autistic adult in this study was 10 times as likely as a non-autistic adult to meet the threshold for PTSD.
Events autistic people report as traumatic
Autistic people report bullying and abuse as traumatic. They also report sensory events, changes of routine, social misunderstanding, and the loss of a person or of support.
18 in 100 had four or more adverse childhood experiences
Children with ADHD who had four or more adverse childhood experiences: 18 in 100, against 7 in 100 other children.
So a child with ADHD was 2.6 times as likely as a child without ADHD to have four or more adverse childhood experiences.
Work
21 in 100 were in paid work
Autistic adults in Scotland who were in paid work: 21 in 100, against 58 in 100 of all adults in Scotland.
So an adult in Scotland was 2.8 times as likely to be in paid work as an autistic adult.
31 in 100 were long-term sick or disabled
Autistic adults in Scotland recorded as long-term sick or disabled: 31 in 100.
22 in 100, the lowest of any disability group
Autistic disabled people in employment in the UK: 22 in 100. That rate was the lowest of any disability group in the release.
Healthcare
80 in 100 found it difficult to visit a GP
Autistic adults who reported difficulty visiting a GP: 80 in 100, against 37 in 100 non-autistic adults.
So an autistic adult was 2.2 times as likely as a non-autistic adult to report difficulty visiting a GP.
Source: Doherty et al., 2022, BMJ Open
53 in 100 found it difficult to communicate with their doctor
Autistic adults who reported difficulty communicating with their doctor: 53 in 100.
Source: Doherty et al., 2022, BMJ Open
72 in 100 found it difficult to decide whether to go
Autistic adults who reported difficulty deciding whether a symptom was worth a visit: 72 in 100.
Source: Doherty et al., 2022, BMJ Open
Alongside autism
42 in 100 had had an anxiety disorder
Autistic adults who had had an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives: 42 in 100.
37 in 100 had had depression
Autistic adults who had had depression at some point in their lives: 37 in 100.
About 50 in 100 found it difficult to name their own feelings
Autistic people with alexithymia, which is difficulty naming their own feelings: about 50 in 100, against about 5 in 100 of other people.
So an autistic person was 10 times as likely as a person who is not autistic to have difficulty naming their own feelings.
28 in 100 also had ADHD
Autistic people who also had ADHD: 28 in 100. In the same analysis, 20 in 100 had an anxiety disorder, 13 in 100 had a sleep disorder and 11 in 100 had depression.
Years of life
About 6 years of life lost
Autistic adults without a learning disability lost about 6 years of life. Their death rate was 1.71 times that of adults without these diagnoses.
About 7 years of life lost
Autistic men with a learning disability lost about 7 years of life.
About 14.6 years of life lost
Autistic women with a learning disability lost about 14.6 years of life, which was the largest gap in the study.
About 7 years of life lost
Men diagnosed with ADHD lost about 7 years of life. The authors name modifiable risk factors, which are risk factors that can change, and support and treatment needs that were not met.
About 9 years of life lost
Women diagnosed with ADHD lost about 9 years of life.
Treatment and prison
23 in 100 people in treatment for substance use have ADHD
People in treatment for substance use who have ADHD: 23 in 100 of the people in treatment.
Twice the rate of substance use problems
Autistic people without ADHD or a learning disability had substance use problems at twice the rate of the general population. The rate was highest where autism and ADHD occurred together.
Source: Butwicka et al., 2017
Around half of the prison population
People in prison in England and Wales who may be neurodivergent: around 50 in 100.
Source: Criminal Justice Joint Inspection, 2021, via the MoJ Neurodiversity Action Plan
Family
About a quarter as many children
Autistic men had about a quarter as many children as the general population. Autistic women had about half as many.
More likely to have a child, and younger
Adults with ADHD in Finland were more likely to have a first child, and to have one at a younger age.
Grief
What autistic adults describe after a bereavement
Autistic adults described sensory changes, more masking, shutdown and meltdown after a bereavement, and a risk of burnout.
Source: Pang, 2023, Middlesex University
Suicide
66 in 100 had thought about suicide
Adults newly diagnosed with Asperger's who had thought about suicide: 66 in 100, against 17 in 100 in the general population.
So a newly diagnosed adult was 3.9 times as likely as an adult in the general population to have thought about suicide.
11 in 100 had attempted suicide
Adults with dyslexia or another learning disorder who had attempted suicide: 11 in 100, against 3 in 100 of other adults. Among women, the figures were 17 in 100 and 3 in 100.
So an adult with dyslexia was 4.1 times as likely as an adult without dyslexia to have attempted suicide.
Source: Fuller-Thomson et al., 2018, Journal of Learning Disabilities
Three to seven times the rate
Suicide among diagnosed autistic people in Danish and Swedish records was three to seven times the rate of the general population.
More than three times the odds
Children and teenagers with ADHD had more than three times the odds of suicidal behaviour.
About twice the rate at age 16
Young people with social communication difficulties self-harmed with suicidal intent at about twice the rate at age 16, in a study of 5,031 young people.
Source: Culpin et al., 2018, JAACAP
Corrections
The 54-year figure is an average age at death
“Autistic people die 16 years earlier.” The claim comes from a 2016 Swedish study, which reported the average age at death of the 2.6% of autistic people who died during the study. That figure is an average age at death, and life expectancy is a different measure.
12.7 years came from a calculator
“ADHD costs 12.7 years of life.” That estimate came from a life expectancy calculator applied to 131 people.
Source: Barkley and Fischer, 2019
No traceable source
“5% of autistic adults marry” and “2.8 times more likely to divorce”. Both figures are widely repeated, and nobody has traced either of them to a source.
Twice as likely to be unemployed after graduating
“It comes down to qualifications.” Fifteen months after graduating, autistic graduates are twice as likely as non-disabled graduates to be unemployed.
The studies link the harm to factors that can change
“These outcomes come with the condition.” The studies link the harm to depression, unmet support needs and difficulty getting healthcare.
Support: Samaritans 116 123 · Breathing Space (Scotland) 0800 83 85 87 · text SHOUT to 85258 · 999 in an emergency.