28 July 2026
by Rab Armour
Families are being driven out of the workforce
Thousands of parents and carers of neurodivergent children are being forced to sacrifice careers, cut working hours and absorb the equivalent of a full-time job in unpaid care.
Campaigners claim this is because support systems are failing them, backed by a new survey from neurodiversity charity Salvesen Mindroom Centre.
The charity's national study found that delays in diagnosis, fragmented services and inconsistent support are driving many families out of the workforce, with 88% of respondents saying caring responsibilities have limited their career progression and four in five reporting a negative impact on household income.
The findings come from Holding It All Together: Workplace Experiences of Parents and Carers of Neurodivergent Children, based on responses from more than 250 parents and carers across Scotland and the UK in autumn 2025.
Supported by Baillie Gifford's Neurodiversity Network, the report argues that the greatest barriers to employment stem not from caring responsibilities alone but from gaps in health, education and family support.
The research found 98% of respondents said their experiences had negatively affected their mental health, while 55% provide at least 30 hours of unpaid care every week. Nearly three-quarters have changed their working patterns, with 58% reducing their hours, although many continue to hold senior positions, with 69% working in professional or management roles and 44% employed in hybrid roles.
The report concludes that parents and carers are paying the price for systems that fail to provide timely, coordinated support for neurodivergent children and their families.
Its publication coincides with Mindroom's 2025 Impact Report, which highlights a sharp rise in demand for the charity's services. During 2025 it supported 2,172 children, young people and families, received 1,801 new enquiries and has recorded a 309% increase in demand since 2020.
Aileen Shrimpton, Mindroom’s director of development, says: “Supporting parents and carers is not a niche issue. When support is delayed or inconsistent, families carry the consequences, and so do workplaces. This report provides a baseline for action.”
Gill Christie, chair of Baillie Gifford's employee-led Neurodiversity Network, said on behalf of the project team: “Parents and carers of neurodivergent children are still holding work, family life and overstretched systems together, often invisibly. The challenges described in this report arise not from them or their children, but from the fallout of systemic pressures outwith their control.”
Alan Thornburrow, chief executive of Mindroom (pictured above), said: “This research exposes an invisible workforce issue that has been hiding in plain sight. Parents and carers of neurodivergent children are not stepping back from work because they lack ambition or ability. They are doing so because they are carrying the consequences of delayed diagnoses, fragmented services and inadequate support systems.
“When skilled people reduce hours, turn down progression opportunities or leave employment altogether, families lose income, employers lose experienced staff, and the economy loses valuable talent. Supporting these families isn't simply a welfare issue, it's an economic one.”
Mindroom will unveil the full findings during an online launch event on 4 August, where it will discuss the implications for families, employers and policymakers and set out recommendations aimed at tackling the challenges identified by the research.
System is failing parents and carers of neurodivergent children - TFN
The above information is from a Third Force News (TFN) Weekly Social Justice and Poverty roundup Newsletter Tue 28/07/2026