A world-first mental health toolkit to support neurodiverse employers

A key focus of the DXC Dandelion Program is continuing to improve how we support and sustain neurodiverse workforces. Since its inception, the program has helped over 200 neurodiverse people obtain work in Australia, and has contributed to global research with the U.S., U.K., and Israel – providing open-source program materials through Cornell University. Today, more than 600 organisations across 91 countries have downloaded DXC Dandelion Program reference materials.

Continuing on this path, DXC teamed up with the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) at La Trobe University, and ANZ Bank, to develop a world-first toolkit to assist workplaces to support the mental health of autistic employees.

A summary of the toolkit, ‘Supporting a Neurodiverse Workforce: A Mental Health and Well-Being Resource and Training Package’ is available for download through La Trobe University.

OTARC Director and Chair Professor Cheryl Dissanayake said the material provides an overview of autism and autism-friendly work environments, along with evidence-based strategies to promote mental health and wellbeing, with specific information on mental health and autism.

“I hope the toolkit will both support the mental health of autistic employees but also build the sustainability of autism employment initiatives such as DXC Technology’s Dandelion Program, and ANZ’s Spectrum Program. These two large organisations determined that a mental health toolkit to support autists was needed, and enlisted OTARC to partner in its development.”

DXC Dandelion Program Executive Michael Fieldhouse said: “The toolkit was co-designed with people on the autism spectrum with lived experience and their support workers, co-workers and managers, as well as leading academics from Stanford University, amongst others. DXC has always had the intention of scaling the impact of the program, helping global audiences benefits from what we are achieving locally.”