Neurodivergent-Friendly Planning

Standard maternity guidance assumes everyone is starting from the same place. This section is about making maternity leave and your return work for your brain, not expecting you to fit yourself into the standard process. Take what's useful here and leave the rest.

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If You Already Have Adjustments in Place

You don't need to start again from scratch. The priority is making sure the support you've already put in place doesn't get lost while you're away.

Before you go

Get your existing adjustments confirmed in writing. Don't assume that because something has been working, it'll automatically still be there when you return, managers change, teams restructure, people forget. It might feel unnecessary because you've already agreed them. Do it anyway.

How Contact Will Work While You're on Leave

Maternity leave doesn't have to mean being completely out of contact, but you should know what contact will look like. If unexpected calls or vague messages are difficult to manage, say so before you leave. This isn't about making your employer jump through hoops; it's about removing unnecessary uncertainty. Tick what would help.

Before You Return

Ask for the return-to-work meeting agenda in advance, and ask specifically what has changed while you've been away, your role, team, manager, working location, systems, responsibilities. "Nothing much has changed" might be reassuring, but it doesn't tell you much if you need time to process change. Ask for the detail. Knowing what you're walking back into can make the difference between feeling prepared and feeling completely overwhelmed.

Don't wait until your first day back to start thinking about support. If appropriate, you can ask your employer about an Occupational Health referral before you return, this can give you time to understand what support may help and what adjustments could be considered. You may also be eligible for support through Access to Work, depending on your circumstances. The earlier you start these conversations, the more chance you have of having support in place before you're back in the middle of everything. You shouldn't have to spend your first week back figuring out how to make work manageable, the goal is to work that out before you get there.

If This Is New, or You're Still Working It Out

You may already have a diagnosis and know exactly what helps. Or you may be starting to recognise yourself in the description of neurodivergence and thinking, "maybe this explains quite a lot." You don't have to have everything worked out before you go on leave. Pregnancy and early motherhood can expose difficulties that were previously manageable, more trouble with organisation, sensory overload, processing information, or recovering from overwhelm. If you're noticing this for the first time, it doesn't mean you're failing. It may simply mean the demands have changed.

The First Decision: Do You Disclose?

This is entirely personal, there isn't one right answer. Disclosing can open up formal support and reasonable adjustments, but it can also feel exposing, especially if you're unsure how it'll be received. Don't disclose simply because you think you should, and don't avoid it simply because you think asking for support makes you difficult. These prompts are just to help you think it through, not to point you either way.

If You Decide to Disclose

Be specific about what you need. Specific requests are much easier for an employer to understand and act on.

Instead of: "I might need a bit of flexibility when I come back."
Try: "I would benefit from having meeting agendas sent in advance and receiving important instructions in writing."
Or: "I would benefit from a phased return with agreed days, hours and responsibilities."

If You're Not Ready to Disclose, or Choose Not To

You can still ask for practical things that make your return easier, without explaining everything about why you need them: a written return-to-work plan, the meeting agenda in advance, information about changes to your role or team, a clear phased-return plan, written confirmation of hours and responsibilities, time to process significant changes before they take effect. You don't have to attach a label to every request. Sometimes the most useful adjustment is simply more certainty and less unnecessary ambiguity.

Adjustments You Can Ask For

You won't need all of these, think about what would make the biggest difference to you, and tick those.