What our 2024 Individual Member Survey Taught Us: Part 1

Understanding the People Behind the Numbers: Demographics and Neurodiversity in the GAIN Community

As we open our newest GAIN member survey, we’re reflecting on what we learned from last year’s data – and how we can build on it together.

Our 2024 survey gave us a valuable snapshot of who makes up the GAIN community and what their experiences tell us about inclusion, identity and neurodiversity in the workplace.

This year, we’re aiming to go even bigger and deeper, with more members taking part so we can explore patterns in greater detail and with even stronger accuracy.

What the Data Shows

In last year’s survey, the majority of GAIN members were mid-career professionals aged between 35 and 54 – a working-age population rich in experience and insight. Many respondents were both navigating their own neurodivergent identities and supporting neurodivergent family members.

Two-thirds of respondents identified as women, with around 5% identifying as nonbinary. Around 80% of members identified as neurodivergent or as part of a neurominority, while 31% said they belong to at least one other marginalised community – most commonly LGBTQ+.

We also asked members to tell us more about their neurotype, and saw a wide range of responses, from autism and ADHD to dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Though our sample size limited how deeply we could analyse some patterns, certain gender differences stood out. For example, nonbinary respondents were more represented among those with PTSD or C-PTSD, while all respondents reporting dysgraphia or dyscalculia identified as women.

What We’re Learning

These findings continue to reinforce a vital truth: neurodiversity intersects with every aspect of identity. It’s influenced by gender, race, sexuality, disability, and lived experience.

Neurodivergent voices from all backgrounds must be heard, supported and platformed with the same respect and visibility as any other group.

It’s not enough to say our work is intersectional – we must show it. By gathering richer, broader data, we can better understand how experiences differ across our community and design more inclusive, responsive initiatives in the future.

We also saw echoes of wider research around gender and neurodivergent diagnosis, with women often being diagnosed later or overlooked entirely for conditions such as autism and ADHD. Our results reflect this pattern and underline the continued need for awareness, education and visibility across all neurotypes.

Why It Matters for Organisations

For employers, the message is clear: inclusion can’t stop at surface-level understanding. Every employee’s experience is shaped by their full identity – by every layer of who they are. Recognising this complexity is key to creating workplaces where everyone feels seen, safe and valued.

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) such as LGBTQ+, women’s or disability networks are essential, but they shouldn’t operate in silos. The most meaningful change often happens at the intersections – where collaboration between groups uncovers shared challenges and opportunities. Proactive joint initiatives, cross-ERG communication, and inclusive event planning should be the norm, not the exception.

And perhaps most importantly, organisations must understand that psychological safety isn’t built on disclosure. Many employees won’t feel comfortable sharing parts of their identity – and they shouldn’t have to. Instead, leaders should strive to create cultures that make space for difference without requiring explanation or justification.

Looking Ahead – and Getting Involved

We’re deeply grateful to everyone who took part in last year’s survey. Your openness, honesty and shared experiences have helped us shape the future of GAIN’s work and deepen our understanding of the neurodivergent community.

Now, as our new survey goes live, we’re inviting even more voices to join in. The larger and more diverse our participation, the clearer and more powerful our insights will be.

If you’re a member of the GAIN community, or part of a neurodivergent or neurominority group, please take part in this year’s survey – and encourage others to do the same. Together, we can continue building a fuller, richer picture of who we are and how we can drive lasting change.

👉 Take the 2025 GAIN Survey here