Neurodiversity Celebration Week prompted a range of corporate statements this March, but Josh Hough's argument stands apart because it comes from direct experience rather than an HR playbook.
Hough, founder of Sussex-based home care software firm CareLineLive, was born with a rare muscle-weakening condition and spent much of his early life in a wheelchair. He said the experience fundamentally shaped how he approaches problem-solving.
When you grow up having to do things differently, you don't assume the standard way is the best way. That carries through into business.
Different thinking as competitive advantage
His contention is that the traits frequently associated with neurodiversity, including intense focus, pattern recognition and non-linear problem-solving, are becoming more valuable as AI reshapes the workplace, not less. At a time when businesses are racing to adopt new technology, he argues many employers are overlooking a highly capable talent pool by screening for conventional profiles.
A lot of businesses still want people who tick every box. The reality is, people who think differently often solve problems differently. In a world where everything is changing quickly, that's a real advantage. You need people who don't just follow a process, but can see a better way of doing things.
CareLineLive's growth
CareLineLive, which launched in 2014, now works with more than 700 home care providers across multiple countries, with its software used by over 25,000 carers. The platform manages staff scheduling, patient records and communication between families and healthcare professionals. Hough said one of the persistent challenges in the care sector remains the flow of information between services. "Too often, information doesn't move between people in the way it should," he said. "That creates risk and wastes time."
The broader point has some evidence behind it. Research from the CIPD and others has consistently found that neurodiverse employees can outperform neurotypical peers in roles requiring sustained attention, data analysis and systematic thinking. The gap is less about capability than about hiring processes and workplace environments that were designed around a narrow definition of what a productive employee looks like.
Hough's message to employers is blunt: "Not everyone is going to fit a traditional mould. But that doesn't mean they can't be excellent at what they do. If anything, in the current environment, thinking differently is exactly what businesses need."
