Workplace Accommodations for ADHD and Autism

Key points

A reasonable accommodation is a change in how things are normally done at work, and you can ask for one in plain language at any time.
What matters under the law is how much a condition limits daily activities such as concentrating or communicating, not the name of the diagnosis alone.
When the need is not obvious, an employer may ask for reasonable documentation, but in most situations not for your complete medical records.
Employers must keep information about an accommodation request confidential, including from coworkers.
No letter or evaluation can promise an accommodation: the employer decides under the law.

What a reasonable accommodation is

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law. Its employment rules apply to employers that have 15 or more employees. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency that enforces those rules, describes a reasonable accommodation as a change in the way things are normally done at work that enables a person to do a job, apply for a job, or have equal access to a job's benefits.

This article is general information drawn from EEOC and ADA.gov pages. It is not legal advice. For a question about your own situation, the EEOC or an employment attorney is the right place to ask.

Do ADHD and autism count as disabilities under the ADA?

ADA.gov says a person with a disability is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a history or record of such an impairment, or is perceived by others as having one. Major life activities include thinking, concentrating, learning, reading, communicating and working.

Autism appears on ADA.gov's list of examples of disabilities, along with post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder. ADHD is not named on the pages we cite. That does not settle the question either way, because ADA.gov is clear that the regulations do not list every disability and that many others are covered.

What counts is the effect of the condition on the person. The EEOC says a mental health condition does not need to be permanent or severe to be substantially limiting. It may qualify by making activities more difficult, uncomfortable or time-consuming compared with the way most people do them. If symptoms come and go, what matters is how limiting they are when present. ADA.gov adds that not every condition will meet the standard.

Examples of accommodations the EEOC lists

The EEOC stresses that these are only examples.

Altered break and work schedules, such as scheduling work around therapy or medical appointments
Quiet office space, or devices that create a quiet work environment
Changes in supervisory methods, such as written instructions or breaking tasks into smaller parts
Specific shift assignments
Permission to work from home
Time off for treatment
Removing a non-essential job function that a person cannot perform because of a disability
Reassignment to a vacant position the employee can perform, when the current job can no longer be done

How to ask for an accommodation

On timing, the EEOC notes that you may ask at any time. Because an employer does not have to excuse poor job performance, even when a medical condition caused it, the agency says it is generally better to ask before problems occur or get worse.

Tell the right personThe EEOC's advice is simple: ask. Tell a supervisor, an HR manager or another appropriate person that you need a change at work because of a medical condition.
Use your own wordsEEOC guidance says you may use plain English and do not need to mention the ADA or use the phrase "reasonable accommodation." The request does not have to be in writing, although your employer may ask you to fill out a form or confirm it in writing.
Describe the problemYou do not need to have a particular accommodation in mind, but you do need to describe the difficulty you are running into at work. You can also ask for something specific.
Expect a conversationThe EEOC calls what follows an informal, interactive process. Your employer may ask relevant questions about your limitations so that it can identify a change that works.

When an employer can ask for documentation, and what kind

According to EEOC guidance, when the disability or the need for accommodation is not obvious, the employer may ask for reasonable documentation about the disability and its functional limitations.

Reasonable has limits. The EEOC says an employer may require only what is needed to establish that a person has an ADA disability and that the disability makes an accommodation necessary. In most situations it cannot ask for your complete medical records. It also cannot ask for documentation when you have already given it enough information to support the request.

The EEOC says an employer may require that documentation come from an appropriate health care or rehabilitation professional. Its list includes, but is not limited to, doctors, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists and licensed mental health professionals. If you would rather not share your specific diagnosis, the EEOC says a more general description, such as "an anxiety disorder," may be enough.

What the EEOC says helpful documentation explains

The provider's qualifications and the nature and length of their relationship with you
The nature of the condition, stated specifically or in general terms
How the condition limits activities such as concentrating, communicating or interacting with others
Why a change at work is needed, tied to particular job duties
A suggested accommodation, if the provider knows of one that would be effective

Privacy, and the limits of the law

The EEOC states that employers are required to keep all information related to accommodation requests confidential. An employer may not tell coworkers that you are receiving an accommodation, because that usually reveals that you have a disability. You remain free to tell coworkers yourself if you choose.

There are limits on the other side too. An employer does not have to provide an accommodation that involves significant difficulty or expense. If more than one accommodation would work, the employer may choose which one to provide. It does not have to excuse a failure to meet production standards that apply to everyone. And if the need is not obvious and a person refuses to provide the reasonable documentation requested, EEOC guidance says that person is not entitled to the accommodation.

The EEOC also says an employer cannot legally fire you because you asked for an accommodation, and cannot charge you for its cost.

How we can help

Start by asking your employer exactly what documentation it wants and who must sign it. A short letter from a provider who already treats you may be all that is needed. If you have never been evaluated, an evaluation is one way to get a careful written account.

Locascio Wellness offers an ADHD evaluation, an autism evaluation and a disability evaluation, which looks at how a condition affects daily life and work. A report describes what was found, whatever that is. We cannot predict what an evaluation will find, and we cannot promise that an employer will accept a report or grant a request. That decision belongs to your employer.

Evaluations are carried out by secure video for people physically located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia or Arizona. They are private-pay, with a sliding scale available: see what evaluations cost. The first step is the short evaluation request form or a free 15-minute consultation, which you can schedule on our booking page.

Therapy is a separate service. If work itself has become a source of stress, our career counseling page describes ongoing support. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. Locascio Wellness does not provide emergency services.

Asking for a change that lets you do your job well is an ordinary, reasonable thing to do.

Common questions

Do I have to tell my employer my diagnosis to get an accommodation?

You need to say that you need a change at work because of a medical condition. If your employer asks for documentation and you do not want it to know your specific diagnosis, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says it may be enough to provide documentation that describes the condition more generally. The employer must keep what you share confidential, including from coworkers.

Can my employer ask for all of my medical records?

In most situations, no. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance says an employer may require only the documentation needed to establish that you have a disability under the ADA and that it makes an accommodation necessary. Complete medical records are likely to contain unrelated information.

Does an evaluation report mean my employer has to give me an accommodation?

No. An evaluation describes what was found and how a condition affects you. Your employer decides whether to provide an accommodation and which one, under the law and its own process. We cannot promise that any employer will accept a report or act on it. Ask your employer what it needs before you book anything, and share that with us.

Do I need a full evaluation to ask for an accommodation?

Not necessarily. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says an employer may ask for a letter from your health care provider documenting that you have a condition and need an accommodation because of it. If someone already treats you, that may be the simplest route. Find out what your employer wants first, then decide. Our psychological evaluations page explains the options we offer.

Sources

Published by Locascio Wellness. Published October 13, 2026. Clinically reviewed by Anthony Locascio, PsyD, LPC. This page is general information, not medical advice or a diagnosis.

Workplace Accommodations for ADHD, Autism and Mental Health Conditions: How to Ask