DiSC, Psychometrics and Neurodiversity
What the research says, and what it doesn’t.
Organisations are asking better questions about neurodiversity than they were five years ago. One of those questions, increasingly, is how behavioural tools like Everything DiSC® interact with neurodivergent profiles. It is a reasonable concern and worth addressing directly, because the honest answer is more nuanced than either ‘DiSC works fine for everyone’ or ‘psychometric tools disadvantage neurodivergent people.’
What the research on DiSC and neurodiversity actually says
The research specific to DiSC and neurodivergent profiles is limited but not absent. Dr Matthew Scullard, Director of Innovation at Wiley, has written about the intersection of DiSC and conditions including ADHD, noting that people with ADHD may score differently on certain dimensions, particularly Conscientiousness, in ways that reflect how ADHD presents behaviourally rather than how the person actually leads or performs. Understanding that distinction matters when you are interpreting results with a team that includes neurodivergent members.
Read the Internal Change article on DiSC and neurodiversity
The broader point from Scullard’s perspective is one we share: DiSC is a tool for building self-awareness and improving how people work together, not a diagnostic instrument. Used with that intention, and with a facilitator who understands both the model and the neurodiversity context, it can be useful for neurodivergent individuals, particularly in giving them a shared language for explaining their working style to colleagues without having to disclose a diagnosis.
What broader research on psychometrics and neurodiversity tells us
Beyond DiSC specifically, there is a growing body of research on how neurodivergent individuals experience psychometric tools more generally.
A 2025 study by Clevry, conducted in collaboration with the University of Sussex Business School and the Digital Futures at Work Research Centre, involving both neurodivergent and neurotypical participants across cognitive reasoning and personality assessments, found broadly similar performance across both groups. In some cases, neurodivergent participants completed numerical and abstract reasoning tests faster than their neurotypical peers, which challenges the assumption that neurodivergent individuals automatically require additional time or adjustments.
The British Psychological Society has published specific guidance on neurodiversity and psychometric testing, covering practical adjustments, legal considerations, and how to support neurodivergent individuals through assessment processes.
Wiley’s own research journal has published work on neurodiversity in the workplace, including a 2024 paper in the journal Diversity and Inclusion Research which examines HR practices, selection processes, and the role of personality assessments with autistic candidates. The conclusion is careful: personality assessments can play a useful supporting role, but should not be used as screening tools in recruitment contexts involving autistic candidates.
Read the Wiley research on neurodiversity and HR practices
How we think about this at We Are Firestarter
We do not make claims that DiSC is optimised for neurodivergent profiles, because the evidence does not support that claim in any straightforward way. What we do believe, based on the research available and our own facilitation experience, is that behavioural tools used well, with skilled facilitation and a clear developmental rather than evaluative purpose, can be valuable for neurodivergent individuals and for the teams they work in.
In practice, that means we discuss the purpose and format of any assessment in advance with the commissioning organisation; we create space in debrief sessions for people to question or contextualise their results rather than taking them as fixed; and we are always willing to adapt our facilitation approach when a team includes neurodivergent members.
If neurodiversity is a significant consideration for your team, it is worth raising in the initial conversation. We will always be straightforward about what DiSC can and cannot do in that context.
Further reading
The Science Behind DiSC,Wiley at discprofile.com. The primary source on DiSC’s reliability and validity research.
How DiSC Helped Me Appreciate My Neurodiversity, Internal Change. Personal account drawing on Wiley’s own research on DiSC and ADHD.
Neurodiversity and Psychometric Testing, British Psychological Society. Practical guidance for practitioners and HR teams.
The Truth About Neurodiversity and Online Testing, Clevry, 2025. Summary of their research study comparing neurodivergent and neurotypical participants across psychometric assessments.
Neurodiversity in the Workplace: An Agenda for Research and Action, Wiley Diversity and Inclusion Research, 2024. Academic treatment of neurodiversity in HR and selection contexts.
The Neurodiversity Edge, Wiley, 2024. Practical guide for organisations wanting to build genuinely inclusive environments for neurodivergent talent.
If you are curious about how we use DiSC with your team, or how we think about neurodiversity in the context of our programmes, the ignition conversation is the right place to start.
If you are curious about how we use DiSC with your team, or how we think about neurodiversity in the context of our programmes, the ignition conversation is the right place to start.