Canberra start-up awarded for helping neurodivergent employees produce their best work
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ELEV8 Consulting received the Innovation in Return to Work Award from the Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association for Clear Path – a workplace support program designed to turn neurodiversity awareness into practical, role-specific strategies.
Developed by ELEV8 founder Susie Irvine after more than a decade working across workers compensation, injury management, redeployment and vocational counselling, Clear Path was created for employees who need more than general wellbeing support but do not necessarily require psychological treatment or traditional rehabilitation.
Early outcome data shows 100 per cent of participants improved their overall work functioning, with an average improvement of about 35 per cent. Managers who took part in the program’s Manager Assist component also reported increased confidence in supporting neurodivergent employees.
Susie says many workplaces were still built around “one expected way” of processing information, communicating and managing competing demands.
“For neurodivergent employees, this can mean using significant energy simply to navigate the way work is structured, rather than being able to focus that energy on the skills and contribution they bring to their role,” she says.
ELEV8 founder Susie Irvine with Blaire Sayers, Strategic Growth and Operations Manager at the award ceremony
She says meaningful adjustments were not always large or costly, and could include clearer written instructions, more structure around priorities, meeting agendas provided in advance or accessible ways to ask for clarification.
“The key is understanding the individual employee and translating their needs into practical strategies that work within their actual role,” Susie says.
Clear Path supports functional workplace needs including executive functioning, planning, prioritisation, task initiation, organisation, attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, communication and emotional regulation. It can also inform an Australian Public Service Reasonable Adjustment Passport or another structured workplace adjustment plan.
The program uses a multidisciplinary model, with input from neurodiversity-trained counsellors and speech pathologists where communication, processing or executive functioning needs are affecting work. Its Manager Assist stream helps supervisors translate recommendations into sustainable workplace support.
“Awareness is important, but employees and managers often need support to work out what neuroinclusion looks like in practice,” Susie said. “A strategy needs to make sense for the individual employee, their role, their manager and the operational requirements of the workplace.”
The Canberra-developed program is available nationally via telehealth and has been accessed by Commonwealth Government agencies. Eligible employees may be able to access it through JobAccess under the Australian Government’s Employment Assistance Fund.
Susie says the award was meaningful recognition for the team behind the program and the organisations that supported its development.
“We are incredibly proud of what Clear Path has achieved. This recognition belongs to our team and to the employees, managers and organisations who trusted us to try something different,” she said.
Main image by Alex Green.
