ITV News highlights neurodivergent barriers as Milburn reviews youth NEET crisis
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Summary
The ITV News segment examines whether neurodivergent people, particularly those with autism or ADHD, receive sufficient support to enter employment. It features interviews with neurodivergent young people who describe barriers like lack of understanding from employers, the need for reasonable adjustments, and difficulties accessing immediate support. Former minister Alan Milburn, leading a government review of youth unemployment, is shown meeting employed neurodivergent individuals and emphasizing their talent, aspiration, and positive workforce impact. The piece notes that of roughly one million young people who are NEET, tens of thousands cite conditions like autism or ADHD, and ends by asking what government should do ahead of Milburn's recommendations due next month.
Sourcing relies on on-camera interviews with affected individuals, Milburn, and an unnamed expert or advocate advocating for employer training. No specific graphics or named official statistics are displayed in the clip, though claims align with broader ONS and DWP data on disability and NEET trends. The throughline is that neurodivergent people want to and can work effectively with modest accommodations, tying into Milburn's review focused on health-related inactivity.
Editorial Assessment
The broadcast accurately captures a real and growing issue: neurodivergent conditions are over-represented among the rising NEET population, with official data showing autistic young people comprising about 13-14% of NEETs by health condition (highest in 11 years) and estimates of 20-34% of NEET youth likely having ADHD, many undiagnosed. Employment rates for autistic adults hover around 22-30%, far below non-disabled (over 80%) and even other disabled groups (around 53-55%). Claims that neurodivergent people can excel with support and that employers need training on reasonable adjustments are strongly backed by the Buckland Review and Milburn's interim report, which highlight systemic failures in education, health, and welfare transitions.
Viewers might miss context on scale and existing provisions: there are already schemes like Access to Work and Disability Confident, though uptake and awareness remain low. The segment's anecdotal focus and calls for more support could skew perception toward individual employer failings while underplaying broader challenges like post-pandemic mental health surges, persistent absence in schools, and economic inactivity trends affecting nearly 60% of current NEETs. Milburn's review stresses early identification in primary schools and a 'working state' over welfare defaults, suggesting structural changes beyond the adjustments discussed. Overall, a sympathetic and mostly factual piece that raises awareness but lacks depth on counter-evidence or implementation costs.
Key Moments
Of the million young people out of work or education, tens of thousands say they can't get a job because of conditions like autism or ADHD
NEET total ~1.01 million in early 2026 (ONS); ~13.6% of health-related NEET cite autism (highest in years) and 20-34% likely ADHD per taskforce data, supporting 'tens of thousands' but imprecise without exact breakdown.
Neurodivergent people can work as well if not better than anyone else but sometimes need just a little bit of support
Buckland Review and multiple studies note strengths in focus/detail-oriented roles; Milburn report and employer indices highlight productivity gains (45-145%) with adjustments like those under Equality Act.
Employers need to understand, be trained how to deal with someone who's on disability or on the spectrum
Buckland Review explicitly recommends employer training, awareness campaigns, inclusive recruitment, and better use of Disability Confident; Milburn echoes need for systems built for neurodivergent youth.
There's talent, potential, aspiration... They're great workers but more importantly they have a huge impact on the workforce
Direct from Alan Milburn in clip; aligns with his interim report stressing disabled/neurodivergent youth's capabilities and economic cost of inactivity (~£27bn/year cited in related coverage).
Most neurodivergent people do want a job
Buckland Review states vast majority of autistic people want to work; Mencap evidence in Milburn report shows 86% of those with learning disabilities want paid jobs despite low 5% employment rate.
Notable Concerns
- Vague quantification ('tens of thousands') without citing specific ONS or DWP figures on neurodivergent NEET share
- Omits existing government supports like Access to Work grants for adjustments and the 2025 neurodiversity expert panel
- One-sided emphasis on employer responsibility without exploring diagnostic wait times or co-occurring mental health complexities
Sources Consulted
- Young people and work: interim report
- The Buckland Review of Autism Employment: report and recommendations
- Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), UK: May 2026
- Why are a growing number of young people who are NEET reporting a work-limiting health condition?
- Supporting neurodivergent people into employment
- Neurodiversity Statistics & Neurodivergent Research Data
- Primary schools to be told to identify children at risk of future unemployment
- Employment prospects for neurodiverse people set to be boosted with launch of new expert panel