Insights

Neurodiversity describes the many different ways we think, focus, process information, and work. Technology should exist to support people – not force them to work in a single ‘correct’ way.

The true measure of good technology is how well it empowers the person using it. When neurodiversity is considered, that means giving people choice, control, and tools that adapt to them, not the other way around.

While we’ve said these tools can help with neurodiversity or accessibility, they can actually help anyone. There is no single “right” way to work. The best approach is the one that helps you stay focused, organised, and confident. We especially love this because it aligns with our mission “using technology to put people first”.

What tools within Microsoft 365 can help neurodiversity?

Microsoft 365 offers a huge amount of flexibility to support different working styles. Here are five of the features that can make a meaningful difference to how you work, stay focused, and reduce friction in your day.

Protecting Focus Time with Viva Insights

Viva personal insights is a collection of wellbeing and productivity tools, designed to help find the right balance in your way of working. It can help you to schedule breaks and focus time into your calendar. One of its most useful features is ‘Focus Mode’.

If you find yourself pulled into notifications or Teams chats the moment they appear, Focus Mode creates a timed bubble to protect you from those distractions. It helps you carve out uninterrupted time for deep work. It automatically schedules focus blocks, silences notifications, and creates a calmer digital environment.

Check it out here: Viva Insights

Transcription & Live Captions in Teams

For people whose attention can drift during meetings, or who find it harder to follow conversations through audio alone, Microsoft Teams includes a live captions feature that displays words as they are spoken. It can make a real difference to staying engaged with the conversation.

Teams meetings can also provide full transcriptions to review afterwards. This is useful when details are hard to retain in real time, or when you simply want a record of what was discussed without having to take notes during the meeting.

When to use transcriptions and live captions?

• If you prefer reading over listening, captions and transcripts make meetings clearer.
• If you miss details when conversations move quickly, transcripts let you catch up calmly.
• If you find note taking distracting, you can stay present and review the transcript later.

Learn more here: View live transcription in Microsoft Teams meetings

To Do & Task Management

Microsoft To Do brings all your tasks into one place – flagged emails, Planner tasks, personal reminders, and shared work.

For people who find it easy to lose track of commitments when the day gets busy, To Do can become an essential part of a daily routine. Adding tasks as soon as something becomes actionable means nothing slips. The ‘My Day’ view then gives you a simplified, focused list of what needs to happen today.

When to use To Do?

• If you like structure, To Do gives you a clear daily list.
• If you think in “bursts” and jump between ideas, quick capture tasks stop things slipping away.
• If you prefer visual organisation, lists and categories help you see everything at a glance.

You can take this further with Power Automate. For example, you could create an automation that sends you a daily email summary of the tasks you’ve worked on. That kind of end-of-day review makes it easier to log hours, track progress, or simply close out the day with a clear picture of what was achieved.

Image Source: Microsoft

Writing without typing: Dictation

Dictation lets you speak naturally while your words appear on the screen. It’s fast, accessible, and great for capturing ideas before they disappear.

For some people, typing can slow things down rather than speed them up. Whether it’s typos, correcting errors, or simply finding that spoken thoughts flow more naturally than written ones, the Dictate feature in Word, OneNote and Outlook lets you speak directly into your document or email and refine from there. It handles filler words and pauses cleanly, so what you get back is readable straight away.

When to use dictation?

• If typing slows you down, speaking can help you work more fluidly.
• If you think out loud, dictation turns that into usable content.
• If you struggle with spelling or written structure, dictation removes that barrier.

Image Source: Microsoft

Getting unstuck with Copilot Chat

Copilot Chat is available to everyone. The premium licenced offering integrates with Microsoft 365 data and offers more features like meeting summaries, but even the free version is genuinely useful day to day. You can ask it to summarise a long document, explain something in plain terms, review a draft you’ve written, or help you get unstuck when you’re staring at a blank page. It works like a conversation, which makes it accessible whether or not you’re comfortable with more technical tools.

When to use Copilot Chat?

• If you get overwhelmed by long documents, Copilot can summarise the key points.
• If you struggle to start a blank page, it can draft the first version for you.
• If you prefer asking questions conversationally, Copilot lets you explore information in a natural way.

You can access Copilot Chat directly at: https://copilot.microsoft.com/