75k Strong: This Career Coach Runs the Largest Online Support Community for Neurodivergent Professionals Navigating Work
TORONTO, ON — Unemployment rates for neurodivergent adults range from 30-40%. That’s 8 times higher than the general population (Work Design, 2025). In a world where the majority of support services are focused on neurodivergent children, this online community has become a lifeline for adults whose brains operate differently.
Founded by Veronica Yao, the “Neurodivergent Careers and Job Hunting” Facebook group is a peer support community for neurodivergent professionals around the world. In 2025, the group surpassed 75,000 members, cementing its status as the largest online support community specifically for neurodivergent adults navigating the modern workforce.
Yao is also the founder and career coach behind Atypical Careers, where she develops career services and resources that reflect and address the neurodivergent experience in the workplace. She launched the online community in May 2023, hoping to connect with other neurodivergent professionals and better understand the struggles they faced in their careers.
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Meeting a Major Need for Neurodivergent Professionals
There has been a huge spike in adults discovering their neurodivergence later in life. According to JAMA Network Open, there was a 450% increase in diagnoses for individuals aged 26-34 between 2011 and 2022. This greatly fuels the demand for career supports and services informed by neurodiversity.
In the first year, Yao’s online community experienced explosive growth. In a 6-month period, membership went from 250 individuals to a staggering 45,000 – a 10,000% increase. “I remember processing over a thousand member requests in a day, at one point,” recalls Yao. “It really cemented what I already knew - that there were thousands of neurodivergent professionals out there struggling in the workforce, with little access to supports that actually serve them.”
The online community serves as the north star for Atypical Careers. Yao says that she uses the group to inform her decisions around her coaching business, and ensure that the career resources she develops align with what neurodivergent professionals are struggling with in their work lives.
In fact, Yao’s online community was a huge inspiration for her online course and group program, called “Misfit to Master Plan”. She wanted to create a program that reflected the experiences of neurodivergent professionals, and helped them build a more sustainable work life while minimizing burnout.
Recognition from Industry Leaders
The community’s impact has not gone unnoticed by global leaders in the neurodiversity movement. Dave Thompson is renowned for his work as a neuroinclusive workplace strategist and his TEDx talk, "Rebranding The Brain: Neurodiversity at Work." He has identified Yao’s community as a pivotal force in the industry.
“What impressed me most is the balance. There’s real freedom for people to show up as themselves, communicate how they need to, and be honest about their experiences… it’s also incredibly active, which is rare,” says Thompson. “Veronica has done what most creators and organizations fail to do: she’s built a community that actually works.”
In his March 2026 book, Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work, Thompson highlights Veronica Yao and her community as a primary example of how peer support is shaping the future of inclusive employment.
“Through a structured, neuro-affirming approach, [Yao] helps people identify what drains them, what drives them, and how to build careers that actually hold up over time,” says Thompson. “That’s not just better for the individual, it leads to stronger retention, clearer communication, and more consistent performance in the workplace.”
In April 2026, Influence Digest named Veronica Yao as one of theTop 15 Career Coaches in Toronto.
About Veronica Yao
Veronica Yao is a career coach who helps neurodivergent professionals build more sustainable careers and minimize burnout. Early in her career, she struggled as an undiagnosed neurodivergent professional. Her biggest secret? Her history of chronic burnout, which forced her to change jobs frequently.
When she finally got her ADHD diagnosis at 30, it was like finding the missing puzzle piece she’d been searching for. Leveraging her experience as a brand marketer, educational content creator, resume writer, as well as her industry experience in recruitment and HR, Veronica has shifted her focus to developing resources and coaching other neurodivergent professionals like herself.
Additional Quotes:
All quotes below can be attributed to: Veronica Yao, Career Coach & Founder of Atypical Careers
“The thing I hear the most from new group members is that they didn’t know a community like this existed. Or they thought that they were stupid or lazy until they realized their brain just functions differently. And I think that’s one of the most powerful aspects of this community - by sharing our stories and having these important conversations around what it means to be neurodivergent at work, we can come up with strategies and solutions that actually improve the quality of our work lives.”
“Traditional career advice often ends up being harmful to neurodivergent folks. It’s not just that the advice doesn’t work for us - these practices often lead to burnout, because it doesn’t take into account the capacity, strengths, or limitations of the individual. On top of that, career advice is usually positioned as a standard that working professionals need to meet in order to be successful. So when the advice doesn’t work for us, the message we're left with is ‘I fail where everyone else succeeds.’”
All quotes below can be attributed to: Dave Thompson, Author of Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work, and Neuroinclusive Workplace Strategist
“A lot of online communities start with good intentions and fall apart because they either become chaotic or overly controlled. This one doesn’t. What impressed me most is the balance, there’s real freedom for people to show up as themselves, communicate how they need to, and be honest about their experiences, but it’s not a free-for-all. There are clear norms and structures that keep the space useful and sustainable. It’s also incredibly active, which is rare. Veronica has done what most creators and organizations fail to do, she’s built a community that actually works.”
“A lot of neurodivergent professionals aren’t struggling because they lack ability. They’re burning out trying to operate in systems that were never designed for them. Coaching can help, but many coaches still operate within the framework of changing people to fit in. Veronica’s work flips that. Through a structured, neuro-affirming approach, she helps people identify what drains them, what drives them, and how to build careers that actually hold up over time. That’s not just better for the individual, it leads to stronger retention, clearer communication, and more consistent performance in the workplace.”