Dr. Daniel Wendler
Autistic psychologist and keynote speaker turning neurodiversity and practical inclusion into stronger cultures and high-performance teams.
Why you should book Dr. Daniel Wendler for your next event
- Discover how practical inclusivity and neurodiversity can strengthen workplace culture, belonging and the performance of teams.
- Learn from an autistic psychologist who combines professional expertise with lived experience to challenge the myth of “normal.”
- Gain practical perspectives on universal design and creating workplaces where different ways of thinking become a competitive advantage.
Non-binding request for Daniel Wendler
Autistic psychologist, bestselling author and expert on neurodiversity, inclusion and high-performance workplace culture
Dr. Daniel Wendler is an autistic psychologist, bestselling author and internationally recognized keynote speaker who helps organizations build high-performance teams through healthier, more inclusive workplace cultures. Known online as “Dr. Dan, Autistic Psychologist,” he reaches more than 300,000 social media followers, while his TEDx talks about life with autism have received over 750,000 views. Drawing on psychology, lived experience and his work with organizations including Google, Harvard and SAP, Daniel shows audiences why inclusion is far more than an individual responsibility. His keynotes explore neurodiversity, universal design and practical inclusivity, giving organizations a compelling business case for creating environments where people can belong and contribute as they are.
Meet Dr. Daniel Wendler
Dr. Daniel Wendler is an autistic psychologist, internationally recognized keynote speaker and bestselling author with a powerful perspective on what makes people and teams thrive. His work sits at the intersection of psychology, neurodiversity, inclusion and workplace culture, helping organizations understand how environments can be designed to bring out the strengths of more people.
Daniel is the co-author, with Dr. Kyler Shumway, of Neurodiversity and the Myth of Normal. He has also brought his personal and professional perspective to TEDx, where his talks about life with autism have been viewed more than 750,000 times. Online, he reaches an audience of over 300,000 followers as “Dr. Dan, Autistic Psychologist.”
His expertise has taken him into conversations with some of the world’s best-known organizations. Daniel has consulted on autism and neurodiversity for organizations including Google, Harvard and SAP, and has been a featured speaker at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit and the Great Place to Work Summit. His expertise has also been featured by Bloomberg Magazine and the American Psychological Association.
Daniel has shared the stage with prominent voices including Angela Duckworth and Temple Grandin, bringing his distinctive combination of psychological expertise and lived experience to conversations about how people work, communicate and belong.
From social skills to practical inclusion
Daniel’s approach to inclusion grew from an important realization. Helping individuals learn social skills can be useful, but when this becomes the primary solution, the responsibility for fitting in is placed on the individual. The person who is different is expected to change, adapt and learn the unwritten rules of the environment around them.
Daniel advocates for another approach: practical inclusivity.
Instead of asking only how an individual can become better at navigating an existing culture, organizations can ask how that culture itself could become more accessible. What changes when workplaces actively create communities in which different communication styles, ways of thinking and ways of interacting have room to succeed?
This shift has implications far beyond autism. Daniel teaches organizations how to create communities of genuine inclusion while making the business case for why doing so matters. Inclusion can become a competitive advantage when organizations create conditions that allow more people to contribute their strengths.
Neurodiversity and the myth of normal
A central theme in Daniel Wendler’s work is neurodiversity: the idea that conditions such as autism can be understood as differences rather than automatically being viewed as deficits.
That perspective challenges audiences to reconsider what they mean when they describe someone as “normal.” Human beings think, communicate, process information and experience the world differently. When workplaces or communities are designed around a narrow expectation of how people should behave, some individuals are inevitably required to spend more energy adapting before they can fully participate.
Daniel brings this conversation to life through the combined perspective of an autistic person and a psychologist. Rather than treating neurodiversity as an abstract concept, he connects it to the everyday realities of culture, belonging and performance.
His work invites leaders and teams to consider a more useful question: instead of asking people to become more alike, how can we create environments where different people have genuine opportunities to succeed?
Universal design for better workplaces
One practical answer can be found in universal design. Daniel explores how the principles of universal design can help organizations, communities and schools create environments where people can belong as they are.
The goal is not to build a separate system for every individual difference. It is to think more carefully about the environment from the beginning and create conditions that work for a broader range of people.
Through his keynotes and consulting, Daniel explores themes including:
- Neurodiversity, autism and the idea of difference rather than deficit
- Practical inclusivity and how responsibility can shift from individuals to communities
- Universal design in workplaces, schools and other communities
- Healthy workplace culture and its connection to high-performance teams
- The business case for inclusion as a competitive advantage
- Creating environments where people can experience genuine belonging
These ideas give organizations a practical framework for thinking differently about inclusion. Rather than treating it as a separate initiative, Daniel connects inclusion with the fundamental question of how an organization creates a culture in which people can do their best work.
Book Daniel Wendler for your event
Book Dr. Daniel Wendler for your event when you want a keynote that brings psychology, lived experience and practical workplace insight together. His perspective is particularly relevant for organizations exploring neurodiversity, autism, inclusion, belonging, healthy workplace culture and high-performance teams.
Daniel brings credibility from both his professional expertise and personal experience. As an autistic psychologist, he can examine the assumptions surrounding autism and neurodiversity from multiple perspectives. As an author and speaker, he translates those ideas into accessible conversations that challenge audiences to reconsider familiar approaches to inclusion.
His work with Google, Harvard and SAP, appearances at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit and Great Place to Work Summit, and recognition from Bloomberg Magazine and the American Psychological Association reflect the broad relevance of his expertise.
A keynote with Daniel Wendler encourages audiences to move beyond the idea that people who are different should carry the full responsibility for adapting. Instead, he shows what becomes possible when workplaces and communities take practical steps to create genuine inclusion.
The result is a fresh way to think about neurodiversity and workplace culture: one where difference does not automatically equal deficit, belonging does not depend on becoming “normal,” and inclusive design can help create stronger communities and higher-performing teams.
Keynotes
Keynote by Dr. Daniel Wendler:
Strength in Neurodiversity: Creating a Workplace Where Everyone Can Belong
Successful organizations know their greatest asset isn’t their brand name or balance sheet. It’s their people.
When every team member has the support they need to reach their full potential – well, that’s when the magic happens.
But too many organizations squander the potential of their neurodivergent team members, such as those with autism or ADHD.
Talented contributors are sidelined or silenced, just because their minds work differently than their colleagues expect.
Fortunately, many leaders are starting to recognize the power of neurodiversity in the workplace. Leading firms like Google, Harvard, and Accenture are spearheading efforts to build a neuroinclusive culture where everyone has the support they need to thrive.
Your organization can join them. This training will show you how.
Your team will learn:
- The core principles of neurodiversity and how neurodiversity helps us better understand differences such as autism and ADHD
- The competitive advantage provided by genuine inclusion and support for neurodivergence
- How to understand neurodivergent differences, rather than viewing them as deficits or “problems to be fixed”
- The implications of the social model of disability, and how environment creates ability.
- Common workplace challenges experienced by neurodivergent people and how to overcome them (including examples from my lived experience as someone with autism.)
- Practical applications for workflow and processes, office environments, hiring & promotions, conflict management, and more
- Specific applications to your industry and workforce
Keynote by Dr. Daniel Wendler:
From Burnout to Thriving
Look, your people are struggling. Studies consistently find that over half of employees are suffering from burnout. That’s not because your team is weak. And it’s not because leadership doesn’t care.
It’s because you haven’t found the right solution.
Burnout festers because it’s a psychological problem that manifests in business environments.
Mental health experts understand the psychological impact, but struggle to build a solution that works in the real world of business.
Business experts understand the competitive reality of your organization, but struggle to understand the complex psychology behind burnout.
You need someone who can address your team’s psychological needs in a way that supports your business goals.
That’s where I come in.
I’m a clinical psychologist, and I specialize in bridging the gap between competitive pressure and human flourishing.
I firmly believe that you don’t need to choose between a successful business and a psychologically healthy team culture. In fact, the best way to inspire high performance is to invest in healthy culture.
In other words, a burnout-free workforce isn’t accomplished by lowering standards, but by raising your team’s ability to take care of themselves (and one another.)
You can make this happen for your team. I can help.
Your team will learn:
- The real causes of burnout
- How to tell if someone is burned out (and why burnout is often missed)
- How burnout damages your people, your team, and your business.
- Why most self-care misses the mark (and what to do instead.)
- How leaders can protect their team from burnout (without compromising business goals)
- How to support a team member who is struggling
- How to set (and enforce!) healthy boundaries
- Managing shame and self-image when seeking support or taking time off.
- Specific ways burnout affects neurodivergent people
- When to seek professional mental health support (and how to build a culture that encourages this)
Keynote by Dr. Daniel Wendler:
The Comfort Zone Advantage: How Real Recovery Builds Change-Ready Teams
The best parts of life happen outside your comfort zone. If you want to thrive, you need to grow.
Your team works the same way. If you want your organization to thrive, your people need to grow.
But growth is hard! People resist change.
It’s easy to get people excited about a new initiative for a few days. It’s much harder to get them to actually commit to change.
And it’s harder still to develop a genuine culture of change readiness - so they’re able to adapt not just to the current change, but to every curveball that comes their way.
But while it’s hard, it’s also necessary. You already know that your organization faces a choice between adaptability and stagnation. You just don’t know what to do about it.
That's where "The Comfort Zone Advantage" comes in. This keynote directly addresses the key psychological barrier that prevents your team from embracing change. As a psychologist, I understand the real reason people get stuck. And I understand exactly what they need to break free.
The research is clear - the strongest performing teams are also the most psychologically healthy. That’s why the Comfort Zone Advantage gives your team the courage to grow by giving them permission to recover. Your audience will unlock the strength they need to change by changing the way they meet their needs.
Your audience will learn:
- Why people resist change, and the legitimate psychological need behind that resistance
- The importance of the comfort zone and how healthy growth requires a balance of effort and rest
- Why common approaches to change actually cause burnout and overwhelm, and how a recovery-first strategy unlocks growth while preventing burnout.
- How to recover from burnout and build psychological resilience
- What happens when adaptability becomes a core value (and how to make that happen)
- Practical strategies for bringing change-readiness to your workplace and personal life.
- Specific applications to your audience and event
Untapped Talent: Why Neurodiversity is a Workforce Advantage
Watch Dr. Daniel Wendler in action
Books by Dr. Daniel Wendler
Clicking With ClientsOnline Marketing For Private Practice Therapistsby Dr. Daniel Wendler
