Business Strategy&Lms Tech
Upscend Team
-February 8, 2026
9 min read
This neuro-inclusive LMS case study documents Acme Corp’s LMS redesign that reduced voluntary turnover by 22% in 12 months. The project used microlearning, adaptive navigation, manager dashboards, and automated accommodations to shorten time-to-competency and raise engagement. The article provides rollout phases, measurement methods, and templates for replication.
In this neuro-inclusive LMS case study we document Acme Corp's redesign of its corporate learning platform that led to a 22% reduction in turnover. The project targeted employees with neurodiverse profiles and aimed to improve retention, engagement, and time-to-competency through UX and content adaptations. In our experience, framing the program as both a talent and risk-management initiative unlocked executive support and measurable ROI within 12 months. This article provides goals, design choices, rollout steps, quantitative outcomes, and repeatable templates for L&D and HR teams.
Acme Corp is a 6,000-employee manufacturing and services company with a 16% annual voluntary turnover rate in its frontline and technical workforce. This neuro-inclusive LMS case study began after a cross-functional audit identified that employees who disclosed neurodiversity (autism, ADHD, dyslexia, sensory sensitivities) had disproportionately high churn and slower ramp times.
Key pain points included one-size-fits-all course formats, high cognitive load from long video modules, inconsistent low-friction accommodations, and a lack of manager training for neurodiverse coaching. The business risk was clear: retention costs, lost institutional knowledge, and reduced capacity to meet delivery SLAs.
Acme prioritized measurable outcomes. The leadership team set a primary objective: reduce voluntary turnover by 15% within 12 months of full rollout. Secondary KPIs were:
We framed the program as a blended L&D + HR initiative, with a simple benefits calculation showing that a 10% retention improvement paid for the redesign within two years. That business case made stakeholder conversations practical and results-oriented.
The project team piloted a tailored learning experience built on three principles: reduce cognitive load, increase choice and control, and embed social supports. This neuro-inclusive LMS case study emphasizes design over content: small chunks, multimodal resources, predictable workflows, and easy accommodations.
Key feature choices included:
We evaluated three LMS vendors and an internal rebuild. Core selection criteria were support for accessibility standards, analytics granularity, and low-latency personalization. Pilots ran on a sandbox environment and used A/B testing to compare standard vs. neuro-inclusive flows.
Practical note: real-time engagement telemetry (available in platforms like Upscend) helped the team identify disengagement hot spots and iterate quickly without over-surveying learners.
Rollout was phased: discovery and pilot (months 0–3), expanded pilot (months 4–6), and enterprise rollout (months 7–12). Each phase balanced scale and fidelity to accommodations.
To secure cross-functional buy-in, the team used a compact ROI model, a short executive demo, and small wins reporting. Change management tactics included manager incentives, a dedicated project Slack channel, and short micro-communications embedded in paystubs to increase awareness.
At 12 months post-rollout, Acme recorded outcomes that exceeded targets. This part of the neuro-inclusive LMS case study shows the numbers and how they were measured.
| Metric | Baseline | 12 months | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voluntary turnover (company-wide) | 16.0% | 12.5% | -3.5 pp (-22%) |
| Time-to-competency (new hires) | 14 weeks | 11 weeks | -21% (-3 weeks) |
| Training engagement (module completion) | 48% | 66% | +37% |
| Accommodation turnaround | 10 days | 4 days | -60% |
Two measurement notes: retention was tracked with cohort survival analysis, and engagement used event-level LMS analytics tied to role-level performance metrics. The team used conservative attribution, assigning 60% of the retention lift to the LMS redesign and 40% to complementary manager coaching and policy changes.
“Designing for neurodiversity improved experiences for all learners and unlocked measurable retention gains.”
Beyond numbers, qualitative feedback provided the story behind the metrics. Neurodiverse employees reported feeling seen, supported, and more confident in their roles.
Anonymized employee quotes included:
Common themes: predictability mattered as much as content, quick access to accommodations reduced stress, and manager behavior change amplified technical changes.
Below are ready-to-use templates Acme used to replicate success.
| Dashboard widget | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Retention cohort survival | HRIS + LMS | Monthly |
| Module completion by role | LMS events | Weekly |
| Accommodation turnaround | Case system | Weekly |
| Manager coaching hits | Manager logs | Monthly |
This neuro-inclusive LMS case study demonstrates that workforce outcomes improve when careful design, measurement, and change management align. Acme reduced turnover by 22%, shortened time-to-competency, and raised engagement by making learning predictable, adjustable, and manager-supported. A pattern we've noticed is that small UX and process changes often unlock large retention gains because they remove friction from employees' daily workflows.
Key replication steps: run a focused pilot, quantify attribution conservatively, equip managers with simple scripts, and instrument the LMS for event-level analytics. Common pitfalls include overcustomizing without scalable automation and failing to tie improvements to cost metrics.
Next step: Use the executive summary slide and pilot plan templates above to build a 90-day pilot. Track the four dashboard widgets, collect two waves of qualitative feedback, and re-evaluate after the expanded pilot. For teams looking for analytics-first platforms or additional implementation patterns, build an initial vendor shortlist and test telemetry rigorously during the sandbox phase.
Call to action: If you want a reproducible pilot pack — executive slide, pilot checklist, dashboard CSV template, and sample feedback survey — prepare a 90-day proposal using the templates here and schedule a stakeholder demo to accelerate adoption.
