Autism in the workplace

Autistic people face significant employment challenges on a global scale. The participation rate of autistic adults in the labour market is low (Patton, 2018; ‘Career progression for autistic people: A scoping review’ by Davies, Romualdez, and Remington, 2024). Even autistics with mild challenges in the workplace show an unemployment rate of 80 per cent. How is it possible that the participation rate is so low?

Some facts at a glance

Research shows that in the United Kingdom, only 29% of autistic people are employed, which is significantly less than many other disability groups, according to the Office for National Statistics in 2022. Comparable low employment figures are also reported in the United States, where about 38% of autistic adults are in paid employment (Roux et al., 2017), and in Australia, where 38% of autistic adults are active in the labour market (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2019).

These statistics may underestimate the actual number of working individuals among autistic people, given the significant barriers to getting diagnosed, many people being unaware they have an autistic brain, and the number of autistic individuals who do not disclose their diagnosis in their workplace (Aylward et al., 2021; Romualdez, Heasman, et al., 2021; Romualdez, Walker, et al., 2021; Wiggins et al., 2020). Nonetheless, there is a notable gap between the number of autistic people who want to work and those who actually find employment (Hendricks, 2010; National Autistic Society, 2016).

Lack of inclusion and support

Recent literature and research show that autistic employees often experience problems in the workplace, such as communication problems, hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli and difficulty with social interaction.

Moreover, employers indicate that they often have insufficient knowledge about autism and do not really know which adaptations they would best provide to support their autistic employees at work.

These challenges reduce the likelihood that employees with an autistic brain will stay with the company or will want to go work for them.

Untapped opportunities

That’s unfortunate because keeping and recruiting autistic employees happy has several advantages, such as:

• By contributing their unique skills, out-of-the-box ideas, and critical eye, they contribute to a company’s productivity and success. Traits that are common among autistic employees include a keen eye for detail, extreme accuracy, and the ability to analyse complex information and make connections between different data.
• Employees who are happy with their work and employer are usually loyal and motivated. They often tell this to anyone who wants to hear it. This will present the company in a favourable light as an employer that treats people fairly and well.
• Autistic employees add diversity to the team and the company. Their unique capabilities can foster a culture where different ways of thinking and working are valued. When companies invest in neurodiversity and neuro-inclusion, they help society and make the world more inclusive and just.

A neuro-inclusive work environment

How can employers make the work environment more inclusive for autistic employees and other neurodivergencies without discriminating against others?

Here are some tips for creating a work environment where everyone feels comfortable, whether they have a neurological condition or not:

Make sure that the working environment is not (sensory) overstimulating and is psychologically safe.

• Provide a quiet place to work.
• Provide opportunities to pause and relax.
• Maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment or inappropriate behaviour.
• As a leader, set an example (role model) and promote diversity and inclusion.

Communicate clearly, openly and transparently.

• Be sure to support information in writing and visually.
• Communicate in a manner that meets the employee’s needs.
• Check whether the employees have understood everything correctly.
• Encourage debate and constructive discussions.

Be clear about the vision and the reasons for change, and establish a basic structure within which people can think and experiment.

• Let employees participate in plans and decisions that affect them.
• Communicate the points that will be discussed in advance to ensure there is time for preparing meetings or evaluation interviews.
• Make sure everyone knows why you are changing something and what exactly is going to change.
• Whenever possible, give employees space to work in their own way.

Help your colleagues and managers better understand autism by supporting them, guiding them, and providing autistic employees with the right resources.

• Provide training to managers and the team to gain a greater understanding and knowledge of autism and the needs of autistic employees.
• Ensure that the managers and the team are given proper guidance in addressing challenges in the workplace.
• Provide some kind of buddy who helps the autistic employee discover and understand the (unwritten) company rules.
• Employees must be able to clearly indicate what reasonable accommodation and resources they require.

Take an individual approach, because every autistic employee is unique and has unique talents and challenges.

• Work on solutions that meet the specific needs of the employee.
• Provide regular appreciation and recognition for the employee’s talents.

Conclusion

In short, more efforts and awareness among employers and colleagues about neurodiversity are needed to ensure that neurodivergent employees feel welcome and to create a work environment that is more neuroinclusive.