Autism and employment: What works

Employees With Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Digitized Work Environment: Perspectives for the Future

“…Finally, what was also emphasized by interlocutors during the interviews was that all the AT devices should be also preceded by tailored training programs both for neurodiverse employees as final users and for their neurotypical colleagues. Support for individuals with ASD should also include interventions targeting inclusive organizational cultures with diversity climate, together with employing leaders with transformational qualities (Hayward et al, 2019). It seems to be an important condition of successful implementation of such solutions.…”

Workplace Success Strategies for Employees With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A New Frontier for Human Resource Development

“…The advantages of hiring individuals on the autism spectrum are becoming more obvious to a handful of employers. Individuals with ASD offer productivity advantages to the labor market because of their ability to make positive contributions to the technology sector (Hayward et al, 2019). Technology-related work is viewed as ideal for some individuals with autism because of their ability to maintain focus for extended periods, recognize patterns, and accurately perform repetitive and detail-oriented tasks (Hayward et al, 2019; Skibell, 2017).…”

“…Individuals with ASD offer productivity advantages to the labor market because of their ability to make positive contributions to the technology sector (Hayward et al, 2019). Technology-related work is viewed as ideal for some individuals with autism because of their ability to maintain focus for extended periods, recognize patterns, and accurately perform repetitive and detail-oriented tasks (Hayward et al, 2019; Skibell, 2017). With the increasing use of technology in organizations, the skills of individuals with ASD can be utilized (Cullum & Ennis-Cole, 2014; Skibell, 2017) to benefit both the organization and the employee.…”

The inclusivity of inclusion approaches: A relational perspective on inclusion and exclusion in organizations

“…With respect to mainstream approaches, it is exactly because of their individualist ontology that they could develop some leeway for responding to the concerns of autistic employees. As an example, the overall emphasis on the full acceptance, appreciation, and support of the individual employee (Mor Barak et al, 2016;Nishii, 2013) paired with sufficient knowledge about ASD could lead to the arrangement of tailor-made working conditions for autistic employees, which is key for them to thrive at the workplace (Hayward et al, 2019;Seitz & Smith, 2016). At the same time, this perpetuates the widespread understanding of disability as an "individual problem" instead of one created and sustained by processes of work organizing that are deeply infused with ableism (Williams & Mavin, 2012).…”

“…This is closely connected to the creation, feeling, and relevance of belongingness. For autistic employees, belongingness that emphasizes the production and actualization of “being part of a whole” through proactive relationship building in settings of collective collaboration (see definitions above) might not be desirable (Hayward et al, 2019; Krieger et al, 2012). Such a tight coupling between (the experience of) belonging and a specific form of group participation can actually reduce the possibilities for autistic employees to feel included because of the additional efforts needed to comply with ableist sociability demands: “the stress of not understanding the social rules of the environment, not knowing which topics are appropriate to talk about and which are not, having difficulty asking for help, and being exhausted from concentrating so hard all day to understand the world of neurotypicals can become overwhelming” (Hurlbutt & Chalmers, 2004, p. 219; see also Sang, Richards, & Marks, 2016).…”