Autism in the workforce: A case study

Abstract

In a global society experiencing an increasing shortage of qualified workers and the recognition that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be effective employees, there is an uptick in private sector initiatives to address employment needs through the recruitment of workers with ASD. A case study methodology with consensual qualitative research analysis was used to gain a rich understanding of employment of people with ASD at a medium-sized clothier in collaboration with a service provider for people with ASD. Perceptions of implementation and effectiveness were collected. Results suggest the hiring of people with ASD was positively perceived by employees. Components of this success included changes to the physical work environment, diversity training specific to individuals with disabilities, and a company climate of engaging and supporting employees with ASD. This research suggests that the collaborative initiative may prove a meaningful model for other companies interested in employing people with ASD.

Autism Employment Initiative in a Global Business Management Consultancy Firm: A Case Study

“…Finally, as was the case at Oliver Wyman, employees are increasingly seeking to make an impact that goes beyond a singular company objective or profits. This and other case studies (e.g., Grenawalt et al, 2020) suggest that disability employment initiatives can improve company climate by giving added meaning and mission to a company in the eyes of employees. All new hires, disability or not, present with some risk they will not work out.…”

“…Prior human resource development literature suggested direct CEO and leadership support not only legitimize efforts and initiatives of human resource departments, but also serve as a model for other employees (Trullen et al, 2016). In addition to leadership support, retention requires flexibility from existing employees who supervise, interact, or collaborate with the employee with autism (Mawhood & Howlin, 1999) case study research suggested that these types of interactions are greatly facilitated through training employees on the potential differences and opportunities in communicating and working with an employee with autism (Grenawalt et al, 2020). In addition, employees with autism may need extended support to maintain workplace performance, as unexpected changes could be disruptive (Hendricks, 2010).…”

Autistic Adults' Priorities for Future Autism Employment Research: Perspectives from the United Kingdom

“…The first topic identified by our participants was autistic people's access to employment. Specifically, participants wanted research to (a) highlight current opportunities for suitable employment, such as autism-specific employment opportunities; 48–50 (b) explore autistic people's experiences of disclosing their diagnosis 31–33 (see Lindsay et al 34 for a review); (c) explore the impact of having an intersectional identity (e.g., minority gender/ethnicity/socioeconomic background, and being autistic) on employment experiences (e.g., see Eilenberg et al 51 and Hayward et al 52 for relevant systematic reviews); and (d) highlight how to improve hiring processes. 53–55 Encouragingly, research aiming to improve autistic people's access to employment appears to be growing, with a wide range of initiatives, driven by researcher-industry partnerships, aiming to support autistic people in obtaining employment.…”

Autism Initiative in the Industrial Sector: A Case Study

“…At a time when about 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with autism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020), it is becoming more common for employers and Csuite executives to have personal experiences with autism. Such personal experiences spurred many of the early employment initiatives for people with ASD (e.g., Grenawalt et al, 2020;Shein, 2020). For instance, Thorkil Sonne, motivated by his son's autism diagnosis, established a trailblazing company (Specialisterne) that targeted employing people with ASD in software testing positions (Austin & Busquets, 2008;Wareham & Sonne, 2008).…”

“…This company, along with other early innovators, has had a great influence on current autism employment initiatives. More and more, employers are coming to appreciate neurodiversity for its capacity to enrich company culture and improve the bottom line (Bury et al, 2020;Grinker, 2020;Patton, 2018), and employers have increasingly shifted their focus from legal adherence to proactively enhancing the inclusivity of the workplace specific to working-age people with autism (e.g., Carrero et al, 2019;Flower et al, 2019;Grenawalt et al, 2020;Johnson et al, 2020;Rao & Polepeddi, 2019).…”