“The Real Thing I Struggle with is Other People’s Perceptions”: The Experiences of Autistic Performing Arts Professionals and Attitudes of Performing Arts Employers in the UK

Abstract

This research examined in-depth the employment experiences of autistic performing arts professionals and the attitudes and adjustments of performing arts employers. We interviewed 18 autistic performing arts professionals and 19 performing arts employers. Autistic performing arts professionals described facing challenges in the workplace. Some autistic professionals had access to support, but the majority felt that there was not enough available and highlighted many ways in which they could be better supported. Performing arts employers varied in their experiences of working with autistic people, many had limited knowledge about autism-specific support or relied on other professionals to provide it. These findings shed light on current unmet support needs of autistic performing arts professionals, and provide key recommendations for research and practice.

Workplace Adjustments for Autistic Employees: What is ‘Reasonable’?

“…Considerations are discussed for when offering workplace support, to ensure that barriers are avoided and efforts made will have the most beneficial impact. The important context of these findings is the underemployment of autistic adults, where support guidance is available (Black et al, 2019 ; Hayward et al, 2019 ; Hedley et al, 2018 ) but not routinely implemented (Buckley et al, 2020 ; Scott et al, 2015 ).…”

“…These findings corroborate previous literature (Black et al, 2019 ; Hedley et al, 2018 ). Some employers have considered flexible working to be easy to implement, alongside the provision of quiet spaces (Buckley et al, 2020 ). The most commonly observed adjustment by employees in this study was flexible working hours or travel arrangements.…”

“…Many autistic employees report negative attitudes and a lack of understanding from their colleagues, with half reporting bullying or harassment at work (National Autistic Society, 2016a ). Many autistic employees say they are not receiving adequate support to overcome these barriers (Buckley et al, 2020 ; López & Keenan, 2014 ).…”

“…Despite having some understanding of autism, employers report low confidence in supporting autistic employees in real world practice and do not know what resources to draw upon (Buckley et al, 2020 ; Scott et al, 2015 ). Workplace adjustments vary considerably, with the majority of employees receiving no adjustments (Lindsay et al, 2019 ).…”

Exploring the Career Motivations, Strengths, and Challenges of Autistic and Non-autistic University Students: Insights From a Participatory Study

“…Despite often notable strengths (which may or may not include academic skills, attention to detail, high levels of empathy and moral clarity, creativity, focus, passion, honesty, loyalty, and logic), autistic people often face pronounced challenges obtaining and maintaining employment (Sperry and Mesibov, 2005;Lorenz and Heinitz, 2014;Dreaver et al, 2020;Stenning, 2020;Vincent and Fabri, 2020;Buckley et al, 2021;Fernandes et al, 2021). Social, executive functioning, sensory processing, and mental health differences; discrimination; insufficient autism understanding and needed supports; and poor work conditions contribute to the deeply problematic gap between the employment potential of autistic people and the reality of the employment outcomes they often obtain (Lorenz et al, 2016;Sarrett, 2017;Coleman and Adams, 2018;Farley et al, 2018;Black et al, 2020;Anderson et al, 2021;Bury et al, 2021;Buckley et al, 2021;Jones et al, 2021). Milton (2012) proposed that non-autistic individuals struggle with taking the perspectives of autistic individuals and viceversa.…”