Autistic Perspectives on Employment: A Scoping Review

Inclusive recruitment and employment of autistic adults has garnered recent attention in research and policy. To address a need to better understand the experiences of autistic adults in relation to paid employment, we asked the literature, what are the experiences of autistic individuals (from their perspectives) in competitive employment?

A scoping review was conducted to summarize and consolidate the findings across research to date. A systematic search and screen of the literature resulted in 32 relevant studies.

Key study characteristics, participant demographics, and thematic findings are shared, along with considerations and recommendations for future research and practice. Six key themes were described by autistic participants across the 32 studies: (1) accessibility of employment, (2) workplace relationships and communication, (3) role alignment, (4) sensory needs and/or mental health, (5) colleagues’ knowledge and beliefs about autism, and (6) family and community context.

It is anticipated that the results of this review will be beneficial for stakeholders engaging in discussions and decision-making across research and employment contexts.