Improving employment and disclosure for autistic adults

“Reading about other people’s negative experiences of employment validated what had happened to me.” – Rose Matthews, autistic activist.

Five adults sitting around a table working on laptops. Credit: Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Autistic people constitute one of the most underemployed disability groups in the UK, with less than 30% in any form of paid employment (Office for National Statistics, 2022). Those who do manage to find employment often struggle in workplaces, encountering challenges such as a lack of appropriate adjustments, stigma, and discrimination. For autistic adults, disclosing that they are autistic may be one way to mitigate these challenges – but it can also have negative consequences.

Disclosing autism in the workplace

The Autistica-funded project on employment among autistic people has highlighted both the positive and negative experiences of autism disclosure and the common experiences that autistic people have had in navigating this difficult decision. Dr Mel Romualdez’s findings are shaping employment policy and helping autistic people decide when and how to disclose at work, and to understand the consequences of this decision.

Based on her research, one step employers can take to create more inclusive workplaces for autistic people is to shift the focus away from autistic employees towards other workers. This means staff need to learn more inclusive ways of working and let go of neurotypical expectations of behaviour, to be more neurodiversity-affirming. Additionally, since inclusive practices benefit all employees and organisations, employers should shape inclusive workplace cultures through attitudes, practices, and policies from top level management down.

As part of the 2022 fellowship, Dr Romualdez convened an online panel discussion with autistic experts to share their perspectives on employment for autistic people – including what currently works and what needs to change to improve their outcomes and experiences. The audience was largely made up of autistic adults, who took part in the discussion via the chat facility and shared their own experiences of employment. The event recording was made available on the CRAE YouTube channel and circulated widely on social media.

Spreading the word

The research has been presented at conferences in the UK and abroad. In early 2024, Dr Romualdez delivered a webinar to employees of VIB, a biotechnology research institute based in Belgium, about how to make workplaces more inclusive for autistic people. This has potential for lasting impact on VIB’s policies for supporting autistic employees. Her research on disclosure was cited in the Buckland Review of Autism Employment, a policy document focusing on how to improve employment outcomes for autistic people, which was debated in the House of Commons in March 2024.

Working alongside and involving autistic people

The research has been picked up by autistic blogger and activist Rose Matthews. Dr Romualdez and Rose have collaborated with other researchers on a study looking at the retirement experiences of autistic adults in the UK. The relationship has been life-changing for Rose:

Dr Romualdez’s research on disclosure and employment is respectful and neurodiversity-affirming; it supports the research priorities of autistic people and is accessible. The successful revival of my career has been greatly assisted by this work.”

Black and white photo of a woman wearing glasses against a purple and blue background. Credit Gabrielle Fadullon for UCL IOE.

About the academic

Dr Anna Melissa (Mel) Romualdez is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at IOE. She is based at IOE’s Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), which is generously supported by the Pears Foundation. CRAE aims to conduct research that improves the lives of autistic people by addressing their priorities. [2022–23 cohort]

Images

Annie Spratt via Unsplash. Gabrielle Fadullon for UCL IOE.