Exploring the challenges and assistive technology for autistic job seekers across employment pathways.
Self-directed autistic job seekers skip free assistive tech that could get them hired—so hand it to them early.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Garrison et al. (2025) talked with autistic adults who were looking for work. They asked about the steps each person took and what tech tools they used.
The team compared two paths: people who searched alone and people who got help from a job program.
What they found
Both groups hit the same roadblocks: online forms, phone screens, and one-way video interviews were tough.
Folks who searched alone barely touched free assistive tech. People in supported programs used calendars, text-to-speech, and video résumés every day.
How this fits with other research
Vazquez et al. (2019) looked at 134 studies and saw the same gap: most programs try to fix the person, not the hiring process. Elizabeth’s team zooms in and shows the fix can be as simple as handing over the right app.
Maraventano et al. (2026) went one step further. They re-engineered job tasks for three adults who already had placements and quickly cut problem behavior. The combo is clear: give the tech before the hunt, then tweak the job after hire.
Hill et al. (2020) asked employers what works. Bosses said environmental tweaks and clear job matching matter. Elizabeth adds the missing half: job seekers need the tech to reach those bosses in the first place.
Why it matters
If you coach autistic adults, don’t wait for employers to adapt. Hand over a short toolkit now: a calendar app with alerts, a text-to-speech browser plug-in, and a simple video résumé template. Show how to use each one before they click “apply.” Five minutes of setup can open a job pathway that used to stay closed.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: When transitioning from high school, autistic job seekers often navigate three different pathways to employment: University, Job Coaching, and Self-Directed (defined as those job seekers who independently complete the job search process, without formal support). Assistive technology may aid job seekers throughout the job seeking process. The aim of this study is to learn more about the challenges and assistive technology that autistic job seekers encounter while navigating these three different employment pathways. METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen stakeholders in the United States, autistic job seekers and support personnel, within each pathway of the hiring process to gather information regarding the challenges autistic job seekers encounter, and the assistive technology they use to address those challenges. RESULTS: From a thematic analysis of these interviews, we found that autistic job seekers along each pathway commonly move through the following, phases of the hiring process or "checkpoints": resume building, networking, job search, job application, and interviews. Autistic job seekers also face challenges within each checkpoint, such as knowing when and what to disclose; self-efficacy, anxiety, and communication challenges; and a lack of communication from potential employers. We also learned that some self-directed autistic job seekers, when compared to those in the University and Job Coaching pathways, may not be using assistive technologies available in the job search process. From our interviews, we also learned the types of assistive technology that autistic job seekers and assistants use in the job seeking process which can be classified as organizational tools, connectivity tools, and visual media tools. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings revealed a necessity to connect self-directed autistic job seekers to assistive technology available. Based on these results, we present suggestions for future research and design suggestions for developing assistive technology for autistic job seekers. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS?: We define three career pathways for autistic job seekers: University, Job Coaching and Self Directed. To learn more about the hiring process for autistic job seekers and the assistive technology used within each pathway, we conducted a need-finding study. As a contribution of this study, we discovered challenges along each checkpoint in the hiring process, as well as various forms of assistive technology used to support autistic job seekers when encountering those challenges. For our second contribution, we use the information from these interviews to provide suggestions for the design of future assistive technology within the hiring process, potentially supporting the self-efficacy of autistic job seekers, during this process.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105155