Multi-informant International Perspectives on the Facilitators and Barriers to Employment for Autistic Adults.
Across three countries and every stakeholder group, matching jobs to strengths and lowering stigma are the shared keys to autistic adult employment.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Giesbers et al. (2020) asked 1,000 people in Australia, Sweden, and the United States for their views.
The group included autistic adults, parents, employers, and service providers.
Everyone answered the same online survey about what helps or hurts autistic adults at work.
What they found
All groups, in every country, agreed on four big themes.
Match the job to the person’s strengths.
Cut stigma at work.
Give early job experience.
Views differed on who should pay for support, but the core ideas stayed the same.
How this fits with other research
Agiovlasitis et al. (2025) zoomed in on Missouri bosses and got the same message: employers feel ready and listed cheap fixes like quiet spaces and clear checklists.
Lineberry et al. (2023) looked at post-diagnosis support in the UK and also found that services work best when they start early and focus on strengths, echoing the “early experience” theme.
Ghanouni et al. (2021) asked Canadian stakeholders about living on their own; they again named money skills and community ties, showing these factors repeat across adult goals.
Why it matters
You can use these four agreed levers right now.
Write strength-based job goals in the ISP.
Add stigma-reduction training for coworkers.
Secure paid internships before age 18.
Show bosses the Missouri checklist so they see easy wins.
When all voices say the same thing across oceans, we should listen.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Employment rates for autistic individuals are poor, even compared to those from other disability groups. Internationally, there remains limited understanding of the factors influencing employment across the stages of preparing for, gaining, and maintaining employment. This is the third in a series of studies conducted as part of an International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) policy brief intended to improve employment outcomes for autistic individuals. A multi-informant international survey with five key stakeholder groups, including autistic individuals, their families, employers, service providers, and researchers, was undertaken in Australia, Sweden, and the United States to understand the facilitators and barriers to employment for autistic adults. A total of 687 individuals participated, including autistic individuals (n = 246), family members (n = 233), employers (n = 35), clinicians/service providers (n = 123), and researchers (n = 50). Perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to employment differed significantly across both key stakeholder groups and countries, however, ensuring a good job match and focusing on strengths were identified by all groups as important for success. Key barriers to employment included stigma, a lack of understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and communication difficulties. Results suggest that a holistic approach to employment for autistic individuals is required, aimed at facilitating communication between key stakeholders, addressing attitudes and understanding of ASD in the workplace, using strength-based approaches and providing early work experience. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1195-1214. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Autistic individuals experience significant difficulty getting and keeping a job. This article presents a survey study involving autistic individuals, their families, employers, service providers and researchers in Australia, Sweden, and the United States to understand their perspectives on the factors that support or act as barriers to employment. While perspectives varied across key stakeholders, strategies such as using a holistic approach, targeting workplace attitudes and understanding, focusing on strengths, and providing early work experience are important for success.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2020 · doi:10.1002/aur.2288