Autism and employment: Learning from experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve workplace support. A mixed-methods study

Autistic individuals face challenges in finding work and staying in a job but have valuable contributions to make. Unemployment has negative effects on physical and mental health.
 
Both the UK and Welsh governments have identified improved employment support for people on the autism spectrum as a priority. But we don’t know what kind of support is most helpful because existing research is incomplete. People with lived experience say that understanding of autism in workplaces is superficial. They also report that flexible long-term support is not available consistently to many autistic workers.
 
Working practices have changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers are expecting that many of these changes (like flexible or remote working) will continue when restrictions ease. These changes may be particularly beneficial or challenging to autistic workers. Recent data from Wales has shown that people who face insecurity at work (including those with poor physical or mental health) are more likely to want changes to their employment conditions after the pandemic. They are also likely to need extra support to access secure and flexible work in future. We do not know how this support should be adapted for autistic workers.  

This PhD project has four aims. First, we will review the latest evidence on workplace support for people on the autism spectrum. Second, we will do a survey of working people (autistic and not autistic) to understand their experiences during the pandemic, and the changes people found helpful or unhelpful. Third, we will do in-depth work with employers and autistic employees to understand what might be helpful and feasible after COVID-19. Fourth, what we learn will be put together to develop or adapt a holistic intervention that aims to promote a more inclusive work environment for autistic staff. This can then be tested in future work.