Are you an employer and unsure sure how to start building a more inclusive workplace for Autistic people? You’re not alone. Everyone is at different stages in their journey of knowledge building and understanding of how to become more autism inclusive. What matters most is that you make a meaningful start in recognising Autistic strengths and all the ways autism works.

Use this website and our downloadable free information guides to implement simple strategies that can better support autism inclusion in your workplace.

Use this free downloadable information guide to check out and check off 5 things that can support you to be more inclusive for Autistic and autism communities, and make a meaningful change in supporting Autistic strengths and recognise all the ways that autism works.

Why employ Autistic people?

Research tells us Autistic people can contribute greatly to the workforce through:

• high productivity
• low absenteeism
• strong work ethic.

We know that when we bring together different ways of thinking and celebrate diversity we can achieve great things. Employing Autistic people can bring about many positive things such as:

• bringing together different minds, skillsets and ways of working
• enhancing creative problem solving
• maximising opportunities for innovation and progress
• improving business outcomes
• strengthening workplace culture
• addressing unmet business needs.

Autistic strengths

Autistic people possess many strengths and skills. Autistic strengths are different for each person and may include:

• subject matter expertise
• high attention to detail and accuracy
• excellent memory
• deep concentration and focus
• reliability and loyalty.

Despite these strengths, in Australia, Autistic people are 6 times more likely to be unemployed than people without a disability and 3 times more likely to be unemployed than people with a disability.

Improving employment outcomes for Autistic people will have positive outcomes for both employers and employees.

At work, Autistic employees may communicate differently and can sometimes experience challenges in social interaction, communication and executive functioning - which is a term used to describe the mental skills we use to plan, remember and execute tasks. These challenges can often create barriers to employment of Autistic people at all stages of the employment cycle.

When workplaces make simple adjustments and embed inclusive practices, it can remove barriers to employment which often benefits not just Autistic employees but everybody in the workplace. These adjustments are often simple, small, affordable and can be tailored to different industries and work settings. Adjustments may relate to:

• how a job is advertised
• how interviews are conducted
• workstation set ups and the built environment
• supports offered at the time of job commencement
• changes to policies and procedures that support inclusion.

Helpful links and research

Neurodiversity as a competitive advantage – Harvard Business Review

A neurodiverse lens on the workplace – Diversity Council of Australia

The Integrated Employment Success Tool (IEST): An evidence-based guide for employers of autistic adults. Brisbane. Autism CRC.

We welcome you no matter where you are on your journey towards autism inclusion. We are here to help! Contact the Office for Autism for more information about how you can build on inclusive strategies that support Autistic and autism communities.