An alternative pathway to employment for autistic job-seekers: a case study of a training and assessment program targeted to autistic job candidates

Autistic adults are willing and able employees but face a number of barriers to gaining and maintaining meaningful employment, one of which is a lack of exposure to work experience and workplace training opportunities. A case study of an autism specific employment program is presented, which provided an opportunity for autistic candidates to learn role-related tasks at the employment site over an extended training and assessment period, and comprehensive training and transition support for successful applicants. To date, limited data exists evaluating autism-specific hiring programs involving a vocational education and training component, which is addressed by this study. To evaluate the program, one-on-one interviews were conducted, approximately three months post-employment, with the successful autistic employees; focus groups were also conducted with their co-workers. The study identified a number of positive aspects of the program (e.g. extended exposure to the role and workplace prior to role start, individual support, modifications), and areas for improvement (e.g. further training for co-workers). The findings suggest that programs that provide extended onsite vocational training and support may benefit autistic job candidates and allow an effective transition into the workplace.