How can policy support autistic people’s access to employment?

According to official statistics from the Office for National Statistics, employment rates for autistic people are at 29%, versus 55% for all people with disabilities, though true rates are likely to be higher. 

Many autistic people are also underemployed or malemployed, which occurs when one’s job does not match their level of qualifications. 

Professor Remington, Director of the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), spoke to the House of Lords’ Autism Act Committee in May, joining a panel that also included Laura Davis (British Association for Supported Employment) and Kim Hoque (King's Business School).  

She notes that barriers to employment for autistic people span the entire employment pipeline: from careers guidance in school to retirement. Autistic people are less likely to be able to gain work experience during their school years, for example, and careers guidance isn’t tailored to their needs. 

Entry requirements may also disproportionately exclude autistic people as there are many reasons – unrelated to knowledge level or proficiency – that can prevent autistic people from achieving the necessary qualifications. 

Recruitment and hiring can also be biased against autistic candidates. For example, job interviews all rely on social fluency, and involve understanding the hidden agendas behind questions, rather than taking questions literally. 

Enduring stigma and stereotypes mean that autistic people often need to carefully weigh up whether to disclose their autistic identity at work; this can hinder access to support. 

Once in a role, autistic people often struggle to access workplace adjustments. According to research from CRAE, almost one-third of autistic employees felt unable to discuss their adjustment needs at all. Of those who did request adjustments, over a quarter were refused and 10% found the adjustment was poorly implemented.

She recommends that research and policy around this area follow the priorities established by autistic people. 

Autistic people should also be included in all decision-making regarding employment priorities and support initiatives. 

Professor Remington suggests that more support be made available to autistic people: for example, schools can create autism-specific careers guidance in schools, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can offer more tailored support within the job search process. 

Work experience programmes could also be expanded nationally, ensuring access for all autistic young people, both with and without learning disabilities. She suggests extending the Apprenticeship Levy (or similar) to explicitly welcome businesses spending funds on initiatives or adjustments that support the recruitment and support of neurodivergent employees. 

Professor Remington recommends employers be supported to change their recruitment practices – for example, moving towards job trials rather than appointing roles based on interviews, and stopping the use of psychometric testing or AI screening methods, which are biased towards neurotypical people. 

There should be ongoing workplace support for both the employee and the employer, like job coaching, mentoring and mental health support. 

All employers should also be encouraged to engage with a neuro-inclusion initiative, for example, Autistica’s Neurodiversity Employers Index.

Related links

• Watch the full Autism Act Committee
• Professor Anna Remington's UCL profile
• Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE)
• Department of Psychology and Human Development

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Screenshot from Parliament TV live stream, Autism Act 2009 Committee, House of Lords, 19 May 2025.