“I did what I could to earn some money and be of use”: A qualitative exploration of autistic people’s journeys to career success and fulfilment

Jade Davies, Rachel Melinek, Adam Livesey, Estelle Killick, Evelyn Sam, Mel Romualdez, Elizabeth Pellicano & Anna Remington (2024)

doi.org/10.1177/13623613241292177

Open access link

Employment is beneficial to people’s overall wellbeing, but many autistic people who want to work face challenges in finding and maintaining meaningful employment.

Much of the current research focuses on employment rates (e.g., whether someone has a job or not), rather than an understanding of career development and experiences.

This study aimed to explore what career success means to autistic adults and their experiences in achieving it. It did this by conducting interviews with 18 autistic adults. Semi-structured interviews allowed participants to share their stories in depth, while the researchers still guided the discussion to focus on relevant themes.

Participants emphasised that finding personal fulfilment in their careers is more important than just having a job.

Five Key Themes

• Volatile Career Journeys: Careers for autistic individuals are often marked by external or personal events creating unpredictability, instability, or changes.
• Need for Continuing Career Support: Sustained and tailored support throughout a career (not just at entry-level) is crucial. This can be both formal and informal as long as there is someone to guide people through change.
• Social Connections Matter: The quality of social experiences at work—whether positive or negative—belonging is important. Likewise, isolation is caustic to career outcomes.
• The Role of the Organisation: Workplaces and their policies play a major role in shaping whether autistic employees succeed.
• Catastrophic Impact of Poor Experiences: Negative workplace experiences can lead to severe, long-term consequences for autistic people’s wellbeing and careers.

What is needed

• Lifelong, Tailored Support: To enable autistic employees to succeed, support should be personalised and ongoing, not just focused on initial hiring.
• Inclusive Workplaces: Work environments need to actively promote inclusivity to allow autistic employees to thrive.
• Beyond Entry-Level Jobs: The goal should not just be about getting autistic individuals into jobs but ensuring sustainable and fulfilling career paths for them.

The study asks for a holistic approach to employment for autistic people, focusing on long-term career satisfaction rather than just measuring employment statistics.