Figures released by the Office for National Statistics highlight that only 21.7% of autistic adults are employed, compared to 53.6% of all disabled people. CRAE researchers want to help get more autistic people into meaningful employment. We study several different aspects of employment, including:
Discover Autism Research and Employment (DARE)
DARE is a collaboration between CRAE and the autism research charity Autistica. Through DARE, we work with organisations across the UK to understand the experiences of autistic employees and job seekers. DARE aims to builds a holistic and longitudinal evidence base for understanding the factors behind the current autism employment gap disadvantaging autistic adults. As part of the DARE initiative, we have explored autistic people’s experiences of various aspects of employment including hiring processes, workplace adjustments, and workplace masking.
CRAE lead: Anna Remington with Jade Davies
Research summaries
“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
Career progression for autistic people: A scoping review
“Retirement Is One Hell of a Change”: Autistic People’s Experiences of Retiring.
Disclosing an autism diagnosis improves ratings of candidate performance in employment interviews
Ameliorating the disadvantage for autistic job seekers
Experiences of autistic interns at Deutsche Bank UK
In September 2017, global banking and financial services company, Deutsche Bank, funded by UK research charity Autistica, launched a unique internship programme aimed specifically at autistic graduates to address the autism employment gap. CRAE produced research that evaluated the programme and gathered the experiences of all involved. We provided evidence in favour of such schemes, as well as recommendations for improvement.
CRAE lead: Anna Remington with Liz Pellicano
Evaluating the impact of an online autism training on changing employers’ autism knowledge and commitment to inclusion in the workplace
Disclosing a diagnosis of autism in the workplace
CRAE researchers studied the impact that the disclosure of an autism diagnosis might have in the workplace.
CRAE lead: Anna Remington with Mel Romualdez
Research summary
‘Who, When, How to Share’: Pilot study of a new disclosure decision-making programme for autistic adults
Schools career guidance
CRAE researchers have been investigating the needs and aspirations of those who provide careers guidance.
CRAE lead: Sam Dexter
Research summary
Special school staff perspectives on how careers guidance is provided to their autistic young people
Autism and the performing arts
Together with The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), CRAE researchers studied the prevalence of autistic traits in the performing arts (and related strengths and challenges). This research is used to design interventions (such as a professional mentoring scheme) to promote the inclusion of autistic people in education and employment.
CRAE lead: Anna Remington with Ellie Buckley
Research summary
Higher levels of neurodivergent traits associated with lower levels of self-efficacy and wellbeing for performing arts students
Key publications:
- Davies, J., Melinek, R., Livesey, A., Killick, E., Sam, E., Romualdez, A. M., Pellicano, E., & Remington, A. (2024). “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. Autism. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10198728/
- Ashworth, M., Heasman, B., Crane, L., & Remington, A. (2024). Evaluating the impact of an online autism training on changing employers’ autism knowledge and commitment to inclusion in the workplace. Neurodiversity
- Buckley, E., Sideropoulos, V., Pellicano, E., & Remington, A. (2024). Higher levels of neurodivergent traits associated with lower levels of self-efficacy and wellbeing for performing arts students. Neurodiversity
- Davies, J., Matthews, R., Romualdez, A. M., Pellicano, E., & Remington, A. (2024). “Retirement Is One Hell of a Change”: Autistic People’s Experiences of Retiring. Autism in Adulthood.
- Davies, J., Romualdez, A. M., Pellicano, E., & Remington, A. (2024). Career progression for autistic people: A scoping review. Autism
- Ashworth, M., Heasman, B., Crane, L., & Remington, A. (2023). Evaluating a new supported employment internship programme for autistic young adults without intellectual disability. Autism
- Pryke-Hobbes, A., Davies, J., Heasman, B., Livesey, A., Walker, A., Pellicano, E., & Remington, A. (2023). The workplace masking experiences of autistic, non-autistic neurodivergent and neurotypical adults in the UK. PLOS ONE
- Cope, R., & Remington, A. (2022). The Strengths and Abilities of Autistic People in the Workplace. Autism in Adulthood.
- Han, E., Scior, K., Heath, E., Umagami, K., Dufresne, S. R., & Crane, L. (2022). Who, When, How to Share: Pilot study of a new disclosure decision-making programme for autistic adults. https://osf.io/vhry3/
- Remington, A., Heasman, B., Romualdez, A. M., & Pellicano, E. (2022). Experiences of autistic and non-autistic individuals participating in a corporate internship scheme. Autism.
- Romualdez, A. M., Walker, Z., & Remington, A. (2021). Autistic adults’ experiences of diagnostic disclosure in the workplace: Decision-making and factors associated with outcomes. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments.
- Romualdez, A. M., Heasman, B., Walker, Z., Davies, J., & Remington, A. (2021). “People might understand me better”: Diagnostic disclosure experiences of autistic individuals in the workplace. Autism in Adulthood.
- Buckley, E., Pellicano, E., & Remington, A. (2021). “The real thing I struggle with is other People’s perceptions”: The experiences of autistic performing arts professionals and attitudes of performing arts employers in the UK. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
- Buckley, E., Pellicano, E., & Remington, A. (2021). “Knowing That I’m Not Necessarily Alone in My Struggles”: UK Autistic Performing Arts Professionals’ Experiences of a Mentoring Programme. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
- Romualdez, A. M., Yirrell, K., & Remington, A. (2020). Exploring participants’ views on a supported work internship program for autistic and learning disabled young people. International Journal of Disability Management.
- Remington, A., & Pellicano, E. (2018). ‘Sometimes you just need someone to take a chance on you’: An internship programme for autistic graduates at Deutsche Bank, UK. Journal of Management and Organization.
- Remington, A. & Pellicano, E. (2017). “Sometimes you just need someone to take a chance on you”: An Internship Programme for Autistic Graduates at Deutsche Bank, UK. London, UK: University College London.
- Remington, A. (2015) Autistic people are more creative than you might think. The Conversation. Online.
- Remington, A. (2015) Why employing autistic people makes good business sense. The Conversation. Online.