In Search of a Good Person-to-Job Fit: Perspectives of Autistic Clients, Their
Family Members, and Employers of a Pilot Autism-Specific Employment Program
#MMPMID41340670
Ashburner J
; Glastonbury E
; Bobir N
; Sanders D
; Swift E
; Rietberg E
; Hill J
Autism Adulthood
2025[Oct]; 7
(5
): 623-637
PMID41340670
show ga
Employment is an important factor contributing to the quality of life of autistic
individuals. However, autistic people are substantially underrepresented in the
workforce, and are more likely than non-autistic people to be in part-time/casual
positions and/or in jobs for which they were overqualified. Current employment
programs often cater to a limited range of autistic jobseekers. This project
explored participants' perceptions of an autism-specific, client-led employment
program, Autism EmployABLE, with respect to (1) the program's helpfulness and
aspects that could be improved and (2) the clients' happiness, confidence, and
feelings of independence after gaining employment. We employed a hybrid approach
for content analysis of semi-structured interviews to explore the perspectives of
15 autistic clients, 6 family members, and 5 employers. Interview data revealed
that almost all participants perceived Autism EmployABLE to be helpful, and that
it aligned well with the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) Model of
Occupational Performance, in that it addressed the interaction between person
(e.g., interests, strengths), environment (workplace factors), and occupation
(e.g., job tasks). Perceived benefits of the program included enhanced client
confidence and independence, and improved outcomes compared with generic
disability employment services. Suggested improvements included opportunities for
clients to meet and share experiences, access to industry-specific mentoring,
provision of written materials, and aptitude testing for specific roles. This
study provides preliminary support for the benefits of Autism EmployABLE and
highlights the importance of sourcing positions that match each client's skills
and interests to achieve the outcome considered critical to employment
success-good person-to-job fit. COMMUNITY BRIEF: Why was this program developed?:
Despite the many strengths that autistic people can bring to the workplace, they
are more likely than non-autistic people to be unemployed or to work in
part-time/casual positions and/or in jobs for which they were overqualified. We
developed Autism EmployABLE to help autistic people find satisfying and
sustainable employment that matches their skills and interests.What does the
program do?: The program aims to support autistic jobseekers to find satisfying
jobs by matching their interests, strengths, and support needs (the person) with
characteristics of the workplace (the environment) and job tasks (the
occupation). The program is staffed by professionals with autism-specific
knowledge (e.g., psychologists, occupational therapists, teachers) and staff with
experience in the vocational sector and marketing skills. The staff therefore
have the expertise to work effectively with both clients and businesses. Clients
take a leading role by setting their own employment goals and developing
"roadmaps" to help them communicate about their strengths and support needs. The
program supports clients to apply for open employment opportunities that suit
their skills and interests.How did the researchers evaluate the new program?: We
asked the autistic clients who accessed Autism EmployABLE, their family members,
and employers to participate in an interview, which explored the helpfulness of
the program in finding a job and navigating the workplace, satisfaction with job
placements, and client well-being after finding employment. We asked about
aspects of the program that they liked and aspects that could be improved.What
were the early findings?: The findings suggest that a good person-to-job fit can
be achieved by matching the skills, interests, and support needs of clients with
the needs of businesses. Participants observed improvements in the clients'
confidence and independence. They reported achievement of better employment
outcomes than they had achieved through generic disability employment services.
Suggested improvements included more opportunities for clients to meet and share
experiences. Clients seeking employment in professions such as engineering or
information technology (IT) would like access to mentors with profession-specific
knowledge. One employer suggested aptitude testing for specific roles.What were
the weaknesses of this project?: We are unsure whether the perspectives of the
program reported here can be generalized to other cultures and communities.What
are the next steps?: This study supports autism-specific, client-led employment
programs that consider the unique skills and interests of autistic clients when
finding a suitable job. Many of the clients and their family members perceived
that the clients achieved more satisfying and sustainable employment through this
program than through generic disability employment services. The next step would
therefore be to provide more autistic jobseekers with access to this type of
program.How will this work help autistic adults now or in the future?: If
autistic people are supported to find employment that matches their skills and
interests, they are more likely to find satisfying jobs and are more likely to be
happy to continue working in these positions.
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