Employers’ perspectives regarding reasonable accommodations for employees with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Employers who are open to the establishment of a neuro-diverse workforce, including adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), often encounter challenges resulting from both personal characteristics and environmental barriers. Employees with ASD demonstrate evident abilities and a high motivation to work, yet their employment rate remains low. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perspectives of 11 employers of individuals with ASD from the open labour market. Three themes emerged: employers’ perception of employees with ASD; their motivation to employ an employee with ASD; and accessibility of the work environment: reasonable adjustments. The findings support the importance of factors in the work environment that serve to either inhibit or facilitate the inclusion of people with ASD in the open labour market as much as their personal characteristics. The results relate to workplace accessibility within the context of the organization’s management and justice climate.

From dreams to reality: a phenomenological study of the psychological contracts of ex-military personnel in the Australian Defence Force

“…In this case, nine subjects fell within the range recommended by Creswell (2013) who supports ‘4–12 people’ (Creswell, 2020) and used nine subjects in his own seminal phenomenological research (Brown, Sorrell, McClaren, & Creswell, 2006). The sample size was also in line with similar studies: in their phenomenological study of military training experience, Cane, McCarthy, and Halawi (2010) interviewed four individuals; in their study of career-change driven by a sense of calling, Ahn, Dik, and Hornback (2017) interviewed eight individuals; and in their study of adults with an autism spectrum disorder, Waisman-Nitzan, Gal, and Schreuer (2019) interviewed 11 individuals.…”

Implications of Employment Changes Caused by COVID-19 on Mental Health and Work-Related Psychological Need Satisfaction of Autistic Employees: A Mixed-Methods Longitudinal Study

“…As apparent in the results of the current study, the increase in remote work from home is one of the most observable work-related changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, with common estimates predicting remote work may stay after the pandemic is over (Brynjolfsson et al 2020;Carillo et al 2020;Kramer and Kramer 2020). Results give a first insight into the effects of remote work on autistic employees, pointing to advantages and disadvantages that are detailed in research of employees from the general population (Biron and Veldhoven 2016;Boell et al 2013;Carillo et al 2020), along with aspects that are more unique for the autistic employees, such as controlling the environment due to sensory sensitivity (Waisman-Nitzan et al 2019). For autistic people, the possibility of working from home may open doors, especially for those who cope with severe social anxiety or high sensory sensitivity.…”

The DXC technology work experience program: disability-inclusive recruitment and selection in action

“…Waisman-Nitzan, Gal, and Schreuer (in this issue) highlight employer attitudes as a potential employment barrier. When employers take the view that only people with disabilities have special needs, they are likely to consider hiring anyone classified as disabled as a cost.…”