Read the personal accounts of autistic students and graduates who went through the transition into employment or work experience. We are grateful to those who shared their story.
An autistic graduate, who works as a recruitment consultant in a company in Leeds, UK, has faced a number of challenges on their journey into and through employment. This case study highlights how these challenges can be overcome, through clear communication of an autism diagnosis and being pro-active.
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Callum, a Leeds Beckett University graduate of BSc (Hons) Creative Media Technology, graduated in 2019. A 9-month work placement at a media agency during his studies went really well, but once he had graduated his new employer was unwilling to even discuss reasonable adjustments. After just 3 weeks, Callum left his job, having lost all confidence in himself. He then set up his own company, with his mum, offering web development, web accessibility training and consultancy.
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An autistic employee (pronouns they/them) had been working as a claims adjuster for an insurance company for nearly 8 years. They were initially reluctant to disclose their diagnosis of ADHD and their upcoming assessment for autism. However, recently they repeatedly had to take time off work due to stress. They felt that by being transparent about their diagnosis and upcoming autism assessment, they could justify their absences and arrange for reasonable adjustments to be put in place.
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Kristian, an autistic student on the Creative Media course at Leeds Beckett University (UK) completed a 9-month work placement at Dynamic, a specialist company developing interactive learning applications for some of the world’s biggest organisations. Initially, Kristian encountered a few challenges surrounding his work placement, namely, being unsure on what work to do, needing regular short breaks and needing clear instructions. This case study highlights how both Dynamic and Kristian were able to overcome these challenges and work together to make the work environment more autism-friendly.
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Even with high level qualifications, finding a job as an autistic graduate can still be challenging. This case study explains the challenges of finding a job as an autistic, PhD graduate in France and gives tips and insight into how to overcome the challenges of searching for, applying for, and securing work. Getting colleagues involved and increasing their understanding of autism was crucial.
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