Barriers to and Facilitators for Finding and Keeping Competitive Employment: A Focus Group Study on Autistic Adults With and Without Paid Employment.
Evelien P M Brouwers, Michel Bergijk, Jaap van Weeghel and 3 others
PMID 38568404WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adults identified workplace inclusion, supportive supervisors, and job-coaching as key to employment.
Those without jobs cited lack of energy, low self-esteem, and fear of losing benefits as barriers. Those with jobs emphasized assertiveness and finding work aligned with personal interests.
Key findings
01A positive workplace atmosphere and a supportive supervisor were identified by both employed and unemployed autistic adults as crucial facilitators for sustainable employment.
02Participants without paid employment frequently reported lacking energy, having low self-esteem due to past bullying, and fearing the loss of disability benefits as major barriers.
03Participants with paid employment highlighted the importance of assertiveness, proactivity, and having work that aligned with their personal interests and talents.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling, resulting in a participant group that was entirely Caucasian and highly educated, which limits generalizability to more diverse populations. Participants were recruited from mental health care institutes and autism associations, potentially excluding autistic adults who are doing well and have not sought formal diagnosis or support. The design separated participants only by current employment status, ignoring other relevant subgroups such as those with different employment histories or varying levels of well-being at work.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Tilburg University Fund. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the themes as evidence that specific interventions work. This study reports what autistic adults experienced and perceived as barriers or facilitators in their own words, but it does not test whether any particular therapy or workplace adjustment improves employment outcomes.