"Tell Me What My Job Is": A Qualitative Exploration of the Experiences of Autistic Academic Staff Working in Higher Education in Ireland.

Nothing was tested. These are accounts of what work is like, not an evaluation of any accommodation, training or support. The authors state the findings are not statistically generalisable, only transferable insights about how institutional environments shape inclusion and belonging. The 11 participants were people willing and able to take part in research, so autistic academics in more precarious posts are likely to be missing. Recruitment coincided with examination periods, which the authors say may have limited who responded. Everyone worked in Irish higher education, where supports for disabled and autistic staff are described as less developed than elsewhere, and policies vary between countries. Taking part required current employment and at least one semester of teaching, so people who left academia or never got in are absent.

Funded by a Dublin City University Collaborative Research Grant and a small research grant from the Dublin City University Institute of Education. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.

Do not read these accounts as evidence that any workplace change or support works. This study interviewed 11 autistic academics about their experiences and tested nothing, so the themes describe what people said, not what helps. It also cannot tell you about autistic people in other jobs, or about those in more precarious posts who were unlikely to take part.