abstract: 'Employment rates for autistic individuals are poor, even compared to

  those from other disability groups. Internationally, there remains

  limited understanding of the factors influencing employment across the

  stages of preparing for, gaining, and maintaining employment. This is

  the third in a series of studies conducted as part of an International

  Society for Autism Research (INSAR) policy brief intended to improve

  employment outcomes for autistic individuals. A multi-informant

  international survey with five key stakeholder groups, including

  autistic individuals, their families, employers, service providers, and

  researchers, was undertaken in Australia, Sweden, and the United States

  to understand the facilitators and barriers to employment for autistic

  adults. A total of 687 individuals participated, including autistic

  individuals (n = 246), family members (n = 233), employers (n = 35),

  clinicians/service providers (n = 123), and researchers (n = 50).

  Perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to employment differed

  significantly across both key stakeholder groups and countries, however,

  ensuring a good job match and focusing on strengths were identified by

  all groups as important for success. Key barriers to employment included

  stigma, a lack of understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and

  communication difficulties. Results suggest that a holistic approach to

  employment for autistic individuals is required, aimed at facilitating

  communication between key stakeholders, addressing attitudes and

  understanding of ASD in the workplace, using strength-based approaches

  and providing early work experience.

  Lay Summary Autistic individuals experience significant difficulty

  getting and keeping a job. This article presents a survey study

  involving autistic individuals, their families, employers, service

  providers and researchers in Australia, Sweden, and the United States to

  understand their perspectives on the factors that support or act as

  barriers to employment. While perspectives varied across key

  stakeholders, strategies such as using a holistic approach, targeting

  workplace attitudes and understanding, focusing on strengths, and

  providing early work experience are important for success. (c) 2020

  International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.'
affiliation: 'Black, MH (Corresponding Author), Curtin Univ, Sch Occupat Therapy \&
  Social Work, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.

  Black, MH (Corresponding Author), GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.

  Black, Melissa H.; Milbourn, Benjamin; Scott, Melissa; Falkmer, Marita; Falkmer,
  Torbjorn; Bolte, Sven; Girdler, Sonya, Curtin Univ, Sch Occupat Therapy Social Work
  \& Speech Pathol, Perth, WA, Australia.

  Black, Melissa H.; Milbourn, Benjamin; Scott, Melissa; Falkmer, Marita; Falkmer,
  Torbjorn; Bolte, Sven; Girdler, Sonya, Curtin Univ, Curtin Autism Res Grp, Perth,
  WA, Australia.

  Mahdi, Soheil; D''Angelo, Axel; Bolte, Sven, Karolinska Inst, Ctr Psychiat Res,
  Ctr Neurodev Disorders KIND, Stockholm, Region Stockhol, Sweden.

  Mahdi, Soheil; D''Angelo, Axel; Bolte, Sven, Karolinska Inst, Dept Womens \& Childrens
  Hlth, Stockholm, Region Stockhol, Sweden.

  Mahdi, Soheil; D''Angelo, Axel; Bolte, Sven, Stockholm Hlth Care Serv, Stockholm,
  Region Stockhol, Sweden.

  Gerber, Alan; Esposito, Christopher; Lerner, Matthew D., SUNY Stony Brook, Stony
  Brook, NY 11794 USA.

  Falkmer, Marita, Jonkoping Univ, Sch Educ \& Commun, Swedish Inst Disabil Res, CHILD,
  Jonkoping, Sweden.

  Halladay, Alycia, Autism Sci Fdn, New York, NY USA.

  Strom, Eva, Swedish Publ Employment Serv, Unit Rehabil \& Work, Stockholm, Sweden.

  Falkmer, Torbjorn, Linkoping Univ, Dept Hlth Med \& Caring Sci, Pain \& Rehabil
  Ctr, Linkoping, Sweden.

  Bolte, Sven, Stockholm Hlth Care Serv, Child \& Adolescent Psychiat, Stockholm,
  Region Stockhol, Sweden.

  Halladay, Alycia, Rutgers State Univ, Dept Pharmacol \& Toxicol, New Brunswick,
  NJ USA.

  Black, Melissa H., GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.'
author: Black, Melissa H. and Mahdi, Soheil and Milbourn, Benjamin and Scott, Melissa
  and Gerber, Alan and Esposito, Christopher and Falkmer, Marita and Lerner, Matthew
  D. and Halladay, Alycia and Strom, Eva and D'Angelo, Axel and Falkmer, Torbjorn
  and Bolte, Sven and Girdler, Sonya
author-email: melissa.black@curtin.edu.au
author_list:
- family: Black
  given: Melissa H.
- family: Mahdi
  given: Soheil
- family: Milbourn
  given: Benjamin
- family: Scott
  given: Melissa
- family: Gerber
  given: Alan
- family: Esposito
  given: Christopher
- family: Falkmer
  given: Marita
- family: Lerner
  given: Matthew D.
- family: Halladay
  given: Alycia
- family: Strom
  given: Eva
- family: D'Angelo
  given: Axel
- family: Falkmer
  given: Torbjorn
- family: Bolte
  given: Sven
- family: Girdler
  given: Sonya
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1002/aur.2288
earlyaccessdate: MAR 2020
eissn: 1939-3806
files: []
issn: 1939-3792
journal: AUTISM RESEARCH
keywords: autism; cross-cultural; employment; key stakeholders; adults
keywords-plus: SPECTRUM DISORDER; EMPLOYEES; DISABILITIES
language: English
month: JUL
number: '7'
number-of-cited-references: '39'
orcid-numbers: 'Black, Melissa/0000-0003-0293-4053

  Lerner, Matthew/0000-0002-7373-6663

  Bolte, Sven/0000-0002-4579-4970

  Gerber, Alan/0000-0002-8133-3995

  Girdler, Sonya/0000-0001-7992-0800'
pages: 1195-1214
papis_id: 2a0d2b31e9574e2f886d10db215e9dca
ref: Black2020multiinformantintern
researcherid-numbers: 'Girdler, Sonya/ABC-9629-2021

  Bölte, Sven/F-6644-2010

  Black, Melissa/U-5318-2019

  '
times-cited: '33'
title: Multi-informant International Perspectives on the Facilitators and Barriers
  to Employment for Autistic Adults
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000519468800001
usage-count-last-180-days: '4'
usage-count-since-2013: '21'
volume: '13'
web-of-science-categories: Behavioral Sciences; Psychology, Developmental
year: '2020'