Mainstreaming neurodiversity for an inclusive and sustainable future workforce: autism-spectrum employees

People with autism have the highest rates of unemployment among any group of people with and without ‘disabilities’. Yet their skills are essential to meeting current and future workforce needs, particularly in STEM areas. Traditionally defined as a disability, the strengths and limitations of autism are now recognised as valuable differences and increasingly harnessed by employers in the workplace. This case illustrates people with autism at work, as well as the history of autism employment through a movement that was started by a small Danish social innovator in 2004 and is now spreading globally in large for-profit companies. This case further showcases the various HR practices of these organisations, which are moving from affirmative action programs to regular front-door modes of employment and other models in between. The study concludes with a discussion on issues in this area to be addressed in future.