How can businesses and organisations accommodate women on the autistic spectrum in the workplace? A Guide.

It used to be thought that autism was an uncommon condition but with increasing awareness and identification of this human condition, it is now estimated that rates are around 0.5% to 1% of the world’s population. In the UK a greater percentage of the population than ever before are now being identified as autistic with a figure of around 700,000 in total, many of whom are women.

In the UK a greater percentage of the population than ever before are now being identified as autistic

It was the case that boys and men were more likely to get a diagnosis of being on the autistic spectrum than women and girls. This is changing, and many more women are now being diagnosed specifically with autism. Although many conditions fall under the umbrella term “neurodiversity” (autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia), we focus here on the employment experiences of individuals on the autism spectrum, and in particular women.

Although autism is not a mental health condition, many women suffer with co-occurring mental health problems. Women are more able, and likely, to disguise or ‘mask’ their autistic traits in order to fit in with so called neurotypical colleagues.  In this regard, the majority of autistic women get through each day with a sophisticated array of compensatory behaviours, personas and strategies to hide in plain sight. This requires extraordinary resilience and determination not to be perceived as odd. These efforts can result in exhaustion and cause mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. The latter are the result of living as an autistic person and not conditions to be considered in isolation.

Although autism is not a mental health condition, many women suffer with co-occurring mental health problems

One definition is that Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental condition in humans that affects communication and social interactions. An autistic person, and women differ in some respects from men with this condition, can have a range of autistic traits, some with few, others with many. Autistic people may have difficulties with interpreting verbal and non-verbal communication, such as tone of voice or gestures others make in conversation. They may take what is said literally and will not pick up on irony or sarcasm or jokes. In a social setting autistic people have difficulty in recognizing and understanding the feelings of others and also expressing their own emotions. These factors, and others which are described below, make it particularly difficult for them to enter and remain in work environments. 

  A quiet workspace in the office with few visual distractions

According to the National Autistic Society only 16% of autistic adults are in full paid employment in the UK, and only 22% are in some kind of paid work, despite the majority wishing to work. The consequences of this are that businesses and organisations are missing out on the specialised skill set which autistic people can bring to the workplace. Some international companies such as Microsoft, Google, Goldman Sachs and others have recognised the benefits of employing people on the autistic spectrum. Other businesses such as auticon, Aspiritech and Ultranauts have gone further by only employing autistic staff to carry out their own services.

Autism is linked with numerous positive human attributes

Autism is linked with numerous positive human attributes including attention to detail, tolerance of repetitive tasks, having specialized interests and an excellent work ethic. They can recognise patterns that are not obvious to neurotypical people. They have the ability to see the world differently and thereby possess cognitive and analytical abilities which are advantageous when solving complex problems. Honesty and dependability, along with the tendency to persevere are all associated with autism and have also been linked to productivity. Intense focus and specific skills and interests may enable autistic employees to excel at jobs that match those interests which can facilitate the acquisition of extensive expertise in a particular subject, a valuable resource for organisations.

Businesses and organisations need to make sure that they have the right conditions and environments in their workplaces to enable autistic women employees to thrive

Businesses and organisations need to make sure that they have the right conditions and environments in their workplaces to enable autistic women employees to thrive. Both the organisation and individual will benefit by best practice. This starts with job applications (which should be worded carefully to encourage autistic people to apply), then interviews (where no judgement should be placed on the reactions of the interviewee, say with lack of eye contact) and eventual job placement (where a host of best work procedures should be employed). There is information available which describes how to fulfil these accommodations, but it seems to be still quite sparse in comparison with other theories of business management.

One source of information is a book written by Smith and Kirby (“Neurodiversity at Work: Drive Innovation, Performance and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce” by Theo Smith and Amanda Kirby 2021 pub. KoganPage) and another is a review of the literature by Ezerins et al. (Autism and Employment: A Review of the “New Frontier” of Diversity Research Maira E. Ezerins et al. Journal of Management Vol. 50 No. 3, 2024, 1102 –1144) which give a comprehensive account and recommendations on how to accommodate women on the autistic spectrum in the workplace. Other publications (Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum. 2^nd Edition Sarah Hendrix 2024 pub. Jessica Kingsley Publishers and the City & Guilds Neurodiversity Index Report 2024) also contribute to the understanding of this subject.

To avoid misunderstandings in communication between managers and autistic women, the so-called “double empathy problem”, it is the responsibility of managers to understand the difficulties autistic women may encounter when working within an organisation and to make adjustments in their working environment.

Accommodations might include:

-            creating a quiet workspace with few visual distractions

-            provide a predictable daily routine or a fixed schedule

-            identify specific work or tasks which the individual is most suited to tackle

-            give specific written prioritised instructions, concise, well defined without ambiguity

-            avoid multitasking activities

-            be aware and sensitive to the individual needs of the employees

-            give regular written feedback with positive supporting comments

Autistic women would find it hard to fit into a social setting and to understand the nuances of workplace politics and this makes it difficult for them to fit in. Autistic women like to carry out work in which they are interested, in an environment that does not disturb them and with work colleagues who largely leave them alone. This may make them appear antisocial.

There is also the question of how fellow neurotypical colleagues might react to what appear to be special considerations and/or treatment being given to an autistic member of staff. Although under no obligation to reveal that a member of staff is autistic, it is up to the organisation to educate their neurotypical employees to alter any adverse attitudes they may have towards their autistic colleagues. A company might deliver training courses to managers and co-workers to explain how best autistic women can be accepted without prejudice into the workplace.

These recommendations take time and effort (and money of course), but the benefits for companies and organisations will far outweigh the disadvantages of making accommodations for autistic women. There are still many misconceptions about autism in the policies and strategies of many companies which do not fully benefit from employing autistic female employees but as one company, auticon, puts it:

“Our autistic professionals have extraordinary cognitive abilities that provide exceptional value in the tech space. Logic, speed, precision, sustained concentration, and an ability to intuitively spot errors provide a uniquely autistic perspective on your tech projects”.

There are many barriers which women on the autism spectrum experience throughout the process of obtaining and maintaining employment. Autistic women have so much to offer businesses and with reasonable adjustments to their conditions and work environments they can contribute much to the workplace.