Self-ID first step in workplace acceptance for employees with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Prevalence of autism in the United States is estimated at one in 44 births (CDC, 2021). More than 5.4 million adults in the U.S., or 2.2 percent of the U.S. population, are on the autism spectrum (CDC and Disability Scoop, 2020). That means there are millions of adults either looking for employment or already employed who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and their employers and colleagues may not even know.

As the prevalence of ASD grows exponentially — from one in 150 people in the U.S. in 2000 to one in 44 in 2018 — it is no wonder that over the past several years we’ve seen a shift from Autism Awareness Day to Autism Acceptance Day.

Moving away from the narrative of curing or changing people with autism, the April 2 day instead focuses on accepting, supporting and including people with ASD and advocating for their rights, including their right to competitive integrated employment. 

Yet despite the decades of effort, people in the U.S. who are on the autism spectrum experience substantial challenges to attaining competitive integrated employment opportunities that match their interests, talents and training. They experience substantial unemployment and underemployment, according to the research literature. 

Employers have increasingly focused on expanding efforts to improve access to employment for job candidates on the autism spectrum to tap their diverse talents. Many large and small employers have adjusted their recruitment, hiring and onboarding policies and practices to increase access for this population. But one important step in continuing these efforts, one that often is overlooked, is for employees with autism to self-identify in the workplace as being on the spectrum.

Disclosing an autism diagnosis

For a person on the autism spectrum, how and when to disclose their disability can be a sensitive issue. Ultimately, deciding to disclose an ASD diagnosis at work depends on the individual’s comfort level. 

Disclosure can come with positive and negative results. Positive results can run the gamut from interpersonal to work-related. For example, some research shows that neurotypical people tend to think more favorably of people with ASD after their diagnosis is disclosed. Other research indicates that disclosure might also improve the odds of being employed. 

In addition, self-disclosure makes obtaining work-related autism accommodations possible, including equipment and tools that can aid in the accomplishment of daily tasks. It is worth noting, however, that disclosure is more likely to be beneficial in a workplace where coworkers and employers already have knowledge of ASD, support neurodiversity, and are willing to adapt to accommodate all individuals’ skills.

Other benefits of self-disclosure may include:

• Increased support from coworkers, supervisors or social networks.
• Flexible or modified schedule accommodations.
• An opportunity to discuss disabilities in a positive light.
• The ability to explain gaps in employment to potential new employers.

Employers also benefit when employees disclose their disabilities: from recruitment and retention of staff to revenue and growth of the company:

• Increased job satisfaction, commitment, and productivity by employees
• A culture that allows more energy for innovation and collaboration
• Better performance from employees
• Greater supplier diversity

Turning to the minuses for employees with autism who self-identify, some may feel that their diagnosis potentially may work negatively against them for the selection of positions, promotions, awards, or could lead to a general difference in treatment.

Self-disclosure may lead to accommodations as simple as noise-cancelling headphones or an app that acts as a digital assistant to help with task management. But self-disclosure is the key here: an employer can only accommodate those disabilities of which it is aware. Without self-disclosure, the accommodations process never even gets started.