Intersectional stigma at work

This is a lay summary of Doyle, Nancy and McDowall, Almuth and Waseem, Uzma (2022) Intersectional stigma for Autistic people at work: a compound adverse impact effect on labor force participation and experiences of belonging. Autism in Adulthood.

Why is this an important issue?

Employment data show that autistic people find it harder to get and keep work. This study focuses on understanding if multiple identities and people’s background make a difference.

What is the purpose of this study?

We asked a group of Autistic people about gender and race, as well as being gay lesbian, bisexual, transexual or queer (LGBTQ). We asked where people live, their education, parents’ education and if they had any

diagnoses in addition to autism. We predicted that these things would have a negative effect on autistic employment rates. We thought they would also affect how autistic people felt at work.

What we did

An online survey was completed by 576 autistic people. We analyzed whether their identities and backgrounds made it more or less likely that they were in work. We then asked the 387 employed people within this group about their experiences at work. We compared their experiences by identity and background to see if these made a positive or negative difference.

What we found

We found that white Autistic people living in western countries such as the USA and Europe were more likely to have jobs. They were also more likely to jobs specifically designed for Autistic people. We found that women, non-binary and transgender autistic people felt less included at work. We also f

ound that feeling that someone cares is more important than any adjustments to work scheduling such as flexible working to support people.

What do these findings add to what was already known?

It is already known that autistic people are less likely to be in work than non-autistic people. This study shows that these overall numbers are masking important differences arising from gender, race and ethnicity.

What are the potential weaknesses in the study?

The survey was taken at one point in time, which doesn’t explain how these differences happened. Most people wh

o completed the study were highly educated. We didn’t have enough people from the non-western countries or communities of color. Therefore, the sample is not large or diverse enough to draw firm conclusions.

How will the study help Autistic people now or in the future?

We hope that the study inspires people to think about different identities and additional stigma for autism at work programs. We have provided a sample of baseline data from all over the world which shows a difference by location. Even though this is just a trend, it might spark more research looking at the crossover between autism, identities and backgrounds. It provides a starting point to help researchers who want to do longer studies that test interventions to improve autistic participation and experiences in work.

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