Workplace accommodation for autistics: Autistic autobiography and technology-enabled prosthetic environments

Abstract

Even though employers are increasingly recruiting autistic (The author recognizes the sensitivities around the choice of terms. The use of the term autistic in this paper is based on guidance from the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN). ASAN holds that autism, unlike many other conditions, is a central feature of an autistic person’s identity, not something that they “have.” Therefore person-centric terms like “person with autism” are inappropriate [64]) employees, autistic adults have one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States. This paper presents ongoing research by the author: (a) providing a brief overview of current scientific and societal perspectives on autism; (b) describing an on-going qualitative study of autistic autobiographical writings to gain insight into the autistic experience, challenges faced in society, and barriers to employment; and (c) proposing Technology-Enabled Prosthetic Environments (TEPE) as a design concept for the integration of assistive technology for workplace accommodation.