Success in the Workplace Employer Toolkit: Strategies from Autistic Employees

Success in the Workplace Employer Toolkit: Strategies from Autistic Employees is designed to be an easy to read, user-friendly toolkit to help employers and Human Resources professionals meet the needs of autistic employees. The Employer Toolkit was authored by an Autistic self-advocate, and development of the full resource involved extensive engagement with autistic employees, employers and human resources professionals across Canada. The ultimate goal is to increase the odds of successful and sustained employment for autistic adults.

Success in the Workplace EmployeTable of Contents for Toolkit Easy Print File pdf

The individual PDF’s in each section below are universally accessible. If you do not already have screen reader software, you can access NVDA screen reader software from the NV Access website. If you find that a link does not work, or you notice an error, please send an email to info@worktopia.ca and we will make an update.

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Success in the Workplace Employer Toolkit: Strategies from Autistic Employees is designed to be an easy to read, user-friendly toolkit to help employers and HR professionals meet the needs of autistic employees while still meeting the business needs of the organization or company they represent. The ultimate goal is to increase the odds of successful and sustained employment for autistic adults.

Section 1: Introduction

The Autistic Workers Survey, developed in collaboration with the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration in Autism, gathered input directly from autistic people about what they feel makes an inclusive, welcoming and supportive work environment. The goal is to contribute insights that support successful and sustained employment for autistic adults. This resource provides a high-level summary of what we learned from the Autistic Workers Survey.

Section 2: Autistic Workers Survey
Section 2: Infographic

The Inclusive Employer Survey asked companies to share what they are and are not doing to create autism inclusive workplaces. The ultimate goal is to increase the odds of successful and sustained employment for autistic adults. This resource provides a high-level summary of preliminary results from the Inclusive Employer Survey.

Section 3: Inclusive Employer Survey
Section 3: Infographic

Responses from autistic workers and inclusive employer surveys are supporting the development of tools and the identification of resources that specifically meet the needs of autistic adults and the businesses that hire them. This resource summarizes opportunities for autism employment support networks (i.e. employment agencies, human resource managers, etc.).Do you work with WordPress?

Section 4: Key Opportunities
Section 4: Infographic

This section provides an overview of what an inclusive workforce is and why shifting from awareness to acceptance is important for inclusion.

Section 5: Inclusive Workplaces
Section 5.1: Autism Acceptance Check-In Tool

This resource provides an introduction to neurodiversity and a definition of autism from the perspective of the autistic author. Additionally, autism and neurodiversity in the workplace is discussed.

Section 6: Autism and Neurodiversity

This section provides high-level information about adjustments for autistic workers. Specific worksheets related to adjustments are in Sections 11 and 13 of the Toolkit.

Section 7: Adjustments not Accommodations

This section provides a high-level overview of how to incorporate autism inclusive practices throughout the employee life cycle. Autism specific strategies for each phase of the employee life cycle make up the next six sections of the toolkit.

Section 8: Weaving Inclusion into the Employee Life Cycle
Section 8.1: Employee Life Cycle Tool

Specific strategies on how to attract autistic employees.

Section 9: Attracting Autistic Employees
Section 9.1: Attracting Autistic Employees Tool

Specific strategies on how to recruit autistic employees.

Section 10: Recruiting Autistic Talent
Section 10.1: Job Posting Reflection Tool
Section 10.2: NOT Inclusive Job Posting Sample Tool
Section 10.3: Inclusive Job Posting Sample Tool
Section 10.4: Interview Tips Tool

Specific strategies on how to onboard autistic employees.

Section 11: Onboarding Autistic Employees
Section 11.1: Mentor Role and How to Choose One Tool
Section 11.2: Easy Adjustments for
Employers to Make Tool

Specific strategies to support learning and development of autistic employees.

Section 12: Learning and Development
Section 12.1: Accessing Training Tool

The author hopes that the tools in Success in the Workplace: Strategies from Autistic Employees will help empower employers to advance employment and career opportunities for autistic individuals.

Section 15.0 – Conclusion
Section 15.1 – Acknowledgments

Please take a few minutes and provide your feedback on the Employer Toolkit using this online form.