Advice for autistic people considering a career in academia

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Thom-Jones, S. (2023). Advice for autistic people considering a career in academia. Autism, 27(7), 2187-2192. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231161882

Publication date: 23 Mar 2023 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Sandra Thom-Jones *

Abstract

Academia is underpinned by an apprenticeship model, with increasing recognition of the need for a ‘cognitive apprenticeship’ model in which the methods and strategies of academic success are learnt through participation in a community of inquiry. Autistic people face systemic barriers in academia, as in other professions, and these may be exacerbated by a model based on learning by observing and modelling. This study sought to obtain specific practical advice for autistic people considering a career in academia, from the perspective of those already working within the academy. Thirty-seven autistic academics provided written reflections on the advice they would give a young person considering a career in academia. Five key themes were generated from these reflections: know the role, find the right people, know (and value) yourself, remember well-being and proceed with caution but with passion. Lay abstract One of the recognised strengths of autistic people is their ability to absorb and retain large amounts of information; autistic children and adolescents are often described as ‘little professors’. So, is the life of a university researcher or teacher the ideal career for an autistic person? In this study, 37 autistic people working in universities and colleges provide advice to young people considering a future career as an academic. They emphasise the importance of understanding the complexities and requirements of the role, understanding and valuing yourself and your strengths, and finding the right people to work with and learn from. They also discuss the importance of maintaining a balance between work and well-being, and between caution and passion. The life of an academic can be ideally suited to an autistic person, but it can also be very challenging.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:31.

Cited references
28
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
4 / 28 (14.3%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
11 / 91 (12.1%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 11 / 45 (24.4%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 10 / 84 (11.9%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
45 / 91 (49.5%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 38 / 84 (45.2%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
34 / 45 (75.6%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 34 / 91 (37.4%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 28 / 38 (73.7%).
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