“It’s Like Being Interrogated for a Crime:” The Job Interview Experiences of Late Diagnosed Autistic Women

Authors

Abstract

Autistic adults face disproportionately high unemployment rates, with traditional job interviewsserving as a significant barrier due to their emphasis on social norms and the importance of first impressions. Research on barriers late-diagnosed autistic women—a population historically marginalized in both autism and employment research—encounter during job interviews is nascent. This study examines four key areas through the voices of participants: challenges encountered during interviews, coping mechanisms, masking behaviors, and the impact of receiving a late diagnosis on their understanding of past job-seeking experiences. Women described experiencing difficulties with an inaccessible interview structure, navigating social and professional norms, and answering questions on the spot, spending a significant amount of time preparing for/recovering from a fundamentally exhausting interview process. Preparing for interviews was a task that lasted from hours to days. Women described a range of interview preparation strategies, including mirroring interview videos and accommodating oneself before or during interviews. Masking was a high-effort task requiring intense focus, concentration, and at times, disassociation, but was considered necessary to avoid employer discrimination. Finally, many participants felt that a late diagnosis allowed them to adjust how they approached the job interview. Whereas shame, confusion, and self-blame were the default before diagnosis, the understanding allowed them to implement self-care, accommodations, and an ability to self-advocate. Employer education should expand to include the interview (i.e., communication differences) and be informed directly by autistic individuals. Future research should prioritize autistic people who are BIPOC, have higher support needs, and varying levels of education.

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