“[I] don’t wanna just be like a cog in the machine”: Narratives of autism and skilled employment

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Raymaker, D. M., Sharer, M., Maslak, J., Powers, L. E., McDonald, K., Kapp, S. K., Moura, I., Wallington, A., & Nicolaidis, C. (2022). “[I] don’t wanna just be like a cog in the machine”: Narratives of autism and skilled employment. Autism, 27(1), 65-75. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221080813

Publication date: 1 Apr 2022 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
9
Publication authors identified as autistic
3 / 9 (33.3%)
  1. Dora M Raymaker *
  2. Mirah Sharer
  3. Joelle Maslak *
  4. Laurie E. Powers
  5. Katherine McDonald
  1. Steven K. Kapp *
  2. Ian Moura
  3. Anna Wallington
  4. Christina Nicolaidis

Abstract

Autistic people experience disparities in employment which may be exacerbated for individuals in skilled employment. Little is known about the experiences of autistic people in skilled employment or how they define success. We used a community-based participatory research approach to conduct a thematic analysis with an inductive approach at a semantic level through a critical realist paradigm. We interviewed 45 autistic people with skilled training, 11 supervisors, and 8 key informants. We purposively sampled to maximize variation. We addressed trustworthiness through multiple coders and peer debriefing. Common themes included high stakes of disclosure, unconventional pathways to careers, disconnects with service and support systems, mental health challenges from trauma/burnout, autistic advantages in the workplace, and complex dimensions of discrimination. Participants defined success as opportunities for growth, work/life balance, financial independence, sense of community, and feeling valued, accepted, and like their work had meaning. Strategies to facilitate success suggested a multi-faceted and wholistic approach including attention to the role of supervisors. Our findings suggest a highly customizable, systems-focused, multifaceted approach to autism employment intervention could be useful in improving skilled employment outcomes. We recommend further work particularly in the areas of disclosure and destigmatizing disability in the workplace. Lay abstract Autistic people are less likely to be employed than the general population. Autistic people with skilled training (e.g. training for jobs in acting, plumbing, science, or social work) might be even less likely to get a good job in their field. Little is known about the experiences of autistic people in skilled employment or what employment success means to them. We interviewed 45 autistic people with skilled training in a wide range of fields, 11 job supervisors, and 8 topic experts. We asked them about their experiences, what they felt helped them to be successful at work, and what employment success means to them. Participants talked about the high stakes of disclosure, taking unconventional pathways to careers, disconnects with service and support systems, mental health challenges from trauma and burnout, the autistic advantages in the workplace, and complex dimensions of discrimination. Participants said success meant opportunities for growth, good work/life balance, financial independence, sense of community, and feeling valued, accepted, and like their work had meaning. Things that helped them be successful included flexible, accepting workplaces, supportive and respectful supervisors, and direct communication. What we learned suggests that an individualized, wholistic approach to autism employment intervention that considers both employers and employees and employee mental health could be useful. We also recommend more research into disclosure and destigmatizing disability at work.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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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 11:30.

Cited references
51
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
6 / 51 (11.8%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
19 / 201 (9.5%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 19 / 68 (27.9%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 7 / 168 (4.2%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
68 / 201 (33.8%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 42 / 168 (25.0%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
49 / 68 (72.1%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 49 / 201 (24.4%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 35 / 42 (83.3%).
2 cited bibliography entries could not be fully enriched from DOI metadata.
Crossref: not found (1) · DataCite: not found (1)
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