Supports and Barriers to Inclusive Workplaces for LGBTQIA+ Autistic Adults in the United States.

Autistic people and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and people of other sexuality or gender minorities (LGBTQIA+) experience worse unemployment rates than allistic or cisgender, straight people. Yet, there is limited research to understand the employment experiences of people with both autistic and LGBTQIA+ identities. Therefore, in this study, we aim to describe the barriers and supports for inclusion in the workplace for autistic LGBTQIA+ adults. This analysis utilized data from a larger mixed method, participatory research study, including qualitative data from 35 LGBTQIA+ autistic adults who were working part- or full-time. Participants were engaged in a semi-structured interview or a focus group. Data were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. An audit trail, checks for representativeness, and negative case analysis were utilized to promote trustworthiness of data analysis. Several factors contributed to participants' feelings of inclusion or exclusion within workplace settings. "Red flags" such as safety concerns, accessibility issues, stereotyping, and challenges with communication contributed to feelings of exclusion and the need for compartmentalization of identities. Contrarily, "green flags" such as workplace culture, representation, and accessibility contributed to increased feelings of inclusion and comfort disclosing identities. Our findings suggest that many LGBTQIA+ autistic individuals compartmentalize certain identities to protect themselves due to oppressive workplace settings, but this can be detrimental to one's well-being and contribute to autistic burnout. These findings suggest multiple recommendations to improve inclusion in workplace settings, as well as various next steps for future research.

Schmidt EK ，Williams M ，Gimah L ，Espinosa SM ，Hickman R ... -  《-》

"I Don't Understand Their Sense of Belonging": Exploring How Nonbinary Autistic Adults Experience Gender.

The term "nonbinary" refers to all gender identities that are not exclusively male or female. Nonbinary identities are more common in autistic people than in nonautistic people. Yet research meaningfully exploring the unique intersection between autism and nonbinary identities is limited. Furthermore, little is known about how the experience of being nonbinary and autistic impacts access to autistic and queer communities; spaces that can protect against poor mental health outcomes. We examined: (1) how nonbinary autistic people make sense of gender and (2) how they negotiate community. A participatory approach was adopted, involving a consulting group of 18 nonbinary autistic people at every stage of the research process. A separate group of five nonbinary autistic adults from the United Kingdom took part in semistructured interviews about autism, gender, and community. We analyzed interviews using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Within an emergent framework (gender as two dimensional), we identified three themes: (1) Where do I belong? (2) (Re)framing difference. (3) Space to be (neuro)queer. Participants understood that being autistic and nonbinary problematized how they connected with "gender," a self-defined concept of high significance. Crucially, the queer community was felt to facilitate positive identity development, but participants emphasized a continued struggle with being misunderstood, largely by their nonautistic peers. This study celebrates neuroqueer ways of being. We recommend that nonautistic people are given improved education on nonbinary autistic identities; supporting autistic people to understand their differences and facilitating positive identity development within queer spaces. Creating autistic-led community groups is furthermore key, due to the linguistic and embodied complexities of autistic gender identities.

Peachey M ，Crane L 《-》

The Lived Experience of Autistic Adults in Employment: A Systematic Search and Synthesis.

Employment is a critical factor contributing to the well-being and quality of life of autistic people of working age. Historically, research has tended to focus on interventions and employment-related outcomes, typically generated without the input of autistic workers. Interventions often work to help the autistic worker fit into the working environment rather than it being adjusted for the autistic worker. However, a growing body of research reflects autistic workers' experiences of employment with consideration given to how the workplace should change to reflect the differences of this historically marginalized group. This study is a systematic analysis of existing research that focuses on and prioritizes autistic workers' experiences of employment. Our analysis draws on the social relational model of disability (SRMD), an approach increasingly applied in contexts of autism and employment. We systematically searched five journal databases, resulting in 34 articles that reflect the lived experience of autistic people in employment. We identified four themes through narrative synthesis: Navigating Social Demands; the Disabling Nature of the Work Environment designed for neurotypical workers; Adapt to Me; and Understanding, Knowledge, and Acceptance. The results draw on the SRMD, revealing nuances to inclusionary and exclusionary employment for the autistic workforce. Our findings encourage the prioritization of the voice of autistic workers when designing working environments. They also function as a critique of the traditional approaches that placed employers, managers, and human resource professionals as the dominant agents of decision-making. In these traditional practices, the burden of making employment viable was on the worker, rather than the employer. The results of this study framed through the SRMD allowed for enhanced understanding of the barriers and new insights into how to improve the employment experience for autistic adults.

Thorpe D ，McKinlay M ，Richards J ，Sang K ，Stewart ME ... -  《-》

Using Experience Sampling Methodology to Capture Disclosure Opportunities for Autistic Adults.

Love AMA ，Edwards C ，Cai RY ，Gibbs V ... -  《-》

"I've Spent My Whole Life Striving to Be Normal": Internalized Stigma and Perceived Impact of Diagnosis in Autistic Adults.

Huang Y ，Trollor JN ，Foley KR ，Arnold SRC ... -  《-》