Why We Are Doing this Study
Autistic people often face unemployment, and, when they are employed, struggle with discrimination and a lack of workplace support. Studies of autistic adults’ employment experiences can help identify the attitudes of people who interact with autistic people in their workplaces, and the on-the-job experiences of autistic people. This is Phase Three of the Autistic School Staff Project, funded by the John and Lorna Wood Foundation, and conducted in collaboration with Dr. Becky Wood of the University of East London, and Dr Anna Gagat-Matuła of the Institute of Special Needs Education of the Pedagogical University of Kraków.
What We Are Doing
We are surveying the parents of school-aged children in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont) to ask them about their experiences with autistic teachers and their beliefs about which personal characteristics are most important in the teaching profession. We are also conducting in-depth interviews with autistic teachers to gather information about their employment experiences in schools.
What We Are Hoping to Find Out
Little is currently known about the specific employment context of teaching, and through this study we hope to gain unique insights about the lives of autistic teachers, including accommodations that may help them and the barriers they may face.