Are autistic individuals only suited to IT?

The idea of autistic individuals only being suited to IT jobs is a stereotype and common misconception. Autistic adults are successfully employed across a wide range of roles and industries including (but not limited to) law, finance, creative arts, science, agriculture, hospitality, audit and compliance and customer service. Tech companies, however are often seen to be leading the way in tapping into this talent pool and, as a result a stereotype around autism & IT careers may exist simply because organisations in the Tech sector  are more willing to take on, value and support autistic individuals.

One thing that is for sure, many autistic individuals are unemployed or under-employed (that is, their job doesn't match their skills, qualifications or experience). This is despite autistic traits often being associated with sought after qualities such as excellent problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, out of the box thinking, perseverance, loyalty, honesty, creativity and innovation and a strong sense of social justice (just to name a few!).

All organisations have an opportunity to step up, tap into and support the representation of autistic talent within the workplace by incorporating neurodiversity pathways into their own recruitment initiatives. This starts by fostering an inclusive and psychologically safe workplace which champions change and genuinely sees the value that a diverse workforce can bring.

I encourage organisations to start by exploring training initiatives to support neurodiversity awareness and to take proactive steps to ensure you are also supporting your existing neurodivergent cohort. Reach out today to enquire about NeuroEdge’s range of services.

The brilliant visual below was created by @unmaksing_autism and shared via Instagram.