In May, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Insurance and Financial Services met to discuss autism and employment.
Sir Robert Buckland, who published a key report on this three years ago, talked about how simple changes in attitudes, without any changes in government spending or new legislation, could make a huge difference for autistic people and fuel growth in the UK economy.
He also stressed that insurance is one of the leading sectors in enabling the employment of autistic people, leading good practice in areas like recruitment and training.
Methods to tackle the lack of opportunities for autistic people include ‘strength-based training’ – not forcing individuals into being the best person for every aspect of a typical, generic role, but looking to build their strengths and finding the best way to fill the gaps. This can be done by reshaping roles within the team, or by building on existing skills and using them in less conventional ways.
This approach of looking to build on people’s strengths is particularly important, given the number of autistic people who are simply not diagnosed. According to research by University College London in 2023, between 150,000 and 500,000 people aged 20 to 49 years-old may be autistic but undiagnosed in England and between 250,000 and 600,000 autistic people over the age of 50 may be undiagnosed.
As one particularly successful manager of an autistic team member said, “We all have likes and dislikes, differing strengths and conditions that affect us personally in and outside of work. I consciously adjust my managerial style for every individual I work with and believe this to be tremendously beneficial for everyone, not just those who identify with having a specific condition.”
As with so many issues, getting something right for disabled people is the key to getting things right for everyone.
