The Chartered Insurance Institute has joined forces with consultants Aon and Willis Towers Watson to produced a report and guide outlining ways to help more people at the higher end of the Autism Spectrum scale find jobs in areas such as financial services.

The guide reveals that almost 80% of adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are unemployed or underemployed.

It offers advice for employers on how to ‘unlock’ the talent found within this group of people and provides tips on how to recruit, manage, and continue to support adults with ASD.

The aim is to remove “typical barriers to success” which may limit the potential of ASD individuals. This includes information on working practices which meet specific needs and environmental factors which need to be considered plus advice on communication techniques.

Tips include:

• Avoiding idioms, which require interpretation, such as “ballpark figure”
• Avoiding hypothetical of abstract questions
• Recognising that body language does not always resemble conventional social norms
• Enabling ability to work close to familiar and understanding colleagues
• Relaxed obligations to social commitments

Sian Fisher, chief executive of Chartered Insurance Institute, said: “Hurdles which prevent people with disabilities from securing work, succeeding in work, or even having access to things often taken for granted such as affordable insurance premiums for travel, need to be found and replaced with the right culture of support.

“There is no shame in facing up to any current shortfall in meeting the needs of employees, particularly those with disabilities, as long as this is followed up by action to do better.

“Businesses cannot survive if they ignore the talent available within the entirety of our society, whether it is in their employment practices or within their potential customer pool. We want our profession, a mature and innovative market of ideas, to be held up as a standard for others to follow.”

The full report can be accessed here: https://www.cii.co.uk/news-insight/insight/articles/manger-guidance-supporting-employees-with-autism-spectrum-disorders-asds/91481