Beyond individual support: Employment experiences of autistic Korean designers receiving strength-based organizational support.

IF 5.2 2区 心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL
Autism Pub Date : 2025-07-01 Epub Date: 2025-04-10 DOI:10.1177/13623613251329605
SoHyun Lee, So Yoon Kim, Kwinam Lee, Sehwa Sim, Hyesung Park
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study qualitatively examined the employment experiences of autistic designers in a South Korean company providing strength-based support at the organizational level. The experiences of 12 autistic employees (mean age = 27 years old, 83.3% male), 12 parents, and 5 non-autistic employees were examined using semi-structured interviews and multi-perspective interpretive phenomenological analysis. Four superordinate themes emerged: the impact of inclusive support systems, views on autistic characteristics, empowering employment experiences, and associated outcomes. Results emphasized the importance of organization- and individual-level support in shaping the employment experiences of autistic and non-autistic employees. While autistic characteristics served as facilitators and challenges of autistic employees' employment experiences, they contributed to the company's overall success. A sense of belonging, competency, and agency motivated autistic employees; their employment outcomes involved perceived changes in autistic characteristics, enhanced quality of life, and positive autistic self-identity. The findings suggest that the implementation of neurodiversity-based support at the organizational level allows autistic employees to leverage their unique characteristics as strengths regardless of support needs and benefits all employees. Future research should explore cultural influences, assess generalizability to other vocational contexts, and investigate the impacts of adopting neurodiversity in the workplace to create inclusive environments that maximize the career potential of autistic employees.Lay AbstractAutistic people have difficulties obtaining and maintaining jobs. This study looked at the experiences of autistic designers working in a South Korean company that supports autistic people at the company level. We wanted to understand how the autistic individuals' jobs and the support they received influenced their lives. We interviewed autistic employees, their parents, and non-autistic coworkers. We found four important themes: how they felt about the support systems, their thoughts on being autistic, the experiences they had at work, and their employment outcomes. Both company and individual support were crucial for the company. Autistic characteristics sometimes created challenges, but overall, they contributed to the company's success. Feeling like they belonged, being good at their jobs, and having control over their work made autistic employees feel empowered. Working at this company led to positive changes such as reducing certain autism-related challenges, improving their quality of life, and feeling good about being autistic. These findings suggest that companies should support autistic employees not only on a personal level but also as part of the company's culture. Thus, autistic characteristics can be seen as strengths that benefit the individuals and the whole company. Future research should explore how different cultures influence these experiences and evaluate whether similar findings apply to other jobs. We also need to study how embracing neurodiversity in the workplace can create environments that help autistic individuals do well in their careers.

超越个人支持:韩国自闭症设计师的就业经验,获得基于力量的组织支持。
本研究定性地考察了韩国一家公司的自闭症设计师的就业经历,该公司在组织层面提供基于力量的支持。采用半结构化访谈和多视角解释现象学分析,对12名自闭症员工(平均年龄27岁,男性占83.3%)、12名家长和5名非自闭症员工的经历进行了调查。四个重要的主题出现了:包容性支持系统的影响、对自闭症特征的看法、赋权就业经历和相关结果。结果强调了组织和个人层面的支持在塑造自闭症和非自闭症员工的就业经历中的重要性。虽然自闭症特征在自闭症员工的就业经历中起到了推动者和挑战的作用,但他们对公司的整体成功做出了贡献。归属感、胜任力和代理激励自闭症员工;他们的就业结果包括自闭症特征的感知改变、生活质量的提高和积极的自闭症自我认同。研究结果表明,在组织层面实施基于神经多样性的支持可以使自闭症员工在不考虑支持需求的情况下利用其独特的特征作为优势,并使所有员工受益。未来的研究应探索文化影响,评估其在其他职业环境中的普遍性,并调查在工作场所采用神经多样性对创造包容性环境的影响,从而最大限度地发挥自闭症员工的职业潜力。自闭症患者很难找到并维持工作。这项研究观察了在一家韩国公司工作的自闭症设计师的经历,该公司在公司层面上支持自闭症患者。我们想了解自闭症患者的工作和他们得到的支持是如何影响他们的生活的。我们采访了自闭症员工、他们的父母和非自闭症同事。我们发现了四个重要的主题:他们对支持系统的感受,他们对自闭症的看法,他们在工作中的经历,以及他们的就业结果。公司和个人的支持对公司来说都至关重要。自闭症患者有时会带来挑战,但总的来说,他们为公司的成功做出了贡献。有归属感,擅长自己的工作,能够掌控自己的工作,这些都让自闭症员工感到自己被赋予了权力。在这家公司工作带来了积极的变化,比如减少了某些与自闭症相关的挑战,提高了他们的生活质量,并对自闭症感觉良好。这些发现表明,公司不仅应该在个人层面上支持自闭症员工,而且应该将其作为公司文化的一部分。因此,自闭特征可以被视为有利于个人和整个公司的优势。未来的研究应该探索不同的文化如何影响这些经历,并评估类似的发现是否适用于其他工作。我们还需要研究如何在工作场所接纳神经多样性,从而创造环境,帮助自闭症患者在职业生涯中取得好成绩。
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来源期刊
Autism
Autism PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL-
CiteScore
9.80
自引率
11.50%
发文量
160
期刊介绍: Autism is a major, peer-reviewed, international journal, published 8 times a year, publishing research of direct and practical relevance to help improve the quality of life for individuals with autism or autism-related disorders. It is interdisciplinary in nature, focusing on research in many areas, including: intervention; diagnosis; training; education; translational issues related to neuroscience, medical and genetic issues of practical import; psychological processes; evaluation of particular therapies; quality of life; family needs; and epidemiological research. Autism provides a major international forum for peer-reviewed research of direct and practical relevance to improving the quality of life for individuals with autism or autism-related disorders. The journal''s success and popularity reflect the recent worldwide growth in the research and understanding of autistic spectrum disorders, and the consequent impact on the provision of treatment and care. Autism is interdisciplinary in nature, focusing on evaluative research in all areas, including: intervention, diagnosis, training, education, neuroscience, psychological processes, evaluation of particular therapies, quality of life issues, family issues and family services, medical and genetic issues, epidemiological research.
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