{"id":2203,"date":"2025-01-15T16:24:10","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T21:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cdci.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/?page_id=2203"},"modified":"2025-01-15T16:24:11","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T21:24:11","slug":"autistic-employees-technology-based-workplace-accommodation-preferences-survey","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cdci.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/research\/research-summaries\/autistic-employees-technology-based-workplace-accommodation-preferences-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Autistic Employees\u2019 Technology-Based Workplace Accommodation Preferences Survey&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"featured-cta-block d-flex uvm-block wp-full-width bg-gray\" id=\"CTA\">\n  <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n    <div class=\"row overview-columns align-items-center\">\n      <div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 details\">\n        <p class=\"overline\">Recommended Research Summary, October 2023<\/p>        <h2 class=\"h3\">Asking autistic employees&#8217; which accommodations work best for them in the workplace<\/h2>        <p>This is a summary of Micha\u0142 T. Tomczak, Pawe\u0142 Ziemia\u0144ski (2023). Autistic Employees\u2019 Technology-Based Workplace Accommodation Preferences Survey \u2013 Preliminary Findings.\u00a0<em>International Journal of Environmental Research in Public Health<\/em>, 20:5773. DOI:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph20105773\">doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph20105773<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n                <ul class=\"buttons-list\">\n                      <li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdci.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/UVM-Autism-Recommended-Research-Summary.pdf\" target=\"\" class=\"btn btn-primary\">Download a copy of the summary as a .pdf<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdci.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/cdciresources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/09\/Autistic-Employee-Workplace-Accommodation-Poland-Summary.mp3\" target=\"\" class=\"btn btn-primary\">Listen to an audio version of this summary (.mp3)<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n              <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 media\">\n        <figure>\n          <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/cdci.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/poland-web-frame.001-750x500.png\" class=\"attachment-three-two-md size-three-two-md\" alt=\"Thumbnail of Poland recommended research summary\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdci.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/poland-web-frame.001-750x500.png 750w, https:\/\/cdci.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/poland-web-frame.001-1500x1000.png 1500w, https:\/\/cdci.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/poland-web-frame.001-120x80.png 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>        <\/figure>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What was this study about?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This study aimed to learn about what autistic employees in Poland prefer for workplace accommodations. The accommodations that autistic people were asked to review helped with four areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>communicating effectively<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>effective time management<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>stress management and emotion control, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>sensory overload.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the accommodations were technology tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study found that autistic employees preferred accommodations that limited overstimulation most of all. They also preferred accommodations that provided a flexible work schedule, gave them access to a job coach, and made it possible to talk with non-autistic coworkers electronically (rather than face-to-face).<\/p>\n\n\n<section id=\"accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea\" class=\"accordion-block\">\n\n  <div class=\"card\">\n    <div class=\"card-header\" id=\"heading1\">\n      <a class=\"collapsed d-flex align-items-center justify-content-between\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea1\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea1\" href=\"#\">\n        <h3>What did the researchers do for this study?<\/h3>\n        <i class=\"fa-plus fa-regular fa-sharp\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea1\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"heading1\">\n      <div class=\"card-body\">\n        <p>Researchers in Poland read other research studies and decided to survey autistics to get their opinions on how, in the workplace, technology can help with communicating effectively, time management, stress management and emotional control, and sensory overload. The researchers advertised on autism-focused websites and discussion forums for autistic people to participate in their study. The autistic people who responded then took a survey that asked them to rate accommodations that made it easier for them to do their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>The survey asked autistic people to rate specific types of accommodations on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 was very bad, and 5 was very good. Most of the accommodations they rated were provided by technology.<\/p>\n<p>113 women and 27 men took the survey. All of them were autistic adults. 85% of them were employed when they took the survey. 65% of them had some college education, and most of them had been working more than five years.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"card\">\n    <div class=\"card-header\" id=\"heading2\">\n      <a class=\"collapsed d-flex align-items-center justify-content-between\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea2\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea2\" href=\"#\">\n        <h3>What did the researchers discover?<\/h3>\n        <i class=\"fa-plus fa-regular fa-sharp\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea2\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"heading2\">\n      <div class=\"card-body\">\n        <p>Here are the accommodations that received the highest ratings in the survey:<\/p>\n<table class=\"responsive2\" border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" cellpadding=\"1\">\n<caption>Accommodations Ranked by Preference<\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Workplace Challenge<\/td>\n<td>Accommodation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Effective communication<\/td>\n<td>Email, chat software, online communications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Time management<\/td>\n<td>Flexible schedules, remote work, task management tools, access to a job coach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Stress-level management<\/td>\n<td>Stress-level measurement, customized office environment based on individual preference<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sensory overload<\/td>\n<td>Customizing office space based on individual preference<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The survey also found that autistic people who were in their first five years of work preferred task management apps more than autistics who had been at work longer.<\/li>\n<li>Autistic employees with less education preferred task management apps more than autistic people with more education.<\/li>\n<li>Overall, autistic employees gave the highest scores to accommodations that help limit sensory overload.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"card\">\n    <div class=\"card-header\" id=\"heading3\">\n      <a class=\"collapsed d-flex align-items-center justify-content-between\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea3\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea3\" href=\"#\">\n        <h3>What does this mean for real life?<\/h3>\n        <i class=\"fa-plus fa-regular fa-sharp\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea3\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"heading3\">\n      <div class=\"card-body\">\n        <p>This research study indicates that autistic employees prefer a number of workplace accommodations, many of which are technology tools. These findings could help convince employers all over to offer workplace accommodations to autistic employees. If employers need ideas on what accommodations to offer, this data shows some popular accommodations.<\/p>\n<p>But regardless of what this study found out about autistic employees as a group, this data can never replace the value of asking individual autistics about their own preferences for workplace accommodations.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"card\">\n    <div class=\"card-header\" id=\"heading4\">\n      <a class=\"collapsed d-flex align-items-center justify-content-between\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea4\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea4\" href=\"#\">\n        <h3>What are some limitations of this study?<\/h3>\n        <i class=\"fa-plus fa-regular fa-sharp\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"accordion-block_e7050b8485ca9d265f0be08a89d614ea4\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"heading4\">\n      <div class=\"card-body\">\n        <ul>\n<li>The study only took place in one country: Poland.<\/li>\n<li>Autistics chose to participate in the study after seeing it advertised online; this means the sample wasn\u2019t random.<\/li>\n<li>Many more women than men or non-binary autistics took part in this study. This means that the study wasn\u2019t balanced in terms of gender.<\/li>\n<li>Offering technology solutions for accommodations can bring with it the danger of \u201ctechno-stress\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>Research that shows a group of autistics prefer one kind of thing over another cannot be applied to every autistic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"info-highlights-block d-flex uvm-block wp-full-width bg-gray\" id=\"Highlights\">\n  <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n    <div class=\"row overview-row\">\n      <div class=\"col-12 col-lg-10 details\">\n                <h2>Why is this research important?<\/h2>        <p>It&#8217;s important to ask people with autism what their preferences are, and what kinds of tools make it easier for them to cope with the workplace. We need to include people with autism in disability research so that everyone understands how to include people with autism in everyday life.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n        <div class=\"info-highlights-grid row\">\n            <div class=\"info-highlight col-12 col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n        <span class=\"highlight-icon\"><i class=\"fa-sharp fa-regular fa-circle-info\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span>\n        <h3>Summary Author<\/h3>        <ul>\n<li><strong>Audrey Homan MA CPACC,<\/strong> UVM Center on Disability &amp; Community Inclusion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n            <div class=\"info-highlight col-12 col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n        <span class=\"highlight-icon\"><i class=\"fa-sharp fa-solid fa-headphones\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span>\n        <h3>Audio Summary<\/h3>        <ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdci.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/cdciresources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/09\/Autistic-Employee-Workplace-Accommodation-Poland-Summary.mp3\">Listen to an audio version of this summary (.mp3)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What was this study about? This study aimed to learn about what autistic employees in Poland prefer for workplace accommodations. 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