The aims of the review are to spread opportunity, close the employment gap and grow the economy, a press statement said.

Sir Robert Buckland KC MP will lead the review, which will consider how the government can work with employers to help more autistic people realise their potential and get into work.

People with autism have particularly low employment rates – with fewer than three in 10 in work – but the Buckland Review of Autism Employment, supported by charity Autistica and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is aiming to change that, the government said.

The review will ask businesses, employment organisations, specialist support groups and autistic people to help identify the barriers to securing and retaining work and progressing with their careers.

The minister for disabled people, health and work, Tom Pursglove MP said: “We know autistic people can face barriers moving into employment and staying there. This is often down to the employers themselves not having the tools to support autistic people, or truly understanding the value of a neurodiverse workforce.

“This important review will provide us with vital information to remove these barriers and help more autistic people start, stay and succeed in work by ensuring more employers provide truly inclusive places to work. I look forward to seeing the recommendations from the review,” Pursglove said.

The Buckland Review of Autism Employment will consider issues including:

• how employers identify and better support autistic staff already in their workforce
• what more could be done to prepare autistic people effectively for beginning or returning to a career
• working practices or initiatives to reduce stigma and improve the productivity of autistic employees.

It will focus specifically on autistic people, and aim to develop solutions that:

• will be acceptable to autistic people
• will be effective at improving autistic people’s outcomes
• will be feasible for employers or public services to deliver.

The review will also look at employers who are benefitting from a neurodiverse workforce. The government gave London manufacturer KwickScreen as an example. The company provides transparent screens to every UK hospital and played “a pivotal role” in the NHS’s response to the Covid pandemic, the government said.

Dr James Cusack, CEO of the UK autism research and campaigning charity Autistica, said the aim is to double the employment rate for autistic people by 2030.

The government said that as part of the review, many of the adjustments and initiatives that would benefit autistic people could also benefit a wider group of people who think differently, including those with other neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

The Buckland Review of Autism Employment is intended to complement, rather than duplicate, the government’s national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021-26, which also recognises employment as a priority.

Other information:

• The review will be GB-wide and the leadership role is an unpaid position
• The Buckland Review of Autism Employment will start next month, with recommendations issued to report to the Secretary of State in September 2023
• Alongside the review, autism charity Autistica are raising awareness of the barriers autistic people face with the traditional interview process.

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