PhD Education

The aim of this research is to explore how secondary schools in the UK prepare their autistic young people for the transitions to adulthood and specifically, employment. The government's 'Autism Strategy' (2021) placed great importance on supporting more autistic people into employment. Specifically, it advocated that 'preparation for employment is discussed much earlier in a young person's school career'. However, very little is known about what such 'discussions' should look like for autistic young people. As such, this research has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to how the government's autism strategy is implemented by identifying best practice and creating evidence-based recommendations for the future. To do this, multiple research methods will be employed. Firstly, a systematic review will be used to explore how employment guidance is provided for autistic young people. Next, interviews with autistic young people and education professionals will be conducted to explore the experiences of these stakeholders. Finally, interviews will be conducted with autistic adults and employers to illicit their views regarding the skills autistic young people need to be learning in order to prepare them most effectively for adulthood. Throughout, a collaborative approach of working with autistic people and their allies will be adopted.