Resilience Building Strategies in Autism Research: A Capabilities Resilience and Inclusion Model

The lack of inclusion and engagement of people with ASDs in the workplace is a key challenge requiring resilience building and sustainability strategies. Despite current research advocating for a range of models and practical interventions such as Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), ecosystem, strengths-based and nanotechnological approaches, the core inclusion and engagement challenges faced by autistic employees at work remain unresolved. Additionally, while Autism Work Peer Support Group (AWPSG) programs may deliver local governments’ cost-efficiencies and help in strategizing resource value maximization, the unintended consequences of the unsustainability of current support strategies for people with autism in workplaces remain unaddressed. I address this inclusion - resilience – autistic employment sustainability gap by drawing on 24 jobseekers and 2 Disability Employment Advisors’ focus group data from one Department of Work and Pensions branch, UK to first conceptualize the nature and scale of the inclusion challenge and second to resolve the gap with an insightful and practical model: a 4-stage ‘Capabilities Resilience and Inclusion Model’ (CRIM) of how to practically realize the stages that address the core challenges involved. I propose the 4-stage solution CRIM model as a ‘best practices’ set of guidelines for staff, carers and family members of ASDs to resolve the resilience-inclusion-sustainability conundrum. Future research directions are provided.