People with autism experience some of the highest unemployment rates of people with disabilities, yet many also report wanting to work. Workplace learning and development (L&D) experiences have been associated with positive outcomes for all employees, including job satisfaction, performance, retention, career advancement, and overall well-being. However, autistic employees often encounter barriers that limit their opportunities for and interfere with the potential benefits of L&D. In this integrative literature review, we explore workplace L&D experiences of autistic employees using a search of recent literature combined with thematic analysis. This review identifies key barriers to workplace L&D for employees with autism, including inaccessible work settings, processes, and practices; insufficient accommodations; and limited knowledge and awareness that contributes to bias and discrimination from supervisors and colleagues. Factors that facilitate positive L&D outcomes for autistic employees were also discovered, such as inclusive organizational cultures and environments, individualized support, and informed and supportive leadership. The review highlights a critical and ongoing gap in human resource development (HRD) research and practice. The transformative impact HRD can have by supporting a diverse workforce and workplace L&D to unlock the potential of autistic employees is explored. Practical recommendations about ways to better support the inclusion and L&D of autistic employees and suggestions for future research are provided.
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