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epilepsy, anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep problems, or self-injury—with intellectual abilities
spanning from profound impairment to exceptionally high levels.

6.c. Challenges: Early, evidence-based support—beginning in infancy and coordinated

across health, education, employment and social services—can greatly improve autistic

people’s communication, social skills and quality of life. Yet stigma, insufficient provider
knowledge and fragmented systems leave many without the care and protections to which

they are entitled, leading to higher unmet health needs and vulnerability to chronic illness,
violence and abuse. (World Health Organization, 2023)

6.d. People with autism in the workplace:

The scholarly literature on the employment of autistic people in the tourism and hospitality
sector is still limited but converges on two findings. First, when tasks and settings are well

structured (clear role descriptions, reduced sensory load, and on-site job coaching),
employment and retention rates are high (Bertran Serrano, Abellan-Calvet, 2024; Feerasta,

2017). Second, despite these good practices, autistic adults remain under-represented in the
‘Service Providers/Hospitality/Science’ sectors: sensory overload, unpredictable shifts, and

limited managerial training are key barriers (Goldfarb et al., 2024). Recent conceptual work,
therefore, calls for a shift from "accessible tourism" aimed solely at customers to full

neurodivergent workforce inclusion (Jepson et al., 2023). Long-term studies on career
progression and cost-effectiveness, especially in independent restaurants and experiential

tourism, are still lacking.

7. Description of the employment cycle

7.a. Value and challenges of employing staff with autism

Autistic individuals remain dramatically underrepresented in the workforce: globally, an
estimated 80% of adults on the autism spectrum are unemployed (Ki-moon, 2015). Instead,

employing people on the autism spectrum can yield numerous benefits for organisations,
individuals, and society. Autistic employees often bring specific strengths and perspectives:

research and employer reports features such as strong attention to detail, error-detection
ability, deep focus, reliability, and creative problem-solving (Gomez & Sheikh, 2023). There is

also evidence of an ethical or productivity advantage in certain contexts: autistic employees

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Project Number 2023-1-IT01-KA220-VET-000152721