It's estimated that approximately one in six people in the United States are now considered to be neurodiverse. Yet nearly 40% of neurodiverse adults are unemployed or underemployed compared to their age peers. Promisingly, in recent years, companies in technology and other industries have come to recognize neurodiverse individuals as a valuable workforce resource, and they have responded by actively recruiting this largely untapped talent pool.

This course provides an overview of emerging Neurodiversity at Work employment programs and outlines the implications for HR policies and practices. You will explore the opportunities and challenges encountered across the employment process in designing and implementing these kinds of initiatives as well as the importance of creating a workplace culture that embraces a diverse workforce, including those who are neurodivergent. Course topics include background information about autism and neurodiversity; models of effective recruitment, screening, and onboarding; supervisor training and support; best practices for career progression, advancement, and retention; and strategies for building a broad array of internal and external support systems.