Beyond individual support: Employment experiences of autistic Korean designers receiving strength-based organizational support.

This article examines the employment experiences of autistic designers working at Autistar, a South Korean company that provides strength-based, organizational-level support tailored to autistic employees. Through interviews with autistic employees, their parents, and non-autistic coworkers, the study identified four key themes: the impact of inclusive support systems, perceptions of autistic characteristics as both strengths and challenges, empowering employment experiences (including a sense of belonging, accomplishment, and agency), and positive employment outcomes such as improved quality of life and autistic self-identity. The findings highlight that organizational-level initiatives fostering an accepting culture and tailored accommodations benefit not only autistic employees across diverse support needs but also enhance non-autistic employees' attitudes and job satisfaction. The study suggests that neurodiversity-based support at the organizational level enables autistic individuals to leverage their unique strengths, recommending further research on cultural influences and the applicability of such models in varied vocational contexts.