Businesses and organisations are being encouraged to embrace the benefits of employing more autistic people.
The National Autism Team is also encouraging employers to become autism aware organisations.
Its campaign, Can You See Me?, aims to transform public understanding of autism and help tackle the issues faced my man neurodivergent people.
Over the last five years there has been a 78% increase in university students who are autistic. Amara Tamblyn is just one of thousands of autistic students looking for a career after she graduates in July from Aberystwyth University.
However, despite the number of autistic people attending and graduating from universities across Wales at an all-time high, only 15% of people with autism are working - one of lowest employment rates of all disability groups in the UK.
Ms Tamblyn, 21, who is also the voice of the campaign film, said: “When I graduate I’m concerned about finding suitable employment and finding an employer that is autism aware. I want employers to see me for who I am and what I can bring to the organisation.
“Autism means that I see the world differently and think differently to non-autistic people. I can’t speak for all autistic people, but I feel things more intensely. Some things are more difficult for me.
“I’m backing the campaign because I want autistic people like myself to been seen in the workplace.
"There are some simple things businesses can do to be more autism aware. I hope my future employers take the time to understand and think about the small changes they can make to their environments such as how they conduct interviews or how the office is laid out.”
The National Autism Team, hosted by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and funded by the Welsh Government, is seeking to improve the lives of autistic people, their families and carers across Wales.
It is encouraging businesses and organisations to become autism aware through the completion of an autism aware certification scheme.
The certification, achieved by answering a number of questions, will give the business a level of awareness that will encourage them to think differently about how they run their businesses and what they can to do help.
WLGA spokesperson for health and social Care, Huw David, sid says: “Not all autistic adults are able to work. But many are and are desperate to find a job that reflects their talent and interests. There’s a lot of speculation about unemployment at the moment, and we know that there is typically a disproportionate impact of autistic people.“
"We are working with organisations and businesses to change the way autism is seen in the workplace. Engaging more autistic people in meaningful careers can benefit the individual, their families, businesses, and our communities. Because what we all want is a Wales where anyone with a neurodevelopmental condition is treated equally and fairly.”
