‘Our neurodiverse minds at work’: an auto-ethnographic exploration of employment experiences of people with cognitive disability

This paper reflects on the employment experiences of four neurodiverse people with cognitive disability in Australia using autoethnography, employing the collective voice of we. We, as persons with a cognitive disability, were involved in a two-year participatory action research project to co-develop a disability employment action plan with employers, academic researchers, and disability employment experts. We share and reflect on our individual employment experiences with our research team members. We discuss four common patterns in our experiences: the importance of family and community support, good communication, active support from Disability Employment Service (DES) providers for employees with cognitive disability and their employers, and support to find a long-term job with a fair wage. By sharing our experiences, we aim to improve employment opportunities for others with cognitive disability to enable them to achieve their full potential with appropriate support.