Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon has called for urgent action to ensure autistic people receive the right support to get into work and succeed in their careers.
The plea came during a parliamentary debate on Employment Opportunities for Autistic Adults.
Speaking in Westminster Hall, Tom highlighted the experiences shared with him by the Harrogate branch of the National Autistic Society (NAS), who described the ongoing barriers many autistic people face - from inaccessible recruitment processes to a lack of understanding in workplaces.
Tom said that too many autistic adults are being locked out of work, not because they lack ability, but because the systems around them are too rigid and under-resourced.
He told MPs:
“I’ve heard from local families and from autistic adults themselves about the sheer difficulty of finding and keeping work.
“People who are ready, able and motivated to work are being shut out by recruitment practices that don’t fit them, and by support systems that are slow, confusing and often don’t understand autism at all.”
Tom shared anonymised stories from Harrogate NAS members, including one woman who left her job after being bullied, and another who gave up applying altogether because of repeated knock-backs and a lack of workplace understanding.
He said better support must be available before, during and after employment, with a joined-up approach that connects education, skills and workplace inclusion.
He said:
“If we want autistic adults to thrive in work, we have to start much earlier.
“That means getting SEND right - identifying needs early, training teachers properly, and making sure young people grow up knowing that their difference is a strength, not a disadvantage.”
Tom also raised concerns about delays and inconsistency in the Government’s Access to Work programme, which he described as “unfit for purpose”.
He said that many autistic people lose job opportunities simply because support isn’t provided on time or isn’t tailored to their needs.
He called for reforms to create a more flexible, trusted system - one that listens to autistic people and works at their pace.
Tom added:
“Autistic people don’t need to change who they are to fit the system. We need to build systems that fit people - from school through to employment.
“With understanding, flexibility and the right support, autistic adults can and do thrive in every sector of our economy. We just need to give them the fair chance they deserve.”
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