ASPIeRATIONS' focus is to improve employment outcomes for autistic talent. We are lucky to work with some fantastic corporate organisations who share our perspective that there is more that needs to be done to help improve the shocking statistic that only 16% of autistic adults are in paid, full time employment. However, our support needs to do more and different things for the autistic community than can currently be funded by employer contributions alone.

I will be cycling through the night from Bath to Exmouth on 17th August to raise funds for ASPIeRATIONS to help us to do more:

- We need to support autistic talent, who, due to a lack of employer awareness of their difference, are struggling to achieve their potential in, or worse are retreating from, the labour market.

- We need to proactively invest in creating selection tools and processes that create a level playing field for applicants who are already disadvantaged relative to those who are confident and gregarious.

- We need to help autistic undergraduates understand what lies ahead as they migrate from a university culture that encourages narrow, deep thinking to a workplace that expects one to be at least average at everything.

- We need to develop resources and content to help employers and applicants/employees to better understand autism, and how to improve the wellbeing of the autistic workforce.

Sometimes, our priorities extend beyond the immediate projects our clients want us to deliver for them. Help us to invest some of our efforts where the autistic community would like us to, as well as where employers attention lies today.