The un- and under-employment rate among college-educated autistic adults is around the 80% mark. And no, that zero isn’t a typo – approximately 4 in 5 autistic adults with a college degree is either not working or doing a job far below their education level (ex: janitor with a PhD). The bad news is that the impacts of this reality ripple across our society, negatively affecting everything from the economy to our collective social well-being. The good news is that there are actionable steps that businesses can take to address autistic unemployment and begin to turn the tide towards inclusive, better-for-the-bottom-line employment practices. In this talk, autism self-advocate Claire Barnett presents the current state of autistic unemployment lends a personal perspective on the hiring process, and shares insights that will help any business recruit and employ neurodivergent talent. Claire Barnett is a 2019 cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt’s Peabody School with a Bachelor of Science in Human and Organizational Development. She is now Communications Coordinator at Vanderbilt’s Frist Center for Autism and Innovation.