ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the federal requirements related to employment nondiscrimination in the workplace, particularly around hiring, accommodating, advancing, and equal access to the benefits and privileges of employment. Specifically, the relationship of the federal legislative and regulatory requirements (e.g., under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act) to autism hiring initiatives and programs, including: (a) compliance with disability disclosure and medical inquiry requirements; (b) provision of reasonable accommodations; (c) structuring autism and, more broadly, neurodiversity hiring processes; (d) integrating job coaches, mentorship opportunities, and other support staff in an equitable fashion; and (e) ensuring equality across the employment process, including performance management, advancement, discipline and termination, and benefits eligibility. The objective of this chapter is to set out for the reader processes by which employers can meet their goals of increasing neurodiverse talent pools and employees, while also satisfying federal legal requirements for nondiscrimination
