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Establishing a portfolio career (Image by Fauxels on Pexels)

The problem

Employment – finding it, sustaining it and enjoying it – can be problematic for those who are neurodivergent. As a late-diagnosed autistic and dyscalculic educational professional, the role of full-time, long-term employment was always something that seemed just out of reach. This is not an unusual situation: neurodivergent individuals are less likely to be in full-time employment in comparison to their peers (Branicki et al., 2024), or tend to work short-term or part-time contracts (Costley, 2025).

One potential barrier is the expectation to socialise. The unsteady social energy barometer that often characterises autistic or neurodivergent individuals involves constant internal negotiations to manage the required physical and mental effort that socialising demands. Similarly, a need to retreat and be alone can make working in one location difficult, while the fear of being exposed as the person who struggles to make friends is a very real reason for avoiding permanent work. For me, roles requiring ongoing contact with colleagues were too uncomfortable to deal with.

The solution

From these difficulties, my portfolio career gradually emerged. Starting out as a teacher, I learned that it was difficult to escape chatty staffrooms, while interviews were something to be avoided. It was clear that the conventional route of finding a job and carrying on with life was not going to be the path for me.

‘It was clear that the conventional route of finding a job and carrying on with life was not going to be the path for me.’

The solution I sought was in adapting and specialising in an area of great interest, but one which also eliminated the pressures that came with permanent roles. I trained as a specialist dyslexia teacher and assessor and moved further into the portfolio career that perfectly suited my needs. As a dyslexia and autism tutor and disability needs assessor, working across local colleges and universities, I felt comfortable in my job and built relationships with students, while retaining the distance from permanent colleagues I needed at that stage in my life.

The future

Now, as I am coming to the end of my PhD, I will be starting afresh – and perhaps finding the potential for many more openings in my portfolio career. I have spent many years in the halfway spaces of being a ‘self-employed’ part of local schools, colleges and universities but happy on my own. The nature of liminal spaces in working life for neurodivergent individuals can mean that although reasonable adjustments are in place, the sense of isolation can persist within shared work environments (Nash, 2024). But for me, this need to remain safely detached has now lessened: the difficulties of lunchtime interactions do not seem quite so intimidating; my ability to network and develop friendships has improved; and the rise of remote working offers a much-needed space to work effectively without external pressures of constant socialising.

The advantages of remote work for autistic individuals include reduced sensory overload and less intensive interpersonal relations, and I hope that this hybrid, online working life will bring a sense of optimism for those with similar difficulties who are starting out on their careers. These modes of working, however, can also result in decreased chances for developing valuable friendships and learning from colleagues (Tomczak et al., 2022). It may be, therefore, that the concept of inclusion within the workplace needs to be extended (Tomczak et al., 2022) to ensure that those working remotely due to neurodivergence can become valued team members.

Finding a way to balance the needs of the individual with their rights to be included and to access employment that reflects their qualifications and abilities requires careful consideration in the future development of careers for neurodivergent individuals. This type of support could include providing opportunities to withdraw from social pressures in work environments, combined with open communication regarding these challenges to promote a shared understanding between work colleagues (Nash, 2024).

References

Branicki, L., Brammer, S., Brosnan, M., Lazaro, A. G., Lattanzio, S., & Newnes, L. (2024). Factors shaping the employment outcomes of neurodivergent and neurotypical people: Exploring the role of flexible and homeworking practices. Human Resource Management, 63(6), 1001–1023.

Costley, D. (2025). ‘I can finally excel as myself’: Exploring an employment programme for neurodivergent adults. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 30(2), 429–447.

Nash, L. (2024). There and back again: Neuro-diverse employees, liminality and negative capability. Work, Employment and Society, 38(1), 262–278.

Tomczak, M. T., Mpofu, E., & Hutson, N. (2022). Remote work support needs of employees with autism spectrum disorder in Poland: Perspectives of individuals with autism and their coworkers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), Article 10982.