PERSPECTIVE

The project was developed in response to a clear and recurring gap identified by all partner organisations in their daily work with autistic adults, VET providers and employers. Autistic adults still face significant barriers in vocational education and employment, not primarily due to lack of ability, but due to learning environments, current workplace structures and communication practices that are not adapted to neurodiverse needs. At the same time, VET professionals and employers consistently reported a lack of practical, accessible tools to support autistic learners and employees in a practical way. Existing resources were often fragmented, overly theoretical or deficit-focused, and rarely developed together with autistic people themselves. There was also a lack of educational materials that combine lived experience with professional knowledge in a way that is engaging and usable across sectors. Partners identified a strong need for concrete, experience-based guidance that could be applied in VET, employment and guidance contexts, and for learning formats that support reflection rather than prescribing rigid solutions.The project was developed as a bridge between autistic adults, vocational education and employment.

The overall objective of the project was to improve access to vocational education and employment for autistic adults by strengthening the competence of educators, employers. We aimed to equip VET professionals, employers with practical, experience-based tools that support clearer structures, communication and transitions from education to work, while also providing autistic adults with learner-oriented resources that support preparation, self-understanding and confidence. A key objective was to introduce an innovative, holistic approach to neurodiversity. Rather than treating autism as a separate or specialised field, the project aimed to position neurodiversity as an existing and relevant dimension within mainstream VET systems, workplaces and adult education. We wanted to support systemic change by addressing several target groups simultaneously using shared materials and a common language. Another objective was to apply storytelling as an educational method. By integrating lived experiences of autistic adults, employers, educators, we aimed to develop tools that foster empathy, reflection and in-depth understanding, leading to more inclusive and sustainable practices in education and employment contexts.

The project was implemented through a sequence of interconnected work packages that moved from research to learning platform development and dissemination. First, partners carried out qualitative field work in each country, conducting in-depth interviews with autistic adults, VET professionals and employers. These interviews generated first-hand insights into learning, transition and workplace experiences and needs and directly informed all subsequent outputs. Based on the field work, an educational short-film was developed. The film combined personal experiences of autistic adults with expert perspectives and was designed as a learning and reflection tool for professionals and employers. In parallel, an online learning platform was developed to host all project outputs and ensure long-term accessibility. On this platform, a Toolbox consisting of 4 modules was developed. The modules address VET professionals, employers and autistic adults and translate the field-work findings into practical guidance and tools. In addition, 5 learning video tutorials were developed for VET professionals and employers.

The project produced several publicly accessible results that address vocational education professionals, company representatives and autistic adults. The main output is the learning platform (https://www.ndperspective.eu/), which functions as a central access point for all project deliverables. The platform hosts the learning Toolbox with 4 modules, the short-film and 5 learning tutorials. The educational short-film presents real-life experiences of autistic adults, existing stereotypes in society, alongside expert perspectives. The film is designed as a learning and reflection tool and is already used in VET training, employer awareness-raising and community contexts. 5 video tutorials were developed and integrated into the platform as a learning tool for VET professionals and companies. These tutorials combine lived experience and practical guidance for work with autistic individuals. Beyond the tangible outputs, the project equipped professionals with needs based tools, resulted in strengthened cross-sector cooperation between VET providers, employers, autism organisations at EU level, offered new perspectives on autism and neurodiversity in society and raised the competence among professionals.