Research
The UW Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment fosters interdisciplinary collaborations among UW scholars and established research collaborations with scholars from other leading research centers with a common focus on neurodiversity employment to:
- Investigate effective employment practices and translate them into practice
- Investigate education support for employment at critical transition stages
- Investigate mental health and behavioral support for employment
- Develop and assess assistive technologies
- Develop and assess transition and career pathway programming
- Collaborate with other neurodiversity research centers around the globe
IMLS: Autism Toolkit for Libraries
The Autism-Ready Libraries Toolkit is a free online resource designed to help librarians create inclusive environments and programming for neurodivergent children and their families through research-based strategies and training.
IMLS: Empowering Neurodivergent Librarians to Lead Inclusion in Libraries
University of Washington’s Information School recently completed work that evaluated the capacity of libraries to recruit, onboard, retain, and advance neurodivergent librarians. The project resulted in the creation of a training program to be used by libraries and MLIS programs across the U.S. to foster neurodiversity inclusion and expand research on the experiences of neurodivergent librarians..
Research conference
Leading scholars, neurodivergent leaders, and leading neurodiversity employers gather in June 2026 in Seattle.
Funding Opportunities (Grants)
Research grant opportunities for the UW community are coming soon, supporting proof-of-concept projects and significant grant-development efforts that accelerate interdisciplinary, stakeholder-informed research to strengthen Washington’s evidence-based neurodiversity and employment ecosystem.
Further Announcement expected in Fall 2026.
Funded Grants
University of Washington’s Information School recently completed work that evaluated the capacity of libraries to recruit, onboard, retain, and advance neurodivergent librarians. The project resulted in the creation of a training program to be used by libraries and MLIS programs across the U.S. to foster neurodiversity inclusion and expand research on the experiences of neurodivergent librarians.
SEEN Tech Professionals investigates how to more effectively enable the success and advancement of neurodivergent employees in the technology workplace. We do so by investigating specific success enablers grounded in an asset model of disability and considerate of the unique needs, interests, and strengths of neurodivergent individuals in the context of their work. Success enablers are a broader set of practices and work designs that include accommodations but are not limited to them. Success enablers include both support and, more importantly, changes to the workplace environment.
- SEEN Tech Professionals (NSF# 2347367) was awarded as part of NSF’s Workplace Equity for Persons with Disabilities in STEM and STEM Education. The project is funded by the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM’s EDU Core Research program (ECR).
These efforts provide needed resources for the autism community and librarians but do not sufficiently address early literacy programming for children or their inclusion within the library context. In two recent preliminary studies we conducted, librarians reported that they lacked sufficient training to provide early literacy programming and serve autistic children and their families.Our project aimed to improve libraries’ capacity to provide early literacy programming to autistic children and their families. We did so by investigating the early literacy needs of autistic children and their families in libraries in order to develop the Autism-Ready Libraries Toolkit (ARLT), which include early literacy programming and training materials to empower librarians to effectively serve autistic children and their families.
- This project is made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [IMLS grant number: LG-245061-OLS].
View our sponsored projects and past projects here!
See more about our playbooks here