The study showed a low willingness of businesses to hire people with autism

Approximately 58% of Russian companies already employ employees with disabilities, but only 7% of employers employ people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is evidenced by the research data. hh.ru and the Naked Hearts Foundation, which was reviewed by Izvestia on July 15.

In 2025, 12% of companies considered candidates with disabilities for all vacancies, while another 39% considered only individual positions. Almost every fifth employer (19%) admitted that they do not work with such applicants. At the same time, 48% of organizations are ready to accept employees with disabilities in excess of the quota established by law, while 29% do not plan to do so.

Experts note that the issue of employment of people with autism is becoming more relevant. According to experts, by 2030, the number of able-bodied Russians with ASD will exceed 873 thousand people. However, almost half of employers (48%) are not yet considering the possibility of hiring them in 2026. Another 13% of companies have not yet made a decision, while only 3% admit this possibility.

"Many people with ASD can and want to work — this is important not only for their mental and physical well-being, but also for the well-being of their families. At the same time, inclusive hiring can bring real benefits to business and society as a whole," said Inna Monova, Director of the Naked Hearts Foundation.

Despite the fact that about 30% of employers consider themselves well acquainted with the topic of autism, 68% admitted that they had never encountered applicants with ASD when recruiting staff.

According to the Director of Government Relations and Corporate Governance hh.ru According to Dmitry Markelov, hiring employees with autism remains a new and poorly understood direction for most companies.

There are no races for races: why there are few people with autism in Russia

Abroad, there is talk of overdiagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, while in the Russian Federation there is talk of its underdiagnosis.

"Only 13% of employers are willing to adapt the format of interviews or test assignments for candidates with ASD, and 11% are willing to change their working conditions, including flexible hours, clear instructions, or reduced sensory workload. At the same time, 42% of companies are not yet ready to change the recruitment process, and half do not plan to adapt the work environment. In addition, 85% of employers have never trained HR specialists and managers to work with employees with this type of disability," Markelov said.

Among the main obstacles to inclusive hiring, employers cite a lack of suitable vacancies (40%), a lack of information about autism spectrum disorders (37%), and concerns within teams (37%). When making a decision about employment, companies are most often concerned about possible difficulties in communicating with colleagues (57%), the need to change internal processes (36%), as well as the likelihood of a negative reaction from customers and partners (22%).

According to the study participants, the most suitable positions for employees with ASD are those with minimal communication load. Most often, employers named order pickers (50%), pickers (48%), packers (47%), IT specialists (42%), warehouse workers (29%), storekeepers (24%), cleaners (29%) and couriers (15%).

Olga Butenko, a pediatric neurologist at the Medin Medical Center, said on July 10 that parents should not try to diagnose their child's autism based on individual symptoms found on the Internet. It is much more important to evaluate the features of the development and communication of the minor as a whole. For example, an alarm signal may be a situation when a baby brings his mother to the refrigerator and literally "controls" her hand to get what he wants, but at the same time does not look at her, does not point a finger or otherwise tries to make contact.