What randomised trials exist on job coaching effectiveness for autism?

PostedDecember 19, 2025

UpdatedDecember 19, 2025

ByMy Patient Advice

Author: Lucia Alvarez, MSc | Reviewed by: Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

Job coaching and supported employment programmes have become key tools for helping autistic adults and young people find and keep meaningful work. Recent research (2022–2025) shows promising results, but the overall evidence remains limited, especially in the UK, where few large-scale randomised trials have been completed.

What the studies show

Several recent randomised and quasi-experimental studies have tested how job coaching and supported employment models improve real-world outcomes. Trials using structured coaching, virtual work platforms like WorkChat, and personalised skills training have reported improvements in employment rates, job satisfaction, and workplace confidence (PubMed, 2024; PMC, 2023).

While most studies are small (often fewer than 100 participants), results are encouraging. For example, open trials of the SUCCESS programme showed employment rates rising from 22% to 56% after intervention, alongside better mood and cognitive engagement. Follow-up studies (PMC, 2024) suggest benefits lasting up to seven years, though long-term randomised data are still scarce.

How effective is job coaching?

Overall, supported employment and job coaching consistently outperform traditional or segregated work-preparation schemes. People in coaching programmes report higher satisfaction, more stable hours, and stronger social confidence at work (PMC, 2024).
UK-specific evidence is smaller in scale, but evaluations from services such as the National Autistic Society’s Prospects programme show sustained job retention and financial independence. NICE guidance supports these findings, recommending that autistic adults be offered tailored employment support wherever possible (NICE NG93).

Policy and practice in the UK

In the UK, the Access to Work scheme helps fund workplace adjustments and specialist job coaching for autistic individuals, a policy backed by NICE and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Recent policy reviews, including the Buckland Review of Autism Employment (2024), have urged further investment in long-term studies and better monitoring of job-coaching outcomes.

Despite small sample sizes and limited long-term data, the trend is clear: when autistic people receive structured coaching, their chances of finding, enjoying, and sustaining work improve significantly.

Takeaway

Evidence for job coaching in autism is growing and encouraging, even if large UK trials are still catching up. Supported employment works best when it’s individualised, collaborative, and informed by autistic perspectives. NICE guidance and DWP programmes both point toward a shared goal: helping autistic adults build careers that are meaningful, sustainable, and supported.

Lucia Alvarez, MSc

Author

Lucia Alvarez is a clinical psychologist with a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and extensive experience providing evidence-based therapy and psychological assessment to children, adolescents, and adults. Skilled in CBT, DBT, and other therapeutic interventions, she has worked in hospital, community, and residential care settings. Her expertise includes grief counseling, anxiety management, and resilience-building, with a strong focus on creating safe, supportive environments to improve mental well-being.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the author's privacy.

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

Reviewer

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez is a UK-trained physician with an MBBS and experience in general surgery, cardiology, internal medicine, gynecology, intensive care, and emergency medicine. She has managed critically ill patients, stabilised acute trauma cases, and provided comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. In psychiatry, Dr. Fernandez has worked with psychotic, mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, applying evidence-based approaches such as CBT, ACT, and mindfulness-based therapies. Her skills span patient assessment, treatment planning, and the integration of digital health solutions to support mental well-being.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the reviewer's privacy.