AutARK – Research Project TU Dresden

News

Invitation: CampusWISSEN on Autism and Employment on 17 March 2026

5. February 2026

SRH Berufsbildungswerk Dresden and the AutARK research project at Technische Universität Dresden cordially invite you to the next event in the CampusWISSEN series on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, from 17:00 to 20:00. The focus will be on how sustainable occupational participation for people on the autism spectrum can be achieved through…

15. December 2025

Three digital prototypes supporting people with autism were tested in real working environments – with promising results. In October and November 2025, the final workplace study of the AutARK research project took place, officially concluding at the beginning of December. At three equipped workstations at SZF CoWerk and SRH Berufsbildungswerk…

4. December 2025

Good news for the AutARK research project: the project duration has been extended until 31 March 2026. This extension enables the team to finalise the developed prototypes into a comprehensive package and make them even more valuable for practical application. Why the Extension? During the project, it became evident that…

show all

Supporting people on the autism spectrum in the professional domain through technical aids

Psychological disorders and developmental disabilities often entail reduced performance and adaptability, frequently leading to impairments in occupational functioning. Despite having received a good professional or scholastic education, individuals on the autism spectrum are significantly more prone to experiencing unemployment or being employed in vocations that have low qualification requirements, as compared to non-autistic individuals. Primary reasons for the low employment rate of autistic individuals in the primary labor market are the challenging work conditions, such as time constraints, information overload, high communicative demands, social competence, too many sensory stimuli, as well as the requirement for a high degree of flexibility.

“We say that individuals with autism lack empathy. No, we lack it. For them.”
Neuroscientist Henry Markram

Autism spectrum disorders are characterized, in particular, by difficulties in communication and social interaction. Perception processing is also often altered, leading many individuals with autism to struggle with an excess of visual or auditory information. These characteristics necessitate a workplace environment that is tailored to the specific needs of individuals with autism in their professional and academic daily lives. Traditional work environments are typically not designed to meet the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum. As a result, many individuals with autism are more frequently affected by unemployment or are employed in vocations that have low qualification requirements as compared to non-autistic individuals. Although many individuals with autism have received a good professional or scholastic education, their chances in the job market are thus lower.

Numbers & Facts

Frequency

Donut chart. The outer ring represents 99% in purple and 1% in green. The center of the circle reads — Approximately 1% of people in Germany are on the autism spectrum.

Unemployment

Donut chart. The outer ring represents 70% in purple and 30% in green. The center of the circle reads — 30% of people within the autism spectrum are affected by unemployment

Primary Labor Market

Donut chart. The outer ring represents 95% in purple and 5% in green. The center of the circle reads — 5% of working-age individuals within the autism spectrum are employed in the general labor market

Source: Autismus Spektrum Portal

OUR GOALS

Supporting People on the Autism Spectrum in the Workplace Context

Sensory Regulation: Reduction of stimuli to avoid sensory overload
Communication: Assistance in verbal and textual communication.
Task management: Providing assistance in structuring and prioritizing tasks and time management.

Discover more about the project

AutARK – Automatic Adaptation of Overstimulating Contexts