First impressions of job candidates with and without autistic characteristics: Do first impressions change if an autism diagnosis is disclosed?

Autistic individuals need to decide whether and when to disclose their diagnosis. The goal of the current study is to determine whether diagnostic disclosure can influence perceptions of job candidates, if disclosure occurs after first impressions have already been formed. Participants read vignettes about job candidates with or without autistic characteristics and formed an initial first impression of the candidates. Then, additional information was revealed about the candidates: they were autistic (experimental condition) or had brown hair (control condition). Participants rated the job candidates for a second time. Job candidates with autistic characteristics were perceived to have more traits of a poor worker, fewer traits of a good worker, and to be more anxious/introverted/awkward. Participants who were more knowledgeable about autism and female participants perceived candidates to have fewer traits of a poor worker, more traits of a good worker, and to be less anxious/introverted/awkward. When job candidates with autistic characteristics later disclosed an autism diagnosis, they were less likely to be perceived as anxious/introverted/awkward and marginally more likely to be perceived as having traits of a good worker. Diagnostic disclosure may be beneficial in an employment context, even if it occurs later in time, after first impressions have been formed. • Disclosing an autism diagnosis improved some perceptions of the job candidates. • Job candidates with autistic traits were perceived more negatively. • Participants with more autism knowledge perceived candidates more positively. • Female participants perceived candidates more positively than male participants. • Diagnostic disclosure can impact perceptions, even when it occurs later in time.