Caregivers' perspectives on career guidance for autistic young people in special schools

Abstract Good careers guidance supports young people's transition from education to employment. Yet little is known about how this guidance is provided to autistic young people in special schools. We aimed to elicit caregivers' views and experiences of the careers guidance process, in relation to their autistic young people in special schools in England. In this study, 85 caregivers completed an online survey about the careers guidance process for their autistic young person and their own involvement in the process. Twenty of these caregivers also participated in detailed semi‐structured interviews about their, and their children's, experiences with the careers guidance process. We found that caregivers valued careers guidance tailored to their young people's needs, yet many felt this was overshadowed by limited, and often uninspiring, post‐school options. They also described being expected to take on a significant role in the guidance process, often without adequate support. While willing to contribute, caregivers raised concerns about equity and the ways in which burnout can constrain their capacity for involvement. Our findings highlight the need for more comprehensive and targeted support for caregivers as they engage with the careers guidance processes, alongside more creative and meaningful ways of helping autistic young people to imagine and pursue future possibilities. We propose potential strategies to address these areas, to ensure that careers guidance truly works for autistic young people.