Autistic people are too often kept out of the workplace. That should end | Tom Pursglove and Robert Buckland

We know autistic people have one of the lowest employment rates of any disabled group in the UK, with fewer than three in 10 in work. Yet we continually hear of too many enthusiastic minds being locked out of the workplace because of a neurodiverse label. It is clear: change is needed.

This is a situation that is not only hugely detrimental to those autistic people being kept of out of work but is also depriving employers of the known benefits of a neurodiverse workforce. Our autism employment review will take an in-depth look at how we can improve the employment prospects of autistic people.

We want more autistic people to reach their full potential and live the rewarding and fulfilling lives they deserve. In particular, employers need to stop seeing autism as a drawback and recognise it as an asset.

Working with the fantastic charity Autistica, over the coming months we will ask employers, employer groups, groups working with autistic people and autistic people themselves to identify the barriers to job searches and career progression. We will then work together to develop solutions that work both for autistic people and for employers and public services.

At the heart of Transforming Future Support, the recently published health and disability white paper, is this recognition that many disabled people and people with health conditions are being disincentivised to work by the current system. This is why new employment programmes – Universal Support and WorkWell – will be introduced, building on locally trialled schemes to help thousands more disabled and neurodiverse people into work.

From our combined experiences as the father of an autistic adult and as the minister for disabled people, we know that having more autistic and neurodiverse people in work would make our employment market an even richer and better one.

This is a cause close to both our hearts, with a deep personal connection, but it is about more than just family experiences. This is about what we can do, alongside employers, to make a real and positive change for autistic people and a more welcoming and inclusive society.