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Published in the San Diego Psychologist, June 2006 Vol 21 No 05 Autism at Work ‘Work is more than just a livelihood or paycheck; it is the key to a satisfying and productive life. For many on the autism spectrum, it is the glue that keeps our lives together in an otherwise frustrating and sometimes confusing world. Certainly, my life would not be worth living if I did not have intellectually satisfying work,’ says Temple Grandin Ph.D, who has high functioning autism, and is an associate professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Grandin is also the founder of Grandin Livestock Handling Systems, Inc. and has authored Animals in Translation and Thinking in Pictures. Clearly, not everyone on the spectrum is as talented as Temple Grandin. Although they share a common diagnosis based on impairments in the area of communication, social relationships and an intense preoccupation with one interest or topic, individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) vary in their ability level, in the talents they have, and the challenges they face. However, even adults with Asperger’s Syndrome or high functioning autism (HFA) are unemployed or underemployed, often leading to depression. With diagnosis rates for ASDs currently estimated at 1 in 166 (Center for Disease Control) and unemployment rates at 70% for disabled adults for the last 12 years (2002 President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education Report), enabling those on the spectrum to become productive is a pressing concern. I coach teens and young adults and consult to parents, and my goal is to facilitate effective functioning in job and secondary school placement for those on the autism spectrum. As each person’s strengths, challenges, and abilities are different, the focus and the goal of the coaching varies as well. Through research conducted for my books Autism Spectrum Disorders and Adolescence on the Autism Spectrum (both published by Penguin) as well as my practical experience, I have amassed and developed useful strategies helpful to those transitioning to work and college. For the purposes of this article, I will be discussing individuals on the more able end of the spectrum, those diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome of HFA. For a career choice or job placement to be successful, it is necessary to identify and assess the interests and strengths of the individual, the challenges he faces and how to adapt for those, what potential jobs and careers could be a good match, and what kind of employment structure would be suitable. Teaching self-advocacy and self-regulation skills as well as helping potential colleagues and employers understand the strengths and challenges of the individual are also important aspects for success. The first step is assessing the interests and strengths of the individual. It may seem obvious where a person’s interest lies, because of the amount of time he spends either doing a particular activity or talking about it. However, the real question is, what is it about the activity that interests the person and how can that be developed into a motivating and successful career? Stephen Shore (another well-known person with autism) was obsessed with taking apart watches and putting them back together when he was a child. His father figured out that it was not the watch that interested him; it was the idea of taking something apart to see how it worked and then putting it back together again. Stephen was able, with the help of a mentor, to transfer that skill and interest to bicycles, and he started working (while still a student) part-time in a bicycle shop repairing bicycles. If Stephen’s main interest had been in the watch as a timepiece, a bicycle shop would have held no interest for him and would not have been a good job match. Analyzing the strengths of an individual is important because it is these strengths that will help him overcome his deficits. Often, we chide students with Asperger’s or HFA for being obsessed and going into great detail about a particular topic. However, ‘analytical skills’ is listed as one of the top 10 skills and attributes employers look for (Job Outlook 2003, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dept of Labor). There are many jobs that require attention to detail. Also, motivation is often a problem for those on the spectrum. Ensuring that work entails some aspect of their special interest will lead to a more successful job match. When coaching teens or young adults on the autism spectrum re work and career options, there comes a time when you must take off your coach hat and put on your businessman’s hat. Once you have identified the areas of interests and strengths of the person on the spectrum it’s time to start identifying possible jobs and careers that could be a good fit. Why would an employer want to hire this person, and what possibilities in the job market exist? There are so many possible areas of employment, it is hard to be knowledgeable about all the specific jobs. For example, if someone is good with numbers and systems we think of engineering -type jobs. But there are so many different types of engineers and so many trades that could use those same talents, how do you know where to start? Many teens enjoy working on computers. But, what aspect of the computer interests them, what can they actually do on the computer, and what computer skills can be developed from their interest? A good place to start researching is looking at different professional associations website, perusing different trade magazines, and talking to contacts in the community. Eventually, it means going to visit a few professionals in different career fields and asking questions, finding out the day to day realities of different jobs. Having the young person visit different work places and seeing the reality of working in a specific type of job may trigger a realization of what is or is not a good match. Mentors are an important part of developing talents into a future employment opportunity or career. A mentor can be a teacher, a retired businessman, a neighbor, someone from his place of worship, or from a professional organization. Mentors can help by sharing information about different jobs in his field, help identify what kind of companies would consider him a valued employee because of his special talent. Having a mentor can also encourage the individual on the spectrum to develop more social skills as he has someone to discuss shared interests with who understands his passion and finds that to be a positive attribute. A mentor can help investigate possibilities that parents and school counselors may not have thought of because they lack the practical experience that working in a certain domain can bring to the mentorship role. The second part of this article to be published in the next issue will cover the different employment structures, including the concept of self-employment or micro-enterprise. |
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