The Tricky Path to Autism Employment
— April 11, 2018Adults with autism spectrum disorder are perhaps among the most disadvantaged uniquely-abled groups in the US workplace. Less than 13 percent of adults with autism have paid jobs or a gainful source of livelihood, according to a report from a leading US university.
Only about two percent of the funding for autism research goes into understanding adulthood and aging. Majority of the studies are carried out on figuring how to prevent the onset of autism when the symptoms are first noticed at a young age, leave alone autism employment.
Inclusive Hiring Network and Uniquely-Abled People
It’s only in the last 10-15 years that there has been a growing concern about adulthood autism. People have begun to realize that children with autism will grow up with the disorder and they will need sustainable employment.
Landing a job with autism is often tricky. People with autism often take everything literally. For instance, if a job requires a bachelor’s degree, the individual may forget to mention his/her master’s degree. That aside, many such persons lack a friend circle and networking skills, which usually provides the personal connections and social introductions to probable employers.
Job Skills Training for the Uniquely-Abled
People with autism often find job interviews a daunting task. The questions are quirky because those on the interview panel usually are not sensitive to handle people on the spectrum.
The path to autism employment can be made easier by two ways. First, specialized agencies should come forward to provide them proper training, and second, recruiters must have people on the board who are aware of autism and how a person on the spectrum is likely to respond in a job interview.
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