-
Doin’ It My Autistic Way: Why Being Self-Employed Was the Logical Solution for Me
Ah, the wonderful world of work. It’s a marvel, isn’t it? The way we have all indirectly given up our individual freedoms in hot pursuit of the all mighty dollar. The way we semiconsciously reorder our priorities to accommodate all the time and energy this pursuit demands. The years spent...
-
Supporting the Transition to Employment for Adolescents with Autism
Graduating from high school and transitioning to the world of work is an extremely important and exciting milestone. However, for many young adults with autism obtaining and maintaining employment can present some unique challenges. Unfortunately, despite the vastly increasing numbers of...
-
Six Steps for Greater Autism Inclusion In The Workplace
Imagine you have an employee who excels at pattern recognition, thinks “outside of the box” and has extreme attention to detail. Yet, they might not enjoy making eye contact or be the best at reading social cues. This was the case for one company’s new hire that I learned about during...
-
What Benefits Should an Employer Have When Hiring Neurodiverse Employees?
With an ever-shifting trend toward hiring more neurodiverse employees, we are seeing major profit potential for financial and technology companies. These types of employers have begun to realize and capitalize on the unique value that a team of neurodiverse employees can bring to the table. Around...
-
Self-Advocacy and Successful Onboarding and Maintenance of Employment
The topic of employment struggles for those on the Autism Spectrum tends to focus on gaining meaningful work opportunities, while the conversation needs to continue by looking at sustaining employment. In a 2018 study, only 14.3% of the sample sustained employment for a period longer than 18 months...
-
Ensuring Equal Access to Employment Opportunities for Adults with Autism Requires Bold Legislative Initiative
In the wake of an unprecedented year, many of us are all keenly aware of the difficulties that can come with finding and keeping a steady, good-paying job. However, for adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other developmental disability, this already-difficult endeavor can be...
-
Implementing Common Sense Practices to Improve the Psychological and Emotional Safety of Autistic Adults in the Workplace
I hired five adults on the autism spectrum. Am I a hero? No. Do I have all of the answers? No. However, after years of actively listening to autistic adults describe their emotional struggles whilst they desperately tried to maintain employment in the traditional workplace, I am committed to taking...
-
Autistics and Employment: Far Too Many Rivers to Cross
For as long as I have known about autism, I have heard reports that autistics have the highest unemployment rate among all disability groups - or, for that matter, just about any demographic. Even at the time of my own diagnosis (late 2000), by which such milder variants as Asperger Syndrome had...
-
Set Up for Success: Vista Life Innovations’ Three-Step Employment Model
Employment can be a source of anxiety for both individuals with disabilities and their families. The rate of unemployment or underemployment for those with autism in the U.S. is particularly high compared to those with other disabilities or the general population (Ohl et al., 2017). Despite the...
-
The Connection Between Transportation Access and Future Employment
I have given countless driving seminars, and in all of them I talk about the importance of discussing the impact of driving and transportation on employment. It is my belief that potential employment opportunities must always be discussed with the individual’s transportation options in mind....
