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Employment for Persons on the Autism Spectrum: Examination of the State of the Field and the Path to Pursue
Despite evidence of the potential of individuals with autism to perform competitive jobs, employment rates for people on the spectrum remain extremely poor. Approximately 75% of adults with autism are unemployed or underemployed (Autism Society, 2011; Van Laarhoven & Winiaski, 2012). In 2013,...
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Finding the Right Employment for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Locating a place of employment is one of the most prevalent challenges for an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In fact, according to a study conducted in 2010 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 21% of all adults with disabilities participated in the labor force as compared with...
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Integrating Special Interests and Passions for Successful Employment
As the 1 in 88 age out of the public school system in the US, autism service providers and organizations are questioning how to best meet the workplace needs of adults of all ages with autism spectrum disorders. As a journalist diagnosed on the autism spectrum myself, I have had my fair share of...
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The Creation of a Model Independent Living Program: The POINT Program of White Plains, NY
One of the most perilous times in the lives of young adults on the spectrum is the transition from the stability and structure of school to lives away from their parents’ homes - lives with as much independence as possible. I know this road well because I am the mother of a young man with an...
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Supporting Students on the Autism Spectrum in Higher Education
The continuing rise in prevalence of autism, now at 1 in 88 (Center for Disease Control, 2012), has engendered greater awareness of the condition, followed by increased research, and improved interventions and strategies for individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA)....
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Blueprint for an Asperger Syndrome College Support Program
In that Asperger Syndrome (AS) was first included as a formal diagnosis in the DSM-IV in 1994, it seems likely that many of the children born after that date who were diagnosed with AS have received academic and social services throughout their school years. These services have enabled them to...
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The Educated and Jobless
After earning a Bachelor’s degree in political science, Steven* turned his attention toward a job in public policy. He figured that his knowledge of government, interest in research, and 3.8 GPA would make it easy to find an entry-level position. Instead, he discovered a competitive field where...
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Harnessing the Power of Autism to Provide Vocational Opportunities to Adults with ASD in Software Testing: The Aspiritech Story
Our son’s graduation in 2003 from a four-year university was a day of great joy and pride for the entire family, but it also left us with the sinking feeling of: “What’s next?” Our son had many areas of strength - he had taught himself to read at age three and had an extensive vocabulary...
