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Working While Masking: An Autistic Professional in the Neurotypical Office
Opening Act: The Choreography of Office Life Today’s office culture is a choreography of managed impressions. It rewards employees who can handle small talk with practiced ease, tolerate fluorescent lighting without flinching, and treat every ritual — from over‑the‑top celebrations to...
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Broadening Employment Opportunities for Adults with Autism and/or Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD): A Call to Action
Every morning at First Place–Phoenix, a supportive housing property in Midtown Phoenix, Arizona for adults with autism and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD), residents head out with determination and hustle. Some volunteer. Some hold part-time or full-time jobs. Others are still...
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Enhancing Communication: The Case for Teaching Public Speaking Skills to Autistic Individuals
“My stomach feels kind of weird,” an autistic middle school student once said to me when I asked him how he was feeling before he went on stage to co-host a talent show with me. I told him that he was experiencing anxiety, and people describe this as having “butterflies in your stomach.” As...
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Creating Autism-Friendly Environments for Workplace Inclusivity
In an increasingly diverse and inclusive world, creating autism-friendly environments in the workplace is not just a noble endeavor but a practical necessity. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects millions of people worldwide, and many of them possess unique skills and perspectives that can be...
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ASN Spring 2014 Issue
"Autism in the Workplace" Articles in This...
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Creating a Win-Win When Hiring People with Autism: How One Small Company Made it Work
A wave of high school and college graduates with talent, ability, and a tremendous capacity to contribute are hitting the job market but they are not getting hired. Recent statistics show that 75% of people with autism spectrum disorders are either unemployed or under employed. Many of those that...
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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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Autism in the Workplace: Identifying Opportunities and Providing Support
Between 1997 and 2011, the unemployment rate of those diagnosed with disabilities has ranged from 72% to 88%. This is an astounding number of persons with disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), specifically, without a job. Despite the enthusiasm, motivation, and dependability so many job...
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Workplace Insecurities – Changing the Tide for Adults on the Spectrum
At some point, most of us will find ourselves writing a resume, going on an interview and, hopefully, fielding a job offer. We’ll spend most of our adult lives waking up, enduring some kind of commute, performing a series of tasks, returning home — only to repeat the process again the next day....
