AUTISM SPECTRUM NEWS TM YOUR TRUSTED SOURCE OF SCIENCE-BASED AUTISM EDUCATION, SPRING 2014 INFORMATION, ADVOCACY, AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES VOL. 6 NO. 4 Autism in the Workplace Identifying Employment Opportunities and Providing Support By Raul Jimenez II, MST According to Unger (1999), the roles and Amy Greenberg, BA of supervisors and co-workers are in- New Frontiers in Learning strumental to the success of people with disabilities in the workplace. Support is essential in the following areas: learning etween 1997 and 2011, the un- how to complete tasks and regular job employment rate of those di- duties, how to perform infrequent duties agnosed with disabilities has associated with the position, learning how ranged from 72% to 88%. This to complete novel tasks and assignments, Bis an astounding number of persons with taking lunch and other breaks, etc. Ung- disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disor- er’s research determined that success was ders (ASD), specifically, without a job. ensued with the proper training and sup- Despite the enthusiasm, motivation, and port in place to help those with disabilities dependability so many job seekers with in the workforce. ASD have in their will to work, many workplaces are hesitant to take the risk to Examples of Supported Employment support them, or lack the knowledge on how to support them in an employment A company in Guildford, CT, called Ros- setting. Supported employment is the es for Autism, trains, hires and provides opportunity for individuals with disabil- other employment opportunities for older ities to be integrated in a working envi- students and adults on the autism spec- ronment with the necessary supports to Flatow (1997) has argued that busi- and routines, such as a co-worker assist- trum. According to Tomaino (2011), Roses be successful. “The purpose of supported nesses should employ a team approach in ing another employee with completing a for Autism enables participants to engage employment is to assist individuals with determining workplace accommodations. task, or setting a watch alarm to prompt in numerous facets of business, including disabilities in becoming and remain- Workplace supports can often times be when to take a break. A formal support is marketing, shipping, inventory manage- ing competitively employed in integrat- either formal or informal. An informal typically a company-sponsored program, ment, data entry, website maintenance, ed work settings” (Wehman, Revell & workplace support evolves organically, like an employee assistance program Brooke, 2003, p. 167). and out of the daily workplace activities (Unger, 1999). see Opportunities on page 16 Employment for Persons on the Autism Spectrum: Examination of the State of the Field and the Path to Pursue By Dianne Zager, PhD, tuck et al. (2012) reported that in the eight with other disabilities. Cimera and Cow- to employment interventions for people Colleen A. Thoma, PhD, years following high school only 53% of an (2009) reported that adults with autism with autism (Standifer, 2009), which has and Samuel M. Fleisher, EdD individuals with autism had worked for were more likely than adults with other created a severe problem in meeting their pay. Adult care and lost productivity from impairments to be denied services because needs. Müller, Schuler, Burton, and Yates unemployment of individuals with autism of the magnitude of their needs, which re- (2003) reported widespread lack of ade- espite evidence of the potential have resulted in substantial costs to soci- quire a greater amount of services. Due to quate training, found VR services were of individuals with autism to ety. The annual cost for caring for the 1.5 communication, cognitive, behavioral, and not meeting the needs of this population, perform competitive jobs, em- million people in the U.S. with autism has social needs that require intensive services and stressed the need for better trained vo- ployment rates for people on been estimated from $35 billion to $60 bil- and result in greater cost, they are less like- cational service providers. Their findings Dthe spectrum remain extremely poor. Ap- lion (Autism Society, 2011), with the life- ly to obtain competitive employment. indicated that counselors often lacked the proximately 75% of adults with autism are time cost to care for a person with autism There has been limited research and training and background to assist persons unemployed or underemployed (Autism at $3.2 million. Two-thirds of these costs insufficient evidence to support the ef- with autism to obtain compatible employ- Society, 2011; Van Laarhoven & Winias- occur after the age of 18 and are directly fectiveness of any particular vocational ment. The lack of expertise in helping in- ki, 2012). In 2013, the U.S. Department related to unemployment. treatment approach for adults with autism, dividuals with autism find and maintain of Labor (2014) reported unemployment Unemployment rates for people with au- resulting in service delivery that is fraught work in the face of their unique challenges for people with disabilities at 11.9%, with tism are significantly higher than for other with widespread lack of understanding of has contributed to persistent high rates of labor force participation for people with disability categories because they face a the employment support needs of this pop- unemployment (Lawler, Brusilovkiy, Sal- disabilities at 18.7%. In fact, only 6% of disproportionately difficult time navigat- ulation. Only a fraction of research articles zer, & Mandel, 2009), which has resulted individuals with autism are actively em- ing work due to their unique cognitive, about autism have examined accessibil- in a critical problem that is negatively af- ployed (Shattuck, Wagner, Narendorf, communication and behavior challenges. ity to employment support. The current fecting employment outcomes. Given the Sterzing, & Hensley, 2011). In an analy- Individuals with autism have markedly lack of knowledge within the vocation- sis of nationally representative data, Shat- different vocational needs than individuals al rehabilitation (VR) system pertaining see Examination on page 18 PERMIT NO. 137 NO. PERMIT Effort, PA 18330 PA Effort, MONROE, CT MONROE, 460 Cascade Drive Cascade 460 U.S. POSTAGE PAID POSTAGE U.S. Mental Health News Education, Inc. Education, News Health Mental ORGANIZATION NON PROFIT NON PAGE 2 www.mhnews-autism.org AUTISM SPECTRUM NEWS ~ SPRING 2014 Autism Spectrum News Mental Health News Education, Inc. Editorial Board Board of Directors Cindy Alterson, PhD, BCBA, Principal and Program Director Chairman Devereux Millwood Learning Center Dr. Peter D. Beitchman, DSW, LMSW, Chief Executive Officer Joel Bregman, MD, Medical Director and Director of Psychiatry The Bridge The Center for Autism Chairman-Elect Joseph D. Buxbaum, PhD, Director Jorge R. Petit, MD, President Seaver and New York Autism Center of Excellence Quality Healthcare Solutions Group Mount Sinai School of Medicine Vice-Chairman Susan M. Cortilet-Jones, MS, LMHC Barry B. Perlman, MD, Director, Department of Psychiatry Life Skills and College Coaching Specialist/Consultant Saint Joseph’s Medical Center Discovering Your World Secretary Stephen E. Freeman, LCSW The Freeman Group Peg Moran, LMSW, Senior Vice President F●E●G●S Health and Human Services System Lynda Geller, PhD, Founder Spectrum Services, A Cooperative of Independent Treasurer Practices and Organizations, New York, NY Alan Trager, LCSW, Chief Executive Officer Westchester Jewish Community Services Ami Klin, PhD, Director Marcus Autism Center Members of the Board Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, President Constance Y. Brown, MPA, Vice President, Community & Government Relations Child Mind Institute Institute for Community Living Carmen Collado, LCSW, Assistant Executive Director Cecelia M. McCarton, MD, Founder and Executive Director Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services The McCarton Foundation The McCarton School (for Autism) Jonathan P. Edwards, LMSW, Training Specialist, Parachute NYC NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene Judith R. Omidvaran Parent Advocate, New York Alan Eskenazi, MA, CPHQ, CASAC, Vice President Quality Systems and Strategies ValueOptions, Inc. Theresa Pirraglia, Co-Founder and Board Member Donald M. Fitch, MS, Executive Director The Foundation for Educating Children with Autism The Center For Career Freedom John C. Pomeroy, MD, Founding Director Mary Hanrahan, LCSW, Government Relations Specialist Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities New York Presbyterian Hospital Stony Brook University Medical Center Joseph Krasnansky, LCSW, Vice President and Chief Program Officer Patricia Rowan, LMSW, Consultant and Advocate Lower Eastside Service Center Kid’s Connection Judith R. Omidvaran Parent Advocate, New York Pat Schissel, LMSW, Executive Director Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association Debra Pantin, MSW, Associate Executive Director VIP Community Services Alison Singer, President Autism Science Foundation Theresa Pirraglia, Co-Founder and Board Member The Foundation for Educating Children with Autism Richard Swierat, Executive Director Janet Z. Segal, LCSW, Executive Vice President ARC of Westchester Four Winds Hospital Fred Volkmar, MD, Director Giselle Stolper, EdM, Executive Director Yale Child Study Center Mental Health Association of New York City Dianne Zager, PhD Executive Staff Michael C. Koffler Professor in Autism Ira H. Minot, LMSW, Founder & Executive Director Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Pace University Mental Health News