Autism in the Workforce: Identifying Obstacles & Leveraging Innovation Joseph N. Gousie, Sr. Director of Employment Services Elwyn
About Elwyn • Since our beginning in 1852, Elwyn has continued to be at the forefront of developing unique, innovative services for people with disabilities. For over 163 years, our mission and vision have remained steadfast: Maximizing potential through personal commitment, collective talents and innovation • Elwyn has continually pioneered new service models and developed new programs to meet the changing needs of the people we serve.
From potential to better bottom line
Potential
•Skilled Workforce •Specialized skill sets
Obstacles
•Need for innovation •Need for accommodation
Outcome
•Greater productivity •Better bottom line
Potential Workforce • Latest CDC statistic, 1 in 66 individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder • Unique skill sets and abilities • Loyal, consistent, often able to do routine tasks for extended periods of time
Cost to Society for Un/Underemployment • Under utilized workforce of talented people • Costly tax paid social programs • SSI, SSDI, Section 8 Housing, Welfare, Food Stamps • Costly Employment Training and Placement Programs • Sheltered employment • Supported Employment • Training Programs • Autism services cost U.S. citizens $236-262 billion annually. (Buescher et al., 2014) • A majority of costs in the U.S. are in adult services – $175-196 billion, compared to $61-66 billion for children. (Buescher et al., 2014)
Autism & Unemployment • Only 15% of people with autism are in full time employment
• A further 9% are in part time employment • That is compared to 31% of people across all disabilities in full time employment
• More than a quarter of graduates with autism are unemployed. That is the highest rate of any group of people with disabilities nationally • Only 10% of people with autism receive support in finding work but 53% would like it • 37% of adults with autism have never had a paid job after the age of 16 and 41% of people over the age of 55 have spent a period of more than 10 years without a paid job * Statistics taken from “I Exist” and AGCAS website
Obstacles • Misconceptions regarding what Autism is and isn’t • Company diversity recruitment initiatives do not always include individuals with disabilities • Challenge for many individuals with ASD to self-advocate for accommodations • Many individuals with ASD struggle with social interaction which impacts the interview process and later interactions with co-workers
Why should someone who is seemingly intelligent, experienced, occupationally qualified even need support or additional help at work? “People with Asperger Syndrome have comparable levels of competence with their work colleagues, however they struggle when they are expected to learn tasks, transfer skills from one situation to another and multi-task in the same way as someone without Asperger Syndrome, and therein lies the root of their difficulties.” –Robert Warman
Possible challenges in workplace May have difficulty • • • •
interpreting instructions in noisy situations in unstructured situations Initiating tasks
• organizing tasks
What they need • • • •
consistency predictability a calm and controlled supervisor an organized workspace
Innovations to overcome obstacles • Customized employment model • Creative accommodations • Pairing with local agencies serving those with disabilities for training/support • Alternative assessment and training models • Innovative recruitment strategies
Customized Employment Model • Customized employment means individualizing the employment relationship between employees and employers in ways that meet the needs of both. It is based on an individualized determination of the strengths, needs, and interests of the person with a disability, and is also designed to meet the specific needs of the employer. • Discovery is an alternative vocational assessment. It provides the information needed to determine the strengths, conditions for success, and interests of any person. The outcome of our Discovery is a customized profile of a person that represents the best qualities and qualifications of the person to help in the job seeking process. Marc Gold and Associates
Categories of Customized Employment • Single source jobs : Job descriptions based on tasks derived from a single traditional job • Multiple source jobs: Job descriptions based on tasks derived from a variety of jobs
• Created Jobs: Job descriptions based on heretofore unmet needs of a work setting • Contract Businesses: Carved, negotiated or created job descriptions performed under a contract • Micro-enterprises: Small businesses based on the unmet needs of a local market
Creative Accommodations • Opportunity for isolation – time to get away • Control of physical environment – segregation, lighting, sound, etc. • Consider work enclaves within work environments • Opportunity to work from home
Pair with community agencies • Office of Vocational Rehabilitation • Advocacy Agencies • Agencies serving those with disabilities • Resources from Autism Speaks (employer toolkits and more)
Sample Employment Tools for the Autism Community • As addendums to the Autism Speaks Employment Tool Kit, we have created three new tools to help adults with autism as they search for competitive employment in today's job market. The rate of unemployment and underemployment among young adults and adults with autism is far too high and Autism Speaks is committed to doing all we can to help change that. Check them out here: • An Employer's Guide to Hiring and Retaining Employees with Autism Spectrum Disorders • A Parent's Guide to Employment for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders • Autism in Big Business Report
Alternative Training Models • Volunteering • Policy changes relating to compensation regulations • Develop opportunities to volunteer for weeks at a time • Provides for adjustment and more accurate assessment of employment potential • Internship - temporary unpaid position with an emphasis on onthe-job training rather than merely employment • Apprenticeship - learning a job or skill by working for a fixed period of time for employer with pay • Internship and Apprenticeship may be alternative to college or vocational school education
Recruitment Strategies • Including people with disabilities in diversity recruitment goals • Creating partnerships with disability-related advocacy organizations • Contacting career centers at colleges and universities when vacancies arise • Posting job announcements in disability-related publications, websites and job fairs • Establishing summer internship and mentoring programs targeted at youth with disabilities
Who is leading the way?
Next steps • Look at your workplace and see what you can do to make the environment “autism friendly” • Look at your policies on recruitment/interview/internships etc. • Make a follow-up appointment with an agency