Autism in The Workplace

1
Autism in The Workplace

• Whats possible and how to help your
  child/student/client
• get there.

2
Why work?

• Can you count on public assistance in the year
  2026, 2036, 2046 etc?
• It kills time.
• It might help your child feel better about
  himself.
• It might help him socially too.

3
How do we get started?

• 1. Find do-able chores and pay for them.
• 2. Teach ethic of saving earnings, help child
  have goals for spending what he earns with
  chores.
• 3. Judge work honestly but supportively.
• Chores must be thought of as responsibilities

4
The next step..

• Part-time work in your community.
• Look around for do-able local jobs.
• Examples shelf-stocking,
• grocery bagging, parking lot attendant, movie
  usher, mail-room sorter etc.
• do-able by your child which is not
  necessarily every example listed.

5
Be your childs job advocate!

• Once do-able job is found, show it to your
  child. Practice what it requires with him. Find
  the hiring person. Show him your child can do
  the job.
• Excellent example in Without Reason, by
  Charles Hart

6
Does the employer have to know about the A
word?

• 1. If an agency is involved in the
  job-search, he probably already does.
• 2. If not, it is up to you and it really
  depends on the job..
• Resource Ask and Tell by Stephen Shore
  etc ( Book about disclosure in all areas of
  society, written by six people with autism )

7
Look for local jobs that include something that
interests your child!

• Example If your child likes animals, maybe
  he can find work at a pet-store, veterinarians
  office, stable or racetrack
• If your child likes computer games or any
  hip product, he may enjoy seasonal work helping
  in sales at a department store.

8
Basic skills acquired in Entry Level jobs

• 1. Punctuality
• 2. Grooming
• 3. Cooperation, teamwork
• 4. Social respect for co-workers
• 5. Independent working habits
• 6. Ability to handle criticism

9
A job is more than the job description.

• Most of our peers can do many jobs.
• It is factors not normally listed in the job
  description that can trip us up, such as..
• 1. social miscues with co-workers.
• 2. inflexibility
• 3. Defensive behavior when criticized.
• 4. Grooming

10
Negotiating the job

• What if there is something in the job
  description beyond your childs ability?
• Maybe he can do something else instead.

11
Before your child accepts a job or picks a
training program

• 1. Look at the entire job.
• 2. Will he have to work too many hours?
• 3. Will he have to work too fast?
• 4. What are possible social manholes? When
  and where are the breaks taken?
• ( Coach him on proper behavior with new
  co-workers, especially opposite gender ones )
• 5. Is degree of eventual required independent
  working within his reach?

12
How about a Job Coach?

• Job coaches are usually funded and hired to
  assist your child in learning and keeping a job.
• Possible advantages Support when problems
  occur is the main advantage.

13
Why not a Job Coach?

• If staying employed is the 1 goal of the job
  coach, why should he make sure your child learns
  his job well enough to not need him?
• For that reason, too many job coaches become
  velcro-job coaches long after your child has
  outgrown the need for them.

14
What you should know about ANY job coach, ( if
you can find it out )

• 1. How many clients have they successfully
  coached into employed independence?
• 2. If they werent job coaches, would they
  have jobs?

15
Getting to and from work.

• To Drive or not to Drive?
• Driving, when feasible, is great!
• Otherwise, it is DANGEROUS

16
Is Driving for your child?

• 1. If he still needs an aide in school, not
  at this time.
• 2. If he has concentration issues, not at
  this time.
• 3. If he loses his temper a lot, not on our
  road!!

17
Money

• Once your child is making money, he needs to
  make good decisions about spending it.
• Adults may never be able to fully support
  themselves but they should be made aware of how
  what they make contributes to the total support
  provided by their earnings, public assistance,
  family trust etc.

18
Finding jobs outside the job box

• 1. Apprenticeships
• 2. Co-op college career training programs
• 3. College and Junior college work-study
  programs

19
More jobs outside the box

• A partnership job something requiring two
  or more people, in which the autistic persons
  contribution is what he is capable of doing..
• 1. Examples Shared newspaper delivery,
  concession stand, vending-machine route
  servicing, gardening etc.

20
Working at Home.

• 1. Computer repair.
• 2. Internet-based work
• such as air-hitch ( arranging airline
  reservations on-line for commission )
• 3. Tutoring in subject of interest
• 4. Other services that can be done at home,
  such as sewing, stringing tennis rackets,
  cleaning/repairing household items such as
  lawnmowers

21
Jobs held by our peers, currently or in the
recent past.

• Accountant, Barber, Hairstylist
• Tumbling coach, Cashier, Computer Geek,
• Copy Editor/advertising, CAD assistant
• Paralegal, Hospital Orderly, Caregiver
• Taxi Driver, Wheelchair Van Operator,
• School Crossing Guard, Delivery driver,
• Postal Clerk, Busboy, Copyroom specialist,
• Carpenter, gardener, bicycle repair,
• ETC

22
Finally.

• Dont assume your child cant do
  something until you have given him the chance to
  do it with reasonable preparation and support.

23
Resources.

• Developing Talents by Temple Grandin
• Asperger Syndrome Employment Workbook by
  Roger Meyer