Prospects The National Autistic Society

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ProspectsThe National Autistic Society

• Jobs for people with autism

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Coming up

• Prospects
• Autism and Asperger syndrome
• What people with A.S. say
• Small groups
• Examples of success

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Prospects our aim

• For people with autism and Asperger syndrome to
  have the same employment, training and career
  opportunities open to them as non disabled
  people.

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Who are our clients?

• Criteria
• Working age
• Motivated
• Travel independently
• Diagnosis

• History
• Lack of support
• Misdiagnosis
• Late diagnosis
• Feeling of failure
• Mental health problems

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Autism

• A hidden disability
• Pervasive developmental disorder affecting a
  persons ability to communicate and relate to
  other people. Three key areas
• Social relationships
• Communication
• Imagination flexibility of thought

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Asperger syndrome

• Part of the autistic spectrum
• A mild form of autism
• Intellectually able

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How many people with autism in the UK?

• People with learning difficulties
• 115,000

• People with average or high ability
• 403,500

Total 518, 500
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How many are working?

• Only 6 in full - time employment
• 4 in part-time employment
• 12 of those with average or above
  intelligence are in full-time employment
• (Ignored or Ineligible, NAS 2001)

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• Lack of employment cited by people with Asperger
  syndrome as the biggest barrier to independence
• More than 99 want to find paid employment.
• (NAS
  Survey 2000)

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In the Workplace

• Organisational problems
• Communication and social difficulties
• Unusual behaviour
• Productivity?
• Mental health difficulties

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VIDEO

• David and Katie

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Social relationships
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• Its like being behind an invisible wall.

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• I have difficulty picking up social cues, and
  difficulty in knowing what to do when I get
  things wrong.

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• We need the rules making clear. We need telling
  what to do and what not to do in social
  situations.

It is helpful if you are clear and direct in a
warm way
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Communication
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• Understanding conversation is like trying to
  understand a foreign language

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• People can help us by communicating clearly by
  explaining tasks well so they are easy to
  understand, and giving support to do some tasks.

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Imagination
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• The subtleties of emotion and facial expression
  are very hard for us to understand if someone
  is smiling broadly, it is clear, but less obvious
  emotions are more difficult.

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• We need supportto work out emotions and
  friendships.

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• Others dont always seem to share my interest in
  flags.

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Level of Education amongst Prospects clients
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VIDEO
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• Pretending to be normal.
• (Liane Holliday Willey 1999)

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Things that you should not do during an
interview

• Kiss the interviewer
• Lie on the floor
• Pick at your clothing/skin
• Attack the interviewer
• Slouch on the chair
• Attack yourself
• Show any signs that youre tired
• Run amok

• Start off a false alarm
• Expose
• Put your fingers in your ears and hum.
• Talk out loud to yourself.
• Laugh/cry out loud
• 
  
• Start having dreams
• Listen to your walkman.
• Prospects Client

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• Warehouse Assistant
• Medical Lab Assistant
• Receiving Clerk
• Finance Assistant
• Check out Worker
• Administration Officer
• Assistant Scientist/Technician
• Gallery Assistant
• Postal Clerk
• Data Input Clerk
• Assistant Researcher
• Purchase Ledger Clerk
• Stock Room Assistant
• Customer relations Assistant
• Filing Clerk
• Seamstress/Laundry Assistant
• Stationery Officer
• Shelf replenisher

• Environment Support Analyst
• Clinical Cleaner
• HR Assistant
• Equity Settlements Clerk
• Mental Health Administrator
• Sales Assistant
• After School Club Assistant
• Kitchen Assistant
• Clearing Bank Clerk
• Operations Service Administrator
• Tour Assistant
• Horticultural Assistant
• Catering Assistant
• Medical Technical Officer
• Research Assistant
• Litter Picker
• Statistical Officer
• Assistant Statistician
• Photographic Technician

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Categories of Employers
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Summary

• Difficulty reading other people and situations.
• Need specific guidance on what is expected and
  what to do instead.
• Success much more likely when there is a greater
  awareness and understanding i.e.
• Not deliberate
• Acceptance of difference
• Willingness to state the obvious.

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Prospects

• 020 7704 7450
• Studio 8 The Ivories
• 6 - 8 Northampton Street
• London
• N1 2HY
• Cburkin_at_nas.org.uk