PLANNING AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH ASD - LYNNETTE HENDERSON, PHD VANDERBILT KENNEDY CENTER
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Planning and Resources to Support
Employment of Persons with ASD
Lynnette Henderson, PhD
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
Lynnette.henderson@vanderbilt.edu
1
Topics for Today
• 1) identify employment barriers unique to persons with
autism spectrum disorders,
• 2) name the three skills necessary for employment,
• 3) name the two predictors of employment success, and
• 4) access resources specific to employment of people on
the spectrum.
2
Employment matters
• One becomes a valued and paid
resource to community
• Increases sense of competence &
self-worth
• Opportunities for relationships with
co-workers
• Income increases self-support
options
• Emerging measure of the quality of
system supports
2011 Disability Employment Statistics
• Employment-population ratio
• Much lower for persons with a disability (17.7%) than for those
with no disability (63.8%)
• Not in the labor force
• Higher for persons with a disability (80 %) than those with no
disability (30 %)
• Unemployment rate
• Higher for persons with a disability (16.1 %) than those with no
disability (8.5 %)
• Part-time Employment
• More workers with a disability (32 %) than those with no
disability (19 %)
• http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdf
It Gets Worse!!
Outcomes are even poorer for
young people with autism
% working, settings, wages, hours
http://dps.missouri.edu/Autism/AutismFactSheet2011.pdf
http://www.nlts2.org/index.html
5
Adult Autism & Employment
“…Many traditional vocational rehabilitation practices
are not only ineffective for people with ASD, but
actively distressing to them. This frequently leads
to clients withdrawing from the VR process. One
state VR agency recently documented a 90% drop
out rate for VR clients with ASD, most of whom
never got past the vocational evaluation.”
http://dps.missouri.edu/Autism/AdultAutism&Employment.pdf
6
Rehabilitation of individuals with ASD
“Very few adults with ASD are fully self-supporting, and the majority are
either unemployed or underemployed. 57% percent have poor or
• very poor employment outcomes.”
“People with autism* are severely underserved in terms of achieving
employment outcomes by the state/federal vocational rehabilitation
(VR) program”
“In 2005, unsuccessful closures were still about 1½ times greater than
successful closures for people with autism.”
“…if adults with autism do not transition into employment after their
education years, they have a 70% chance of not being gainfully
employed throughout their lives (Roebuck, 2006). 7
Barriers:
VR counselors unfamiliar with autism
No single entity in our society provides for lifelong
disability needs
No entitlement for adult services
Habilitation in a rehab model designed for soldiers
Process is slow, tedious, staff-intensive, and long term.
Lack of extended services or long-term support
• Dew, D. W., & Alan, G. M. (Eds.). (2007). Rehabilitation of individuals with autism
spectrum disorders (Institute on Rehabilitation Issues Monograph No. 32).
Washington, DC: The George Washington University, Center for Rehabilitation
Counseling Research and Education
8Needs
“Prosthetic” environment
• structure and consistency, which result in predictability
• show respect for “passions” and explore ways to use them in the work
world
• job coach who knows and understands the person with ASD
Access to services and training
• continue to mature and develop new skills
Planning
• “Will this activity be necessary for success in the student’s adult life?”
• A written transition plan for the young person and the family
• Individualized plan for employment (IPE)
• Person-centered planning with input from the person with ASD, families,
professionals, and responsible agenciesStrategies to “support the supports”
1. Ongoing training– “The ASD is not going
to go away.“
2. Careful matching of staff and individuals,
and
3. An effective system of communication that
connects all parties (the individual with
autism and all the supports) so that
pertinent information is shared in a timely
manner.
10Success
“Success requires the student to understand his or
her own needs and to be able to communicate
them to others.”
• “The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with
Disabilities”
• http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure
Employees need to know how to:
• Ask for help
• Ask for clarification
• Ask for a break
118/27/2010 12
8/20/09 13
“A CAREER IS A SERIES OF JOBS—A JOB IS A SERIES OF TASKS—A TASK IS A SERIES OF BEHAVIORS”
Diagnostic Characteristics
• Social Impairments
• Communication Deficits
• Restricted Activities
– May Result in Cognitive Problems
15How Do These
Characteristics Impact
Employment?
Turn deficits into assets
16Impaired Social Relating
• May not respond appropriately to authority
– Treats everyone equally
• May not recognize social expectations
• Honest
– You always know where you stand!
• Difficulty responding to new people
– Not a fickle friend
• In possession of a sense of social justice and integrity
17Impaired Social Relating
• May not enjoy social interaction
– Will stay on task when separated from others
• Difficulty “reading” and responding to co-workers
– Won’t be distracted by social interaction or drama
• Will need to have social expectations adapted or
made clear
– Will follow the “social rules” that are provided
• Limited responsiveness to social or situational
cues or facial expressions
– Responds the same way whatever others may do
18Communication Deficit
• Reason for communication is different
– May not ask questions when they should
– May not understand gestures
– May have difficulty with communication to
express what is or is not working
– May have difficulty sharing information
about job experiences or relationships
19Communication Deficits
– Repeated words or phrases
• Will stick to workplace scripts
– May have difficulty with complex
communication
• Doesn’t use sarcasm with customers.
• Frequently uses very proper English with good
grammar, may be an excellent copy editor
• Likely to question protocols
Have difficulty with…
Struggle with… 20Restricted and Repetitive
Interests and Activities
• May be distressed by change
– Enjoys repetitive tasks
– May excel at detailed or defined organizational tasks
• May need self-soothing behaviors
– May bring energy to the workplace
• May talk about only one topic
– May bring excellent, detailed knowledge to the workplace
– May use unusual or excessive interests at work
• May have difficulty with some sensory environments
– Once addressed, may focus better than others
21The Importance of Predictability
• We can all get a little “thrown” by the
unexpected.
• How do we know what to expect?
• Characteristics of autism impact
information sources:
– Other people’s actions
– Access to information
– Choices and attitudes toward new thingsCognitive and Attentional
Problems
• Executive Function
– May have an uneven profile of skills
– May be easily distracted
– May not understand order of task
– May struggle to organize responses
– May not transfer skills
• Theory of Mind
– Difficulty taking another viewpoint
– Difficulty predicting outcomes of actions
23Areas of Strength
•
• Persistent
• Attentive to detail
• • Perfectionist
• Conscientious
• Logical
• • Original in problem solving
• Likely to thrive on routine and clear
expectations
24Personal traits that may require attention
Managing and communicating stress and anxiety
Personal grooming and hygiene
Coping with change
Group Dynamics & Interpersonal skills
– may be gullible and vulnerable to being teased
25Areas of support in employment
• • Realistic career expectations
• Matching the job to his or her qualifications
– Tendency to be overqualified
• Interview Techniques
• Ongoing job support
– Time keeping and work routines
– Organizing and planning projects
– Conflict resolution
– Coping with “Conventional” methods
26“Stress is one of the most overlooked
problems in autism (Baron, Lipsitt, &
Goodwin, 2006) and is thought to be a
direct result of how the person with
autism experiences the world.”
Dew, D. W., & Alan, G. M. (Eds.). (2007). Rehabilitation of individuals with autism spectrum disorders
(Institute on Rehabilitation Issues Monograph No. 32). Washington, DC: The George Washington
University, Center for Rehabilitation Counseling Research and Education
27“Segregated” or
“Workshop” Supported employment
Employees all have disabilities Integrated community setting
with accommodations
Structure includes
accommodations Job coach provides supports
needed for employee to be
Pay is less than minimum successful
wage
Types of
Employment
Competitive Customized
employment
employment
Integrated community setting
Integrated community with accommodations
setting with Job is carved out to match
employee’s strengths and
accommodations improve company productivityMaking a Good Match
Customizing the match
between job and person
Adapted from “Customized Employment” by Amy Dwyre, TransCen, Inc.
8/27/2010 29Some Things to Consider…
• What activities does this person enjoy?
– Exposure precedes interest.
• What traits do people appreciate about
this person?
• In what environmental conditions does
this person thrive?
– Indoors/outdoors -- Noisy/quiet
– Many people/few people -- Time of day
– Slow/quick pace -- Number of tasks
– Using hands/head -- Spontaneous/structuredSome Things to Consider…
• What is this person’s temperament?
• What are some of his/her talents?
• How does he/she learn a new task?
• What type of tasks has he or she
completed successfully?
• What community activities does he or she
enjoy?
• What training or academic skills?
8/20/09 31Some Things to Consider
• What does this person dislike?
• Are there any particular places/people we should
avoid?
• Any habits, routines or idiosyncrasies?
• What supports have been helpful in the past?
• What would be a “dream job”?
• Person-Centered Thinking tools are great for this!
8/20/09 32VKC UCEDD Area of
Emphasis
www.kc.vanderbilt.edu
33Employment Resources
• Employment Resources
– One-Stop Toolkit - The Office of Disability Employment Policy
has a number of new tools on its Web site to promote
customized employment for people with disabilities.
www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/custom/index.htm
– Creating a Path to Employment: Tips for Parents with
Children with Disabilities - Work in the 21st century is more
team-based than ever. Start by exploring the work world
together.
www.dol.gov/odep/documents/creating_path_to_Employment.pdf
– Essential Skills to Getting a Job: What Young People with
Disabilities Need to Know - Often referred to as soft skills, work
ethic, communication, teamwork and critical thinking are all must
have’s for youth in today’s job market.
www.dol.gov/odep/documents/essential_job_skills.pdfConclusion
• People with autism are unique individuals.
• They have the ability to be successful.
• The better we understand them, the more
successful they can be.
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