Employment on the spectrum

Jobs, jobs, jobs. Among the top requests for help in this office include frequent requests to help my clients find jobs.  I meet with teens looking for their very first job; weary parents of 20 somethings, trying to get their young adults into a stable jobs; grown adults with graduate degrees, trying to land meaningful work; and people who have had many jobs, but somehow remain under employed. The stats for meaningful work – or any work – for folks with Autism are horrifying. It would appear that the vast majority of folks with ASD are unemployed or underemployed.

While no job situation will be solved in a simple post, I do want to suggest several links to local, national, and international resources:

  • Division of Vocational Rehabilitation: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dvr/services-dvr
    • I see a number of clients via DVR. This program helps clients identify a pathway to success at work via individually crafted plans.
  • Sara Colorosa: http://theengagementcatalyst.com/
    • Colorosa seems to have a special talent for working with folks with ASD. She is adept at identifying strengths and creating individualized plans.
  • Organization for Autism Research: https://researchautism.org/employment-with-asd/
    • This recent blog post looks at a variety of categories of employment. Not everyone will love this post, but it is worth a skim, and worth downloading the FREE book about transitioning to adulthood!  (I have the paper copy of the book at my office, if you want to take a peek!)
  • Autism Parenting Magazine: https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/excellent-ways-transition-workplace-autism/
    • My crew writes about an article a month for the online mag. I’m in this above referenced blog post, recycled content from the mag. This blog post looks at how school and work can parallel each other.
  • Finally, Dr. Hecker and I have a book (tome?) coming out in 2020. We have a section dedicated to employment. Barb Cook, Dr. Grandin, and Dr. Colorosa are all contributors to the employment section.  (That is right, Dr. Colorosa is right there, contributing with international superstars Barb Cook and Dr. Grandin!  Colorosa is right here in Fort Collins – she could be on your TEAM!)

As you find new, exciting resources for Employment, will you please let me know? I’m always looking for great resources, and my clients are generally my best researchers!

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