I’d like to focus today on employment issues for people on the autism spectrum. Unfortunately, for adults on the spectrum, gaining and sustaining employment can be a major challenge. I have seen many clients in my practice who, despite intelligence, education, and skills find it extremely difficult to find a job. Those who are offered jobs often find it very difficult to keep their jobs due to social mistakes in the work environment.
A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch presents the dilemma well. In her article, Rita Price depicts a young woman, an honors graduate of a university and a computer and math whiz. She looked great on paper, but couldn’t pass a job interview. The only job the young woman was finally offered was on the help desk – a job requiring telephone and social skill. She took the job but quit because she was “phone-phobic”.
We, as a society, are spending a lot of time, energy, and money treating children with autism, but are ignoring the needs of older teens and adults on the spectrum. It’s wonderful that children on the spectrum are being included, getting occupational and speech therapy, special education for their learning differences, but a shame that they can’t get a job when they become adults. Many people on the spectrum perform very well in school and get very good grades, but can’t seem to bridge that success into the working world. According to the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, national studies are showing the only 6 to 14 percent of adult with autism are competitively employed. Although I question whether this statistic takes in the high-functioning folks with Asperger’s Syndrome, some of whom are successfully employed in the computer (and other) industry, still it does speak to the high rate of unemployment among those on the spectrum.
It’s so unfortunate that the interview remains to be the test that everyone has to pass to get a job offer, regardless of the type of job for which they are applying. The traditional job-hunting method of sending the resume in to Human Resources, waiting for a call, passing a phone-screen, then an interview so often doesn’t work for people on the spectrum. However, there are some methods that Aspies can use to increase their chances of getting hired. One is use the “back door” rather than the Human Resources door. In other words, use all your resources in your field to get recommendations, find out about job openings, and be invited in for an interview. Temple Grandin, a well-known successful autistic woman, in her book titled, Developing Talents, espouses this technique and used it herself before landing her job in livestock equipment design. Another technique is to build your credibility and sell yourself prior to getting called for job interviews, so that the interview becomes just a formality. Ways to do this are via social/professional networking sites such as Linked In, writing a book, taking speaking engagements, offer ing a service or newsletter using a website, or taking a board position in a professional organization. Another method to consider is designing an on-line portfolio, which could be published on a social networking site and/or brought to the interview to put the focus more on the device showing the portfolio, and less on the one-to-one contact of interviewer to interviewee.
Alternative means of earning an income should not be overlooked. We are moving into an age of less security as provided by corporate employment, and increasing free-lancing and other forms of self-employment. For some Aspies, self-employment may be a much more viable way to make a living. Some will need ongoing support from family members or others, but the creativity, flexibility, (sometimes) less demand on social skills of self-employment could be the answer. For example, an Aspie who has great artistic talent may be the one designing and rendering drawings for cards, while another person handles the marketing and delivery. The Internet provides a wonderful tool for selling products that doesn’t require doing it in person, a task many Aspies would find abhorrent.
We need to find ways to stop overlooking the wonderful skills and talents that people on the spectrum so often have. How can we afford to let those talents go to waste? I would love to hear your ideas on this topic!
