Archived Webinar - Transition to Employment: Tools to Help You Find a Job

Join us to learn about tools that help during a job search. We will explore apps for searching for jobs, writing a resume or letter, and preparing for an interview. We will also explore how to keep track of communications, read with text-to-speech, 

View here at  the PACER Center. 

New Study Points to Grim Outcomes for Adults with Autism

A new study out of South Carolina following 187 people diagnosed with autistic disorder found their long-term outcomes to be overwhelmingly negative. A team under Roger Stevenson of the Greenwood Genetic Center published the paper, “Autistic Disorder: A 20 Year Chronicle,” in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders in June.

The subjects were followed over a course of 20 years. They had been enrolled in the study during a three-year period from early 1995 to early 1998, and were between the ages of 1 and 21 at that starting point. All were receiving services for autism from the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs. The subjects included 153 males and 34 females, representing a 4.5:1 male–female ratio. Sixty-six percent had white ancestry, 32% black ancestry and 2% other ancestry, numbers that parallel the population in South Carolina. Of the enrollees, 84% had co-occurring intellectual disability. The average IQ in the cohort was 49. Twenty years later, at the average age of 27, the investigators ascertained their outcomes.

The outcome data was grim, showing pervasive inability to live independently, hold a job, or manage money. Few became independent, with 99% unable to live independently. Of those, 70% lived at home with relatives, 21% lived in disability homes in the community, and 8% in residential facilities.

Read more here from the National Council on Severe Autism.

Archived Webinar: Expanding Career Pathways for Youth and Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum: Employment as a Social Determinant of Health

The Webinar's discussion will:

• Highlight how greater access to work-based learning can increase opportunities for gainful employment.
• Share federally funded resources to support access to needed workplace accommodations for people on the autism spectrum.
• Emphasize employment as a key social determinant of health and the need to support the physical and mental health of job seekers and employees on the autism spectrum.

View the webinar here.

Free Esports Curriculum Contains Full Lesson Plans

An esports league has launched a free high school curriculum to help teachers use gaming to boost student learning. "Gaming Concepts" from the High School Esports League (HSEL), was written as turnkey curriculum "that almost anyone with even rudimentary computer skills could teach," according to authors Kristy Custer and Michael Russell. The project was supported by Microsoft.

The content covers learning standards in areas such as careers in gaming, maintaining healthy practices, self-management and interpersonal communications, as well as an overview of esports gaming and complete lesson plans.

The new curriculum, "Gaming Concepts," is openly available as a downloadable PDF file on the HSEL website.

Read more here at T/H/E Journal. 

The Etiquette Guide for Surviving the Workplace for Autistic People of Colour

Introduction

This guide was borne out of a recent exchange with another autistic person of colour and wondering how to deal with racism (and other oppressive stuff) at work because, for both of us, our usual method of treating the person like they no longer exist isn’t really a feasible strategy for keeping your job.

The guide, of course, comes with certain caveats and limitations. Since it assumes that you’ve managed to accomplish an already difficult task: getting a job as an autistic person of colour. This isn’t really an easy thing to do. There are a lot of barriers. If you have a job, great and congrats. If you cannot get one, I understand and you’re still worthy.

There are a lot of steps involved in actually getting a job. Steps that I can’t really discuss because I’m terrible at getting jobs. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably terrible at getting them too.

Read more here. 

The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities

This workbook is designed for youth and adults working with them to learn about disability disclosure and help them make informed decisions about whether or not to disclose their disability and understand by considering how that decision may impact their education, employment, and social lives. Based on the premise that disclosure is a very personal decision to be made by young people themselves, the workbook helps young people think about and practice disclosing their disability.

Download the PDF.

Archived Webinar - Women on the autism spectrum’

Most autism research — and, by extension, most stories about autism — focuses on men and their experiences. To shine a spotlight on women with autism, Spectrum teamed up with the science-storytelling venue Caveat in New York City. Three autistic women talked about their experiences dating, looking for jobs and the particular challenges that racial minorities with the condition can face.

Lindsey Nebeker spoke about negotiating love and romance on the spectrum. Sara Luterman told heart-rending stories about the problems she and other autistic adults face when trying to find — and keep — a job. She also weighed the pros and cons of disclosing an autism diagnosis during a job interview. Finally, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu explored the complications race and ethnicity can layer on top of an autism diagnosis.

See the videos here at Spectrum. 

Archived Webinars from the Autism Research Institute

Access the webinars here. 

Archived Webinar - Benefits, Accommodations, & Advocacy in Employment for Individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Watch the webinar here.

TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL: DISCLOSING A DISABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE

So should someone who is used to disclosing his autism in school continue to do so when he enters the world of work? Some says yes: disclosure enables a worker to get an accommodation that can help him get and keep a job. But others say disclosing could lead to subtle or obvious forms of prejudice.

What are those pros and cons? If you decide to disclose, how and when should you do it, and what accommodations can you seek?

Read more here at the Interactive Autism Network. 

Archived Webinar on Preparing for the World of Work

In this recorded webinar video, Ernst VanBergeijk, PhD, MSW, a professor at Lesley University, discusses employment and job trends for people with autism, skills that help individuals with autism gain and retain jobs, and how employers and co-workers can create an autism-friendly workplace.

View the webinar here at Interactive Autism Network.

Webinar: Cybersecurity Careers for Autistic People

An estimated 50,000 Americans with autism turn 18 every year. Could these autistic adults be successful in cybersecurity roles? By failing to incorporate those with neurodiversity in our training and recruiting initiatives, are we making a crucial mistake? Join us to hear from those who are actively working in the field to design programs that work for employers and help autistic adults get to work. This webinar will inform participants of research efforts and corporate initiatives to increase the participation of autistic adults in the workforce. Specific attention will be paid to jobs and skills appropriate to the cybersecurity workforce.

This webinar was recorded. The recording can be found here .

The PowerPoint slides used during the webinar can be downloaded here .

Archived Webinar - Staying Organized at Work: Technology Tools for Task Management and Focus

This workshop, for transition-age youth and adults, addresses the use of technology to support task management and focus. Whether you have ADHD or simply struggle with organization, learn about tools and apps to help you succeed at work.

Watch the recording here. 

Archived Webinar - Customized Employment - Opening Doors for People on the Autism Spectrum

This webinar will provide an overview of the customized employment process including its utility in facilitating competitive, integrated employment outcomes for people with complex disabilities such as autism. Success stories and information about integration of customized employment strategies into vocational rehabilitation systems will be presented.

View the archived webinar here (takes a minute to load.)



Archived Webinar - Succeeding on the Job: Using Technology to Boost the Skills Employers Want

Once you have the job, it is important to be able to meet your employer’s expectations. Assistive technology (AT) can play an important role on the job in a wide variety of work environments. AT helps to increase independence, access to a physical environment, productivity, and access to information and tools.

This webinar will present tools and strategies to support essential work performance, such as being on time, communicating, following directions, staying organized, and completing tasks. Presenters will explore a wide range of technology to support success, including smartphone apps, wearable devices, a smart pen, and alternative computer access devices.

View the webinar here.

Bucking Trend, 9 In 10 With Autism Land Jobs After Training

When given the right supports and training, a new study suggests that nearly all young people with autism who qualify for supported employment can learn to excel on the job.

Nine out of 10 transition-age youth with autism who participated in an intensive job training program were working part-time earning at least minimum wage three months after graduating high school. What’s more, 87 percent were still working after 12 months.

By comparison, just 6 percent of their peers with autism who did not participate in the intervention were employed three months after graduation and only 12 percent were working after a year, according to findings published in the April issue of the journal Autism.

Read more here at Disability Scoop. 

Work in progress: An inside look at autism’s job boom

George glares at me from behind his desk. His hair is buzzed short and his mouth is set in a sneer. He asks about my prior work experience, then replies sarcastically, “Okay, well, what you’d be doing here would be a little different from that.”

This would be the toughest job interview I’ve ever been on, if it were real. Luckily, George is a digital avatar, speaking to me from a large screen. He’s part of a team of virtual job interviewers helping to train young adults with autism at the Dan Marino Foundation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Students here learn workplace skills, train for industry certifications and complete internships. With the avatars (who may or may not be in a good mood), they also practice interviewing — a hurdle that otherwise can be insurmountable for job seekers with autism.

Learning to handle an interview is only the first step for people with autism looking for work. Often, they have no college degree, and if they do have experience, it may be from several jobs that didn’t last long. When at work, they may struggle with anxiety, have trouble communicating with their managers or estrange coworkers with their behaviors. In the United States, only 55 percent of adults with autism had worked at any point during the six years after high school graduation, according to a 2012 study. By contrast, 74 percent of young adults with intellectual disability had some work experience. 

Read more here. 

Employment Tool Kit - Autism Speaks

Click here to download the Employment Tool Kit!

The Employment Tool Kit is divided into the following sections:

Introduction
Self-Advocacy
What Job is Right For You?
Benefits and Funding
Employment Models: What Option is Best For You?
Your Job Search
Transportation Options
Resumes, Cover Letters and Applications
The Job Interview
Accommodations and Disclosure
Soft Skills: Understanding the Social Elements of Your Job
Success Stories and Lessons Learned
My Employment Rights
Glossary of Terms
Employment Resources
Step-by-Step Guide to Your Employment Search

Work in progress: An inside look at autism’s job boom

Splashy corporate initiatives aim to hire people with autism, but finding and keeping work is still a struggle for those on the spectrum. Can virtual avatars and for-profit startups help?

Read more here. 

Webinar: Helping Parents to Think about Employment for Everyone

Webinar: Helping Parents to Think about Employment for Everyone

July 14, 2016

10:30 AM-12:00 PM MST

Parents are essential partners in the Transition process. In fact, parental involvement is one of the evidence-based predictors of post-school success in employment. Families play a key role in:

• Helping youth develop self-determination skills, which are closely tied to successful education and career outcomes 
• Building work readiness skills in the home
• Identifying services and supports that will assist their child to meet future goals
• Providing invaluable historical information to Transition Team members
• Serving as a resource to professionals by providing access to their personal networks for job opportunities

How can we nurture and support this partnership? What barriers might parents face and how can we help them address those barriers? Why does it matter? What kinds of work goals might fit into the home environment? And how could these tie into the five Pre-Employment Transition Services categories? To learn answers to these questions and more, join us for this information-packed webinar!

Register here.