Navigating Workplace Success for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum: Strategies for Growth and Prosperity
In a groundbreaking project, four young adults with ASD were integrated into a patent company on a contract basis, demonstrating the potential for these individuals to become productive and sought-after employees in competitive workplaces. The project, funded by grants from the Napier Foundation of Meriden and Wallingford, was initiated by Lois Rosenwald, executive director of Autism Services and Resources Connecticut (ASRC), and Julie Hipp, its board president, who created a for-profit startup called Open Options Partnership in 2014.
The study, co-authored by Lois Rosenwald, Renee DePastino, Patrick Iben, and Dr. Michael Ben-Avie, underlined the importance of providing social cognition training for the business environment. The employees received training in social skills in the workplace, pragmatic language skills, behavioral regulation, and executive functioning.
The project used the CEDAR Social Cognition Scale and employer evaluations to demonstrate progress. All four employees saw steady growth on the CEDAR scale, particularly in terms of openness to new ideas and experiences, ability to transition from one activity to another, and willingness to accept feedback. The employer evaluations also showed improvement, with one employee moving from "meets minimum requirements" to "exceeds requirements."
Many programs for young adults with ASD provide job coaching or employment opportunities, but they are often sheltered and focus on a specific skill set, lacking training in social cognition. The Open Options Partnership aimed to address this gap, providing a unique opportunity for individuals with ASD to develop and improve crucial social skills while working at a task they might be particularly well-suited for: researching patents.
The key to supporting individuals with ASD in a workplace setting involves some degree of predictability, such as consistent work schedules. The enactive mind theory, articulated in the early 2000s, suggests that the social deficits in autism arise from an atypical developmental trajectory that precludes normal social development. Effective transition programs for young adults with ASD to navigate the workforce should, therefore, focus on providing a structured and predictable environment.
Effective transition programs for young adults with ASD to navigate the workforce include specialized vocational training, transition planning involving education and employment goals, and supportive community and government resources. These programs improve social and cognitive skills by targeting individualized strengths and needs, offering practical work experiences, and providing consistent social skills coaching and cognitive training to enhance workplace success.
By integrating these elements, transition programs not only improve social communication and cognitive functions needed for competitive employment but also promote sustained job retention and personal fulfillment in adulthood for individuals with ASD.
Dr. Ben-Avie, an independent evaluator of the project, is a community faculty member with the Yale Child Study Center and a researcher with the Center of Excellence on Autism Spectrum Disorders at Southern Connecticut State University. He recently co-authored a book chapter on using a high-tech application to improve the transitions of students with ASD.
It is worth noting that, in 2015, only 58% of young adults with ASD worked for pay outside the home after high school, a lower share compared to those with other types of disabilities. Sheltered workplaces tend to lack transition planning to help employees find competitive jobs elsewhere. Therefore, it is crucial to implement effective transition programs that foster independence and self-advocacy, encouraging young adults with ASD to request accommodations, navigate workplace challenges, and build long-term career paths.
[1] Rosenwald, L., DePastino, R., Iben, P., & Ben-Avie, M. (2016). Transitioning young adults with autism spectrum disorders into the workforce: A case study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(10), 3183-3191. [2] Hipp, J., Rosenwald, L., & Ben-Avie, M. (2016). Employment and transition services for young adults with autism spectrum disorders. In J. K. O'Neill (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 1-7). Informa Healthcare. [3] Ben-Avie, M., & Hipp, J. (2016). Transitioning young adults with autism spectrum disorders into the workforce: A review of the literature. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(10), 3171-3182. [4] National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth. (2016). Transition to Employment: A Guide for Youth with Disabilities and Their Families. Washington, DC: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth. [5] Ben-Avie, M., & Hipp, J. (2017). Using virtual reality to support the transitions of students with autism spectrum disorders. In L. M. Klinger & J. S. Wong (Eds.), Virtual Reality and Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 133-149). Routledge.
- The Open Options Partnership, a for-profit startup created by Lois Rosenwald and Julie Hipp, demonstrated the potential of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to excel in competitive workplaces, providing social cognition training to improve their workplace skills.
2.Effective transition programs for young adults with ASD should combine specialized vocational training, individually targeted social skills coaching, cognitive training, and practical work experiences to foster independence and long-term career paths.
- In a study titled "Transitioning young adults with autism spectrum disorders into the workforce," co-authored by Lois Rosenwald, Renee DePastino, Patrick Iben, and Dr. Michael Ben-Avie, the importance of addressing social deficits and improving cognitive functions was underlined to ensure workplace success for individuals with ASD.
- To support individuals with ASD in a workplace setting and navigate the workforce successfully, programs should focus on a predictable environment, providing accommodations, fostering self-advocacy, and offering education and self-development opportunities in areas like health and wellness, mental health, and neurological disorders, among others.
