HOW TO FIND WORK ON THE SPECTRUM

BY LOUIS SCARANTINO

Many people with autism struggle to find work. There are ways to find the right job. How do they do that and how do autistics succeed in the workplace? This article will discuss how to find the right job and how to succeed at it. It will also talk about accommodations and accessibility for people with autism in the workplace.

PICKING APPROPRIATE WORK

Individuals with autism should think about if they enjoy working with people or not. People with autism often have trouble with social communication and interaction, so they should think about their preference on this one. They should think about if they enjoy working with their hands. Some jobs you might get dirty. People with autism are often sensitive to smell or getting dirty. They might like working with technology. People with autism can dazzle here.

Considering the above, there might be a few different options, such as: customer service, warehousing, janitorial, data entry, and other types of computer science jobs, depending on their personality and what their strengths are.

MAKING THE WORKPLACE MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM, AND WHAT TYPE OF ACCOMMODATIONS THE INDIVIDUAL MAY NEED

People with autism like consistency. For example, in a janitorial position, a certain schedule or shift and sticking with that shift or schedule, working certain days and working the same days every

week, can be helpful. If the job requires being in meetings, they might struggle with how to take part in those meetings, because of having trouble with social communication and interaction. In these cases, they can ask for less involvement in the meetings by asking ahead of time. Maybe they can be involved in less of them, or maybe they can give input on a video or document to the supervisors for the meeting. Feedback may be given to their performance. To help them accept constructive criticism in the right way, maybe they can ask ahead of time what kind of feedback will be given. Not every person will understand their struggles on the spectrum, so maybe they can bring it to their supervisor's attention, if they feel uncomfortable with a certain employee. Hopefully, the supervisor will assign them to a person who might understand. Not every supervisor will adjust to accommodations, so it is important to observe the supervisor during the interview, before accepting the job, if possible.

People on the spectrum can find a job and be successful in the workplace. Believe in yourself and you will succeed. •

Disclaimer: This article is NOT a substitute for medical advice from a doctor or career advice from an employment specialist. Please consult a doctor or employment specialist before taking any advice in this article. This article is for educational purposes only.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Louis Scarantino was diagnosed with autism at an early age. He is an awardwinning autism advocate, certified motivational speaker, writer, and author of two books entitled Finding Love on the Spectrum: An ASD Guide to Dating and Autism: The Unstoppable Achiever. He's spoken on or has been featured on CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, The Mighty, USA Today, Google News and others. Visit his website louisscarantino.com