The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

It is important to emphasize that the use of natural supports is based upon the proposition that utilizing people who are typically found on the job and in typical environments enhances supports and integration more effectively than relying on specialized services, personnel and settings.

Why has the shift toward natural supports in philosophy and service delivery occurred? It has been suggested that the presence of job coaches and other human service professionals inhibits interactions between the worker with a disability and others, and that co-workers, supervisors and others will be more likely to interact with the job coach rather than the worker with a disability when providing instruction and in social interactions. Thus, the presence of the job coach might impede friendships and social networks that might occur at and outside of the job site between the employee with a disability and non-disabled co-workers. This shift in service delivery has the philosophical underpinnings that people with disabilities should be provided supports in ways that are as close to "normal" as possible, and that services should be provided with an emphasis on increasing and enriching relationships between people with and without disabilities.

Co-workers have been able to provide supports such as skill training, job modifications and adaptations (Storey & Certo, 1996). The research does not indicate any one best way for co-workers to provide supports, and it appears that co-workers can provide a wide variety of supports as long as they receive appropriate training and support (Storey & Garff, 1999). Co-workers have also provided advocacy supports through their own initiative as well as problem solving, with the guidance and support of professionals.

Mentoring has often been utilized in employment settings for persons with as well as without disabilities and may be a formal or an informal program. Rusch and Minch (1988) report five different ways in which co-workers have provide supports in competitive employment. These are: (a) validating instructional strategies, (b) collecting subjective evaluations, (c) implementing training procedures, (d) collecting social comparison information, and (e) withdrawing training procedures in an effort to maintain target employment behavior(s).

In addition to the above points, for people with ASD, social supports may involve assistance, such as finding a place to live, shopping, recreating in the community, being involved in political activities, as well as other aspects of community life. There appears to be a logical connection between natural supports in the workplace and in the community. If a person with ASD is integrated into a job with good pay, then the assumption is that they are more likely (but not guaranteed) to have friends outside of the workplace. These friendships may lead to developing supports in the community as well as the economic capability of taking part in integrated community activities. This is not to say that natural supports on the job site and in the community will necessarily involve the same components or that generalization can be assumed from one setting to the other.

In this presentation, the audience will gain an understanding of natural support strategies for increasing supports and integration at work sites that have been empirically validated as well as a better understanding of current research issues concerning natural supports. We will offer guidelines for implementation of natural support strategies for individuals with ASD.