The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

In order for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder to gain employment, professionals, families, and consumers must collaborate to determine the strengths, needs, preferences, and sensory issues of the individual with ASD. Situational assessments are used to evaluate people for supported employment. The presenter will discuss how to use information about consumers to determine appropriate sites for situational assessments and employment. This session will assist secondary educators, rehabilitation personnel, families, and consumers on how to evaluate people with ASD for employment. According to the National Longitudinal Transitional Study (NLTS), people with ASD are one of two disability groups that are the least likely to gain employment. The second National Longitudinal Transitional Study (NLTS-2) results indicated that only 15% of people with ASD gained employment. The presenter’s research results indicated that in Alabama only 4% of people with ASD who applied for Vocational Rehabilitation Services between 1992 and 2006 gained employment.  The majority of the subjects were found to be non-employable during the interview/intake process.

The presenter’s research results indicate that in Alabama, individuals with ASD who are referred to VRS by a person or agency other than an educational agency are twice as likely to gain employment as a person who is referred by an educational agency; therefore, secondary educators and rehabilitation personnel need to begin working together.

Many people with ASD are capable of gaining employment; however, they have difficulty maintaining employment for multiple reasons e.g., inappropriate socialization and/or behavioral skills. With support, people with ASD have greater success in maintaining employment (Howlin, Alcock, & Burkin , 2005;  Mawhood & Howlin 1999). Supported employment provides ongoing support for people with significant disabilities, including those with ASD.

Currently, in order to be eligible for supported employment, a person must go through a series of situational assessments. These assessments involve the individual being placed in a situation/environment in which they must perform a job. Often, the person with autism, who is being assessed, does not know the evaluator, has no prior experience at the site, and often, has never performed the desired job/task. Often, the entire scenario creates a situation in which the individual with the disability performs poorly or will not perform the task at all; therefore, the person is determined to by non-employable. The key to effective situational assessments is to know the individual well enough to evaluate the individual in a situation/environment in which the individual can experience success.

The presenter will discuss how to assess people with ASD for employment. During the session, the presenter will take a traditional vocational assessment and discuss how it does not adequately evaluate people with ASD. In order to appropriately evaluate a person with ASD, the person assessing the individual must recognize that the characteristics, strengths, weakness, and idiosyncrasies of the person with ASD. For example, people with ASD have deficits in communication, socialization, and have behavioral issues. Therefore, instead of assessing whether a person can communicate, the evaluator should determine how the individual with ASD communicates and what type of accommodations the individual requires in order to communicate. Another area that must be assessed is whether the individual has sensory integration issues. Often, people with ASD have sensory integration issues that can interfere with their job performance. For example, if a person who has sensory issues to loud noise and McDonald’s  is chosen as the employment site for the situational assessment. In that case, the individual probably will not be successful due to sensory issues not because he/she is not capable of the task required to meet the demands of the job. If these issues are identified prior to job placement or vocational exploration, the individual will have a greater chance of gaining and/or maintaining employment.

If the evaluator is able ascertain the individual’s strengths and weaknesses, sensory issues, and the needed accommodations in order to communicate, the evaluator will be able to assist in the job/vocational match of a person with ASD.  In ascertaining the information of the individual, a collaborative effort between VRS personnel, secondary educators, adult agencies e.g., mental health, families, and consumers is necessary.

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