Bridging The Gap: Supporting Students With Asperger's Disorder During The Transition Into The Workforce

The West Virginia Autism Training Center’s College Program for Students with Asperger’s Syndrome at Marshall University understands the essential role of the transition out of college in preparation for career success, and works closely with students to reduce the challenges that accompany the process. This presentation will provide examples of successful transitions, highlight effective strategies of support and give the perspectives of students and businesses that support college students with ASD as they enter into a career. Transitions can be truly intimidating for anyone; because, what it often means for an individual is change.  Merriam Webster defines, “Transition” as a:  “passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another.”  For college students who are approaching graduation and planning a career, this means learning about the next stages of life, including new responsibilities and work place etiquette.   Work-based skills such as “networking”, “job personnel”, and “water cooler talk” can sound foreign to many young adults with little work experience.  The West Virginia Autism Training Center’s College Program for Students with Asperger’s Syndrome at Marshall University understands the essential role of the transition out of college in preparation for career success, and works closely with students to reduce the challenges that accompany the process. The transition from college to career involves several aspects, including:  individual desire, structured planning, having a network of individuals that can assist in the transition, and finding the right work culture to match an individual’s specific interests, ability, and personality. College graduates with Asperger’s Disorder can benefit from specialized strategies to assist in this transition.  The College Program offers a social skills group tailored with themes relevant to student’s future planning, such as:  self-advocacy, the hidden curriculum of work, networking, and work-based relationships.  The College Program fully utilizes the existing services of Marshall University’s Career Services center.   Career counselors have important and professional advice to offer in career exploration, job searching, and interview preparation.  Career Services also provides workshops on resume building and has the ability to set up mock interviews for students.  Working closely with the student and those who have a true assessment of their specific needs, goals and values is crucial in the transition process. Collaboration is made between the student, College Program staff, Career Services, student’s families, and local community based businesses to plan for, obtain, and sustain work experience internships.  Working with the local community and businesses allows a student to practice life skills that many have not yet practiced in a formalized setting.  The goals of work experiences include providing students with a learning environment equipped to teach skills necessary for employment, such as:  communicating effectively with coworkers, arriving to work on time, following a schedule, and learning a specific skill set appropriate to the student’s area of study.  The work experience often is accompanied by a change in perception of not only the student’s expectations of work and their assessment of needs and understanding, but also within the work site’s understanding of supporting and working with individuals with ASDs.   These changes in perceptions and evaluations of the work experience are important to know and to use as a foundation of where to go from graduation. Just like no two people are alike; no two transitions are alike.  Each student’s supports are very individualized and generated through a collaborative planning process involving many people.  The College Program strives to help make the transition process less daunting and as seamless as possible.  This presentation will provide examples of successful transitions, highlights effective strategies of support, and give the perspectives of students and businesses that support college students with ASD as they enter into a career.