The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Individuals with ASD can be productive contributors to the workforce, but are vastly un(der)employed. Resumes, networking and interviewing skills are particular challenges to getting and keeping a job. We will discuss disclosure, partial-disclosure, self-advocacy, as well as provide in-depth examples of co-worker and supervisor interactions and how to navigate them. Getting and Keeping a Job:  Employment Management, by GRASP President/CEO Kate Palmer, MA, CCP, CAS, is an important and necessary presentation designed to promote the independence of adults and young adults with ASD.  Individuals with ASD can be productive contributors to the workforce, but the vast majority are unemployed or underemployed.  Resume building, networking, and interview skills are particular challenges to getting a job.  Once an individual is employed, keeping the position can also become a difficult endeavor.  In order to maintain employment, the topics of disclosure, partial-disclosure, and self-advocacy, with respect to sensory integration difficulties, social interactions, and specific job requirements and expectations, in the workplace environment can create lasting occupational experiences for the ASD Individual.  The understanding of these concepts will be in a visual, engaging format and achieved by the proper explanation of terms, literature and real-world references, and concrete examples including video clips of workplace interactions for discussion and analysis.  The importance of this presentation rests in the need for ASD Individuals to be active in their own independence, both personally and in the work environment, at whatever level is appropriate to their own needs.  With each ASD Individual being a catalyst for his/her own life, the personal, social, and occupational lives of each person becomes as important and valid as any other person.  As a result, ASD Individuals, Families, and Society will benefit greatly from the inclusion of employment management for Individuals with ASD.

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