How to make your job easier.
As a teacher, one of my constant concerns center on how I am preparing my students for the workforce. To be sure, there are many people with Autism who have successful careers and live happy lives. They contribute to society, and feel good about it too.
Employment of people with autism is not tracked very closely, a cursory search on Google has yielded few results. What we know is that around 1 percent of the US population has Autism of varying levels.
As with most differences, people with autism and other disabilities--cognitive disabilities in particular typically work with a chip on their shoulder. There is a public bias against people with disabilities. Because autism has behavioral and social components, people with autism may come off as weird and anti-social. The reality, however, is that people with autism want to live successful lives.
To me and many other advocates, the discrimination that people with disabilities face is no different from any other forms of discrimination.
There are a few strategies to support people with "developmental disabilities" like autism. The government can offer incentives to employers for hiring people with autism like this listed on the IRS website here. These are great signs of public support for people with disabilities. People can also start advocating for people with disabilities to be hired. There has been success with advocacy on Twitter like @Kerrymagro.
Any support is appreciated. But I was an economics major, and although I've dedicated my career to special education, I still have a bit of a market-based mind. Profits still motivate the world--at least enough profit to support oneself. There are fewer forces in our society which have less influence than the economy.
An effort to help people with disabilities is to market their ability to perform well on the job. Employers will hire people with disabilities if they can do the job. People with disabilities are definitely smart enough to complete jobs. But, sometimes the way they think makes progress slower.
We can look to firms like Specialisterne or Summer House Inc which support people at work. They are connected with job support specialists. Having a job support special is ideal and I encourage you to look for your local job support specialist when working with young adults with disabilities.
In the meantime, here are 4 tips people can use to make their work more successful:
Making a checklist is something everyone should do. There are different types of checklists. You may have a checklist for performing a complicated task. A checklist may also help with an everyday routine. For example, 1) check emails 2) check-in with supervisor 3)answer phone calls. Checklists help plan what to do, and when uses in routines, checklists create structure.
Finding a mentor or friend is essential. Aside from all the research which indicates the benefits of building relationships, a friend on the job can help people learn how to get better at what they do. People without friends at work often feel alienated from the job and may quietly feel miserable.
Finding support online can also help. If finding a person to connect with on the job is difficult, try connecting with people online. Reddit is a great place to stop. Profiles can be made easily and guarantee anonymity. A great subreddit to start out is r/socialanxity. Commiserate with people who understand what you're going through.
Spend time reflecting on your day. This is part of teaching 101 and all great minds spend time just sitting and thinking. Personally, as soon as my students leave for the bus, I just sit at my desk and think. I might think about a solution to a problem at school or I might think about what I'm going to treat myself to work. Not surprisingly, thinking about a solution to problem is more helpful than thinking about which restaurant I should treat myself to. Other great places to think are inside a car, at a park and at a library.
