EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

Findings in research over the past 20 years have concluded that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), including autism, have difficulty getting and keeping jobs and often when they are employed, they are underemployed. According to findings of the 2022 US Census Bureau, approximately 79% of individuals with an IDD 16 years or older are not in the workforce, at all. The graph below demonstrates the difference between people with and without disabilities in the work force. 

 

Note that "unemployed" refers to people not working but looking for work, and those not in the work force are not working, or looking for work. They are completely disconnected.

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Research also demonstrates employers terminate people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) most commonly not based on their ability to learn or do the tasks, but based on the following reasons, in order (Siperstein et al., 2014; Akdemir & Melekoğlu (2023); Smith et al., 2020; Shandra, C. (2018). 

 

1. Social communication and interpersonal challenges such as understanding workplace norms, conflicts with co-workers, interpreting social cues or non-verbal communication, (unintentional workplace behavior)

2. Executive functioning skills such as time management, task initiation, organization, prioritization, working memory, self-regulation, self-monitoring, problem solving, flexibility and adapting to change

3. Attendance and transportation issues such as being able to get to work, work schedule changes, and family support in getting to work

4. Job demands and support needs such as placements not aligning to strengths, interests, preferences, and needs.

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Teaching the skills noted above, while systematically balancing how and when to fade (reduce) supports to promote greater independence and success in the workplace. With specific and individualized employment skills training, young adults can be more prepared for work by having paid work experiences while in high school. This is the number one predictor of employment after high school (Avellone et al., 2023; Wehman et al., 2015; Siperstein et al., 2014). 

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​All employment offerings are customized for each individual’s needs and include programming to assist the individual to gain skills including providing supports, fading of supports, providing natural supports, and teaching skills to ensure individual to reach their full potential and the opportunity to be part of the work force. All offerings provide the following level of supports as needed:

 

• Universal supports as needed including visuals, co-worker training, relationship training, and any additional supports

• Assessment and evaluation to determine level of supports needed and implementation of supports and fading of supports

• Assistance on job site of job coach trained in universal supports using evidence base procedures

  • Job coaches trained in evidence-based employment and behavioral principles including task analysis, prompting and prompting hierarchy, fading prompts, shaping behaviors, and other reinforcement of strategies.

• Data collection and analysis  for making decisions most beneficial to the individual which includes goal setting, target skills and behaviors, task analysis of target skills with data collection at the task level, programming decisions based on data, identification of pre-requisite skills, reporting on skill mastery, and recommendations for continued or future skill needs

• Clinical therapist provides oversight including reviewing of data collection and analysis towards progress of goals​​

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