The job that each of us chooses to pursue defines us, and though it may be a challenge for anybody to adjust to their employment, their work experience will surely help them gain a sense of identity and personal satisfaction. Though The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not require that schools provide programs or services for individuals once they leave school, it does ensure that schools help students with disabilities prepare for adulthood while they are still in school. This is why you and your young adult must be very focused during the transition period to develop the skills he or she will need to have when he or she gets to this stage of independence.
The job search should begin as early as your child’s high school years, when he/she, along with your help, should attend job-shadowing activities in the community and take advantage of apprentice opportunities. While doing these activities, list the areas of weakness that your child should be working on in order to help him/her become better prepared for a work experience. You and the transitioning team should develop strategies and techniques for a young adult to strengthen their weaknesses before they enter the job field.
When considering jobs for your teen or young adult, you should not only focus on matching his or her interests to a job, but you should also consider how his/her disorder will affect his/her ability to perform the job. Vocational education may be a good option. This training, which prepares individuals for paid or unpaid employment, is a lengthy and involved process. It begins by developing a student’s awareness of possible career choices and good work attitudes. Vocational education is usually provided by a state’s DVR or by school-based vocational programs. If you are interested in finding out more about these services for your child, speak to his or her school guidance counselor.
Supported employment may be a good option for individuals with ASD. People with this type of employment receive ongoing support services while on the job, and these services continue to be available for the duration of his/her employment by the company. As an individual gains a greater understanding of, and ability to perform his/her job responsibilities, the amount of supervision is reduced over time until he or she is able to perform the job independently. Work environments that frequently provide these services are universities, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, or small businesses.
Another possible option is secured or segregated employment, in which individuals with disabilities work in a self-contained unit separated from other workers. Some of the typical tasks which secured or segregated employment involves include collating, assembling, or packaging. Though these types of jobs have the advantage of providing individuals with disabilities with a safe environment to learn a vocation and develop in their employment abilities, they have the disadvantage of holding individuals back from a true integrated work experience, which can hinder the development of their social, communicational, and real-life skills.
The technique of “job carving” can strategically create jobs for those on the autism spectrum by eliminating the technicality from these jobs. Job carving means to separate simpler tasks from more complex jobs and then combine the simpler tasks together into new jobs that meet the capabilities of the individual. However, in order for job carving to be operated efficiently, an individual’s knowledge, interests, capabilities, and limitations must be well understood and applied in the carving process. As a parent, you should actively research available job opportunities in your area and network with friends and acquaintances to find a suitable job for your young adult.
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