Many college grads on the autism spectrum have trouble finding jobs, but there's hope.
The scale of the unemployment problem for adults with autism
There will be 500,000 adults on the autism spectrum aging into adulthood over the next 10 years. Yet a whopping 85% of college grads on the spectrum are unemployed compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.5% according to a report published by the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute.
Underemployment despite strong skills
Two-thirds of young people with autism had neither a job nor educational plans during the first two years after high school. For over a third of young adults with autism, this continued into their early 20s, the report found. And 20-somethings with autism were less likely to be employed than their peers with other disabilities, with 58 percent employed. In comparison, 74 percent of young people with intellectual disabilities, 95 percent with learning disabilities, and 91 percent with a speech impairment or emotional disturbance were employed in their early 20s
For the 35% of 18-year-olds with autism who go to college, advancing their education actually makes their job prospects worse than if they’d stopped at a high school diploma. Those grads who do land jobs are often settling for part-time, minimum wage positions rather than professional, white-collar work which may be a better fit for their skills and interests.
The interviewing process is a stumbling block for many on the autism spectrum
The traditional job interview process is hyper-focused on communication skills, which puts many adults with autism at a disadvantage. Much of this comes from a lack of employer understanding of neurodiversity. Job-seekers on the spectrum may not answer questions the way employers want because they have trouble understanding the nuances of questions. They may give too much information — sharing their entire life history if asked, “Tell me about yourself.” Or they may answer a yes-or-no question that’s supposed to be open-ended with a literal “yes” or “no” answer. Some others struggle with making direct eye contact, or they will take a two or three-second pause before answering a question, which can seem off-putting to interviewers who don’t understand communication differences common to those on the spectrum. And once they are hired, some adults with autism struggle to hold onto jobs. They can get penalized for making social missteps at work.
Compass can help.
We can work in person or through computer video-conferencing to help you clarify what you want in your career, and craft a plan to make it happen. Working one-on-one in a confidential setting, we’ll show you ways to:
• Manage your time effectively. We’ll help you create systems to organize your day and maintain a manageable schedule, deal with interruptions, and stay focused.
• Handle stress. Learn how to mediate conflict, manage anger, overcome anxiety, handle frustration, and stay away from sensory overload.
• Communicate and collaborate. From creating great rapport with coworkers to navigating more subtle nonverbal cues, we’ll help you enjoy mutually beneficial relationships with your colleagues.
• Organize an effective job search. Planning and implementing a successful job search can seem overwhelming. We can break it down and coach you week-to-week to ensure your success — and even make it a little more fun.
• Interview with Confidence. You’ll be ready to face — and conquer — any interview. We’ll prepare you completely and teach you how to negotiate once you’ve gotten the offer.
Disconnection after high school
Percentage of young adults with autism who never worked or continued education after graduating high school. Credit: National Longitudinal Transition Study-2/A.J. Drexel Autism Institute
Citations:
Roux, Anne M., Shattuck, Paul T., Rast, Jessica E., Anderson, Kristy A. National Autism Indicators Report: Developmental Disability Services and Outcomes in Adulthood. Philadelphia, PA: Life Course Outcomes Research Program, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 2017.