What is Autism?
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a widespread range of conditions that interfere with one's every day ability to communicate. ASD impacts the nervous system. There is not one specific way that autism affects a person. ASD affects each individual uniquely. Some symptoms of autism include difficulty with social interactions, repetitive behaviors, and obsessive interests.
When did this become a problem?
It's not like this global issue developed overnight. This has been an ongoing problem for decades. Adults with autism are not able to find (or keep) a job. Bosses of these adults are not educated on how to train and accompany adults with ASD. When their disability is not disclosed, it could take months before an employer starts to understand that something is up.
June L. Chen (a Geraldine leader at Springer Link) posted a report on past history and studies of adults with ASD.
“Early adult outcome studies have demonstrated a poor employment situation for individuals with ASD. Worldwide adult outcome studies continue to report low employment rates of individuals with ASD. Kobayashi et al. (1992) reported that 20% were employed in a Japanese sample; Whitehouse et al. (2009) reported an employment rate of 18% in a UK study. However, Eaves and Ho (2008) illustrated that 56% of a Canadian sample had worked after entering adulthood. It is important to consider employers’ characteristics and how they interact with individuals with ASD, because these factors ultimately determine whether people get a job and how he/she sustains the position” (Springer Link)
June L. Chen (a Geraldine leader at Springer Link) posted a report on past history and studies of adults with ASD.
“Early adult outcome studies have demonstrated a poor employment situation for individuals with ASD. Worldwide adult outcome studies continue to report low employment rates of individuals with ASD. Kobayashi et al. (1992) reported that 20% were employed in a Japanese sample; Whitehouse et al. (2009) reported an employment rate of 18% in a UK study. However, Eaves and Ho (2008) illustrated that 56% of a Canadian sample had worked after entering adulthood. It is important to consider employers’ characteristics and how they interact with individuals with ASD, because these factors ultimately determine whether people get a job and how he/she sustains the position” (Springer Link)