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Supporting adults with ASD in employment

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Supporting adults with ASD in employment. Sara Hounsell National Coordinator NAS [email protected] Telephone: 01792 815 915. A job A place to live A social life (a significant other?). The ‘triad of well-being’. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 1 1 Supporting adults with ASD in employment Sara Hounsell National Coordinator NAS [email protected] Telephone: 01792 815 915
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Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 1 1

Supporting adults with ASD in employment

Sara HounsellNational Coordinator

NAS

[email protected] Telephone: 01792 815 915

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 2 2

The ‘triad of well-being’

• A job • A place to live• A social life (a significant

other?)

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 3 3

Background• It is estimated that there are

332,600 people of working age with ASD in the UK

• An estimated 259,506 are thought to be of average or above average IQ

• 80% of high functioning adults with ASD not in work would like to be

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 4 4

Asperger Syndrome does not affect intellectual ability…….

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 5 5

Only 3% of people with Asperger syndrome are living fully independently….

(Barnard et al, 2001)

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Ignored or ineligible?

• Only 6% of all adults on the spectrum have full time paid employment

• 24% of adults surveyed were described as as ‘doing nothing’ or helping around the house’

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‘People with Asperger Syndrome can make a positive contribution, particularly in the workplace if their disability is properly understood and they are helped in a positive way’

(Person with AS)

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‘He is in and out of work. Quite frequently he is capable of a wide range of jobs but usually comes unstuck due to communication problems’(Parent)

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‘Failure to transfer the skills acquired through education to the workplace is a clear waste of resources. Continuing unnecessary reliance on state benefits is also extremely expensive, as are the costs of treating psychiatric disorders relating to long term unemployment…’

(Mawson & Howlin 1997)

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Costs associated with ASD

‘The estimated lifetime cost to the exchequer of a person with High functioning Autism of Asperger syndrome is £750,000’

(Knapp.M., & Jarbrink.K. 2000 – The cost of Autistic Spectrum Disorder)

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 11 11

Current Services• Disability Employment Advisors (DEA) in

Job Centre Plus offices;• Many DEA’s have little awareness of

ASD• There are too few DEA’s and the turn

over of staff is high

• Job Coaches Via ‘Access to Work’;• The onus is on the person with ASD to apply

for this support• Work preparation course are available but

usually run for 12-18 weeks

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 12 12

‘I have had six different Disability Employment Advisors: none of them has helped me get a job…..’

(Person with Asperger Syndrome)

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The Disability Discrimination Act (1995)

• Employers (20 staff +) are bound by law to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to accommodate employees with disabilities

• People with disabilities by law must not receive ‘less favourable’ treatment

• By October 2004 all employers, regardless of the number of people they employ will be subject to the DDA

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 14 14

Vocational strengths

• Attention to detail / accuracy• Motivation• Persistence• No time lost to ‘office chat’• Sticking to the rules• Consistent good performance on repetitive tasks

• Honesty• Punctuality and reliability

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Vocational difficulties for adults with ASD

Interview skills

Peer relationships

Communication deficits

Prioritising, staying on task, and managing time effectively

Working to deadline, dealing with interruptions and changes

Tensions arising from quality Vs quantity

Sensory hypersensitivities

High levels of anxiety

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 16 16

Overcoming recruitment barriers

• Clearly worded unambiguous Job adverts

• Use of work trials instead of a verbally based interview

• Basing interview questions on past experiences rather than hypothetical situations

• Extra time in selection tests to allow for additional ‘processing time’

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Providing effective support

• Awareness raising for workplace managers and colleagues

• Accurate job matching (skills & sensory issues)• Gradual introduction to the work place• Clear, effective and unambiguous workplace

communication• Rule and boundary setting early on• Task break-down and clear written instruction• Clear honest and consistent feedback about

performance• Ongoing problem solving (periodic support)• A workplace mentor that is accessible and AS aware

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Job matching• Complexity:

• Does the job require:• Complex sequencing?• Manual dexterity?• Complex decision making and prioritisation?

• The Workplace• Does the task:• Involve repetition?• High level social skills?

• Individual considerations• What is the sensory impact of the work

environment?• Does the person have communication deficits?

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 19 19

Practical strategies to overcome barriers

• Written guidelines in the skills acquisition phase

• Work timetable (what to do when and in what order of priority)

• Strategies for dealing with unbearable stress

• Use of visual cues• Workspace organisation• Sequencing aids and jigs if appropriate

Copyright NAS Registered No. 269425 20 20

The picture in Wales• New ground (NAS Cymru) in Newport offers support to adults

with AS and is developing a social curriculum

• Neath Service (NAS) sheltered work via Lon las

• MENCAP run a generic employment scheme for people with LD

• The NAS development team will be running awareness sessions across Wales for DEA’s across Wales

• We are seeking ESF funding for a prospects style approach in Wales

• Provision is currently inadequate and patchy a situation that the autism community hopes will be at least in part resolved by the WAG Autism Strategy.

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References

• Barnard.J., et al (2001). Ignored or ineligible? The reality for adults with autistic spectrum disorders. London. The National Autistic Society.

• Employment Information sheet produced by the National Autistic Society. www.nas.org.uk

• Knapp.M. & Jarbrink.K. (2000) The cost of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. London: Mental Health Foundation.

• Powell.A. (2002) Taking Responsibility. Good practice guidelines for services – Adults with Asperger syndrome. The National Autistic Society. London.

• Hounsell.S. (1999) Unpublished. Supporting people with Autistic spectrum Disorders in Employment. North Yorkshire social services Department.

• Meyer. R.N. (2001) Asperger Syndrome Employment Workbook. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.


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