Recommendations for Employers of Individuals with Autism
85% of adults on the autism spectrum are unemployed — and hiring practices may be to blame: By Paola Peralta
Autism @ Work Playbook: Finding talent and creting meaningful employment opportunities for people with autism
Autism in the Workplace: How to Accommodate Adults with Autism At Work: United Disabilities Services, November 15, 2019. How employers can support employees who have autism.
Beginner’s Guide to Supporting Employees with Autism: By Jill Feder, Published January 14, 2021. With some simple steps, you can help nurture employee success and satisfaction.
A Landlord’s Guide to Accommodating Disabilities in an Office Space for Rent: By Sophie Davis, Pulbished September 12, 2023. There is a legal and ethical responsibility for landlords when renting office space to tenants with disabilities.
Connecting Manufacturers to Neurodiverse Talent: On February 22, 2024, the Manufacturing Institute held a roundtable featuring Danny Combs, Founder and CEO of TACT (Teaching the Autism Community Trades) and Co-Founder at Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce and Ivan Rosenberg, Founder and President of The Uniquely Abled Project.
Talent on the Spectrum: 60 Minutes episode on the experiences of individuals with autism and employment (Video)
Tips for Accessible Virtual Meetings: Virtually interacting with colleagues in an inclusive way.
Education Programs for Employers
4 ways employers can attract and support neurodiverse talent, By Stephanie Schomer
Autism and Neurodiversity in the Workplace: This free on-line self-paced program includes a series of six self-paced, interactive modules filled with useful activities and videos. The program is designed to assist human resource professionals, employers, supervisors, managers, co-workers, job coaches and counsellors, autistic employees, parents, students, and anyone interested in inclusive employment to learn practical strategies on how to support all employees to be successful on the job.
“Hiring and Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace” by Tiffany Jameson. In this course, HR professional and organizational psychologist Tiffany Jameson addresses neurodiversity and the importance of recognizing how different individuals’ learning and communication style influences how they work best. She covers common challenges the neurodivergent face in the workplace, and how to best support candidates and current team members who learn and communicate differently.
The definitive guide to disability inclusion in the workplace: This guide explores the key aspects of disability in the workplace in depth, providing insight into how inclusive company policies and working styles tend to be (or tend not to be), as well as showcasing key data. We’ll also look at what methods companies can use to ensure a more inclusive culture.
Employing Uniquely Abled Individuals is Good for Business
5 Reasons Hiring People with Disabilities is Good for Business and the Rest of Us
5 Steps to Create a More Inclusive Workplace for Employees with Disabilities _ HRPS Blog
“A man with autism asks future employers to ‘take a chance on me’ in a heartfelt, handwritten viral letter”, By Janine Mack, CNN, March 16, 2021
Able!: How One Company’s Extraordinary Workforce Changed the Way We Look at Disability Today, by Nancy Henderson. Habitat International, a Tennessee-based carpet manufacturer, has managed to achieve superior levels of productivity at home, often two to three times greater than its competition. Habitat’s secret: they hire the people no one else will.
Americans with disabilities are finding new leverage in a tight job market: the tight job market has been beneficial for people with disabilities. The labor shortage, coupled with growing openness to workers with mental and physical limitations, has brought record numbers of people with disabilities into the workforce – and has pushed employers to adopt more inclusive practices to support the new hires.
Autistic adults hyperfocus to help analyze big data for a U.S. spy agency: CBS Mornings, April 21, 2022 (video)
Autism Now Series_ A Viewer’s Guide _ PBS NewsHour
Autism-friendly apprenticeships
Breaking Myths About Neurodiversity: The benefits of cognitive diversity at work The term neurodiversity is a relatively new concept at work. Although challenging, establishing a neurodiverse workplace offers significant benefits.
The Business Case for DE&I
Bucking Trend, 9 in 10 With Autism Land Jobs After Training
College Options for Adults with Autism – Arizona and National
Companies Find Hiring Those On The Spectrum Has Vast Benefits
CSUN Alumnus Inspires Young People With Autism to Pursue Self-Fulfillment
Debunking Disability Employment Myths
Disability Works – Breaking down barriers in business
Employing-People-with-Intellectual-and-Developmental-Disabilities-i4cp-20141
Ford Eyes Workers With Autism
Ford steps up effort to hire people with autism
Giving adults with autism the skills to build independent lives _ PBS NewsHour
How to Find and Keep a Job – Advice for Adults with ASD
How to Solve the Jobs Mismatch?: American businesses claim they can’t find workers, and disabled Americans can’t find jobs. Here’s how tech can help.
IT company comes to Columbus with one goal: Hiring people on the autism spectrum, by Mark Williams, The Columbus Dispatch, February 8, 2021
John’s Crazy Socks: John’s Crazy Socks is a father-son social enterprise inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks, or what he calls his “crazy socks.” Every day, we show what’s possible when you give a person with a differing ability a chance. Over half our employees have a differing ability.
Manufacturing Opens Up a Whole New World
Manufacturers Should Hire Neurodiverse Workers—Here’s Why and How, By NAM News Room, December 20, 202
More businesses are opening up to people with disabilities
My ongoing employment journey as an autistic technologist, by Daniel Rosenberg. An auticon employee details his journey to find employment.
Neurodiversity In The Modern Workplace
Pursuing a Career in Business as a Uniquely Abled Individual, by Linda Chase, Founder, Able Hire
Ready Willing and Able to Work
ROSIES employees have ‘diverse abilities’ and are ready to work
Study Compares Costs, Benefits of Employees with, Without Disabilities
Survey of vocational experiences of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and recommendations on improving their employment by Devon M. Coleman and James B. Adams, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Tech Firm Sees Benefit From Employees On The Spectrum
The Benefits of Disability in the Workplace
The Growing Acceptance of of autism in the workplace, CBS News (thank you to Scott Bowling, CEO of Exceptional Children’s Foundation for sending this article to us)
The Value of Neurodiversity in the Manufacturing Workforce, Peter Rathmann, CEO, Allis Manufacturing, (podcast)
This is America’s most overlooked labor force, with as much as 80% shut out of work, CNBC, Published Thu, Aug 3 2023
Vocational Survey of Adults with ASD in Arizona by James B. Adams and Devon Dale, Autism/Asperger’s Research Program, Arizona State University
Want to Fill Your Job Openings? Hire Those With “Unique Abilities by Matt Fieldman, Executive Director of America Works and Board Member, The Uniquely Abled Project
Where Autistic Workers Thrive: examples of the great experience of SAP, Microsoft, and JPMorgan Chase in hiring individuals with autism.
Where Is Autism Employment Heading In 2017
Workers With Autism Excel Through New Program That Is Model For Others, by Teresa Dixon Murray
Working With Autism And ADHD
Suggested Reading for Employers
Accessing employment supports in the adult system for transitioning youth with autism spectrum disorders by Jennifer T. McDonough and Grant Revell
Assume Competence: Neurodivergent Staff Don’t Need Kid Gloves, by Nancy Doyle
JAN’s Accommodation and Compliance Series: Employees with Autism Spectrum Disorder by US Department of Labor
Addressing employer personnel needs and improving employment training, job placement and retention for individuals with disabilities through public private partnerships
by Darlene Unger
Employment and Adults with Asperger Syndrome by K. Hurlbutt & L Chalmers
Guide to Preventing Disability Discrimination by The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford,
How Disability-Friendly Is Your Workplace? 4 Ways To Put Your Business To The Test by Denise Brodey, Forbes, July 29, 2018
Inclusive Recruitment_ Strategies for Attracting Talented Individuals with Disabilities by Rebecca Moore
Neurodiversity in the Workforce: Kevin Webb Of Mitsubishi Electric US On Why It’s Important To Include Neurodiverse Employees & How To Make Your Workplace More Neuro-Inclusive by Eric L. Pines, Authority Magazine
Overview of Autism for Employers, by James B. Adams, Ph.D., ASU Autism/Asperger’s Research Program, Autism Society of Greater Phoenix
Tax Credits for Businesses by The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Program allows businesses to solve key workforce shortages and reduce hiring costs by accessing tax credits for hiring employees with disabilities.
Why Autistic People Can Struggle in the Workplace, By Claire Jack Ph.D., Psychology Today
The Benefits of Employment
Hacking Autism with Temple Grandin and Mind Shift: a video of an all day conference in Denver on September 24, 2018, that included presentations from noted International, and local voices to share new best practices in education, including how Colorado is addressing the growing need for career-based curriculum that includes certifications, and apprenticeships to help students more seamlessly transition from school to employment. Click here to download the agenda.
A cool business idea that makes money and helps people with Autism: The success of a car wash in Florida that hires people with autism, and why it is good business.
Lighthouse for the Blind: A CNC machine shop operated by people who are blind.
CEO Secrets: ‘Why I headhunt people with autism’: Kurt Schoeffer, head of IT company Auticon, explains why he actively seeks to employ people with autism.
‘I wondered if I just wasn’t good enough’: Tom Cowley, who is autistic, dreamt of creating computer games, but struggled to find employment. But now an IT firm is harnessing the unique qualities of autistic people.
PBS spotlights valley nonprofits, Phoenix community for supportive autistic environment: highlight housing and training programs initiated by local nonprofits.
When we design for disability, we all benefit: Elise Roy, TED Talk, “When we design for disability first, you often stumble upon solutions that are better than those when we design for the norm.”
Extraordinary People: a documentary film that tells the story of six adults across the autism spectrum, who, despite individual challenges, have found meaningful value and a deep sense of pride from their work at a business called Extraordinary Ventures. The film redefines expectations for employers and society alike, and shows the essential role a job plays for not just these six individuals, but for all adults.