This document summarizes a presentation about employing young adults with Asperger's syndrome. It discusses common workplace challenges for those with Asperger's such as social thinking, communication, sensory integration and task management. It also outlines strategies employers can use to help accommodate those with Asperger's, including creating a predictable and controlled work environment. The document emphasizes that both employers and employees need to better understand Asperger's and learn how to determine reasonable accommodations.

1. Young
Adult
Asperger’s
in
the
Workplace
Rob
Crawford
Pacific
Rim
Conference
on
Disability
&
Diversity
May
19,
2014

2. What
Do
Employers
Want?

3. Top
10
Employer-­‐Reported
Skills
Needs
1. Work
in
a
team
2. Make
decisions
and
solve
problems
3. Plan,
organize
and
priori<ze
work
4. Communicate
verbally
with
people
inside
and
outside
an
organiza<on
5.
Obtain
and
process
informa<on
6.
Analyze
quan<ta<ve
data
7.
Technical
knowledge
related
to
the
job
8.
Proficiency
with
computer
soNware
programs
9.
Create
and/or
edit
wriQen
reports
10.Sell
and
influence
others
• Forbes
2013

4. Diversityinc’s
2014
Top
10
Employers
for
DisabiliOes

5. 5
KPMG:
Becoming
Disability
Confident
All
KPMG
member
firms
have
an
opportunity
to
challenge
percep<ons
surrounding
disability
as
it
is
understood
by
society
today.
By
becoming
a
disability
confident
organiza<on
as
a
whole,
we
have
the
chance
to
focus
on
ability
and
how
it
can
benefit
our
firm.
KPMG’s
goal
is
to
become
disability
confident
both
locally
and
globally.
What
does
it
mean
to
be
disability
confident?
 Understanding
how
disability
affects
business
both
ways
–
as
a
cost
and
as
an
opportunity
for
businesses
services
and
connec<ons
 Crea<ng
a
culture
of
inclusion
that
removes
physical
and
a^tudinal
barriers
for
people
with
disabili<es
 Making
reasonable
adjustments
which
enable
specific
individuals
to
contribute
as
employees
and
clients
 Focusing
on
the
opportunity
to
employ
and
support
differently-­‐
abled
people
and
bring
the
best
capaci<es
to
the
forefront
 Ensure
transparency,
encourage
best
prac<ce
thinking
and
align
with
business
strategy

6. Today’s Important Numbers-
80%<20
90%
10.5 million

7. Controlled,
Predictable
&
Sensory-­‐Balanced
Work
Environment

9. What
the
ADA
says
about
AS
• That
it
must
be
a
substan<al
impairment
• That
the
person
must
be
qualified
for
the
job
• That
the
person
must
be
able
to
perform
the
essen<al
func<ons
of
a
job
with
or
without
a
reasonable
accommoda<on
• A
person
must
disclose
the
disability
to
receive
accommoda<ons
• The
accommoda<ons
must
be
reasonable
and
not
present
and
undue
hardship

10. In
the
work
world,
considera<on
for
accommoda<ons
is
not
based
on
whether
the
worker
has
a
disability,
but
whether
they
have
one
UNDER
THE
LAW

11. Jakubowski
v.
Christ
Hosp.
Inc.,
6th
Cir.,
No.
09-­‐4097
(Dec.
8,
2010).
• While
the
ADA
prevents
an
employer
from
discriminatorily
termina<ng
an
otherwise
qualified
individual
on
the
basis
of
a
disability,
Jakubowski
was
unable
to
prove
that
he
was
otherwise
qualified
to
successfully
complete
his
residency,
because
his
proposed
accommoda<on
did
not
directly
improve
his
ability
to
communicate
with
co-­‐workers
and
pa<ents.
According
to
the
6th
Circuit,
a
plain<ff
has
the
burden
of
proving
that
he
will
be
“capable
of
performing
the
essen<al
func<ons
of
the
job
with
the
proposed
accommoda<on,”
and
Jakubowski
was
unable
to
do
that.
Therefore,
he
could
not
proceed
with
his
ADA
claims.
• This
holding
does
not
excuse
employers
from
par<cipa<ng
in
the
interac<ve
process
by
engaging
in
a
reasonable
discussion
of
accommoda<ons
proposed
by
an
employee
with
a
disability.
It
does,
however,
indicate
that
unless
an
impaired
individual
can
describe
and
request
an
accommoda<on
that
allows
him
or
her
to
perform
the
essen<al
func<ons
of
the
job,
that
individual
cannot
support
a
lawsuit
under
the
ADA.

12. What
are
Some
of
the
Typical
Workplace
Challenges
Adults
with
AS
Face?

13. Social
Thinking
&
CommunicaOon

14. Sensory
IntegraOon

15. OrganizaOon
&
Task
Management

16. What’s
Missing?
• Individuals
with
AS
are
unaware
of
how
to
determine
if
their
KSA’s
match
posi<on
• Employers
are
not
well
informed
on
AS
• Individuals
with
AS
are
not
prepared
to
be
effec<ve
self-­‐
advocates
• Employers
are
ill-­‐equipped
to
determine
accommoda<ons
• Neither
has
not
been
taught
how
to
determine
accommoda<ons
based
on
task

17. What
are
Some
Useful
Strategies
for
Workplace
Challenges?

18. What
is
the
Person
with
AS’
Understanding
of
CompeOOve
Employment?
• Wants
to
work?
• Mo<vated
to
learn
new
skills?
• Open
to
construc<ve
feedback?
• Willing
to
take
responsibility
for
their
ac<ons/
reac<ons?
• Willing
to
work
on
issues
that
arise?
• CommiQed
to
being
on
<me,
doing
their
best
in
everything
they
do,
and
to
make
sacrifices?
• Able
to
handle
a
reasonable
amount
of
stress?
• Willingness
to
disclose
AS
work-­‐related
issues?

19. SituaOonal
Assessment
Focus
Areas
Types
of
workplace
behaviors
to
be
observed
and
assessed
1. Ability
to
get
along
with
co-­‐workers/staff
2. Ability
to
follow
direc<ons
3. Ability
to
learn
new
tasks
4. Speed
of
work
5. Accuracy
of
work
6. Frustra<on
tolerance
7. Safety
8. Mo<va<on
9. Ability
to
follow
complex
direc<ons

21. Looking
at
FuncOonal
Assets/LimitaOons
RelaOve
to
a
Specific
Seng
• Must
know
how
personal
skills,
abiliOes,
training,
educaOon,
and
experience
relate
to
specific
posiOon
within
the
company
• IdenOfy
essenOal
funcOons
&
environmental
consideraOons
of
job
• IdenOfy
potenOal
funcOonal
assets
&
limitaOons
• What
CAMS
are
pracOcal
&
reasonable
for
this
employer?
• How
or
will
I
disclose?

23. Speak
in
a
Direct
&
Clear
Manner
Statements
w/
implied
meanings
• Are
you
going
to
work
on
the
database
assignment?
• Brian,
you’re
the
last
one
leaving
today.
• I
feel
like
lunch.
• We
are
behind
schedule
on
the
Jacob’s
job.
Direct
statements
• I
want
you
to
work
on
the
database
assignment.
• Please
put
the
alarm
on
because
you
are
the
last
to
leave
the
office.
• I’m
hungry,
let’s
go
out
for
lunch.
• You
are
going
to
have
to
stay
late
to
meet
the
deadline.

24. State
ExpectaOon
&
Show
How
to
Meet
It
• Become
giNed
at
sta<ng
the
obvious:
– Deadlines-­‐<me
frames,
schedules,
etc.
– Outcomes-­‐
what
they
look
like,
format,
etc.
– Behavior-­‐
dress,
hygiene,
appropriate
conversa<on
topics,
unwriQen
workplace
rules

25. Self-­‐Accommoda<on
Au<s<c
Jihad
• Please
Knock
On
The
Door
Before
Entering.
• Please
be
so
kind
as
to
knock
on
the
door
before
entering
as
I
am
very
easily
startled
and
I
do
not
wish
to
die
prematurely
as
a
result
of
a
heart
a`ack.
• Also,
I
have
no
wish
to
conduct
an
uncontrolled
experiment
with
an
un-­‐capped
syringe
full
of
Uranium
salts…
;)
-­‐
Carlos

26. In
case
of
emergency:
Rob
Crawford
Life
Development
InsOtute
www.lifedevelopmenOnsOtute.org
rcrawford@life-­‐development-­‐inst.org
(623)
773-­‐2774,
ext.
217

34. Employer
Resources