Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 15, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 17 daunting for the average candidate, but it may be downright exclusionary for people on the autism spectrum because of their social and communication diffi- culties. That's just one barrier to employment for people on the spectrum, according to the results of a Clark University study that were presented at HMEA's Third Annual Autism Summit at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester in April. The Clark study, conducted by students and led by psychology professor Elena Zaretsky, surveyed people on the autism spectrum who are receiving services from local agencies. A lack of transportation was a chief concern among respondents, as were sensory considerations (factors like light and noise can be debilitating for people with autism), along with the interview process. Fifty percent of sur- vey takers were unemployed, and of those who did work, most worked only part time and said their skills weren't fully utilized on the job. The Clark survey asked employers People. Places. Product. Photographic images for advertising, public relations, graphic and corporate communications groups . See the difference. 165 Holly Lane • Holliston, MA 01746 Phone/Fax: 508.429.3188 • www.ronbouleyphoto.com R O N B O U L E Y P H O T O G R A P H Y Employers need more autism education While the number of adults in the U.S. on the autism spectrum is expected to increase over the next 10 years, that population remains significantly underemployed. When polled, WBJ readers said the lack of job opportunities is largely due to employers not knowing how to handle workers on the spectrum. F L A S H P O L L What are the challenges in recruiting people on the autism spectrum to your company? Lack of support from state-funded programs to assist with training 16% Lack of knowledge among staff of the needs of autistic employees 55% Limited internal resources for training people with autism 26% A shortage of applicants that meet job qualifications 11% about hiring and employing people with autism. Zaretsky, an expert in commu- nication disorders, was surprised to learn that 41 per- cent of respon- dents (who don't necessarily work with agencies who help autistic people find jobs) said they employ people with autism, and most said they would do so. Zaretsky said that's a huge number, and it points to the fact that local com- panies are facing a shortage of quali- fied workers. The untapped potential of people on the autism spectrum is a subject New York Times bestselling author John Elder Robison knows intimately. Robison, a speaker at HMEA's Worcester summit, wasn't able to graduate from high school because of his undiagnosed autism, but he was able to find success, first as engi- neer in the music business, and later as an entrepreneur, restoring high-end automobiles. This led Robison to publish a mem- oir, "Look Me in the Eye," in 2007 and become active in the autism rights movement. A Western Massachusetts resident, Robison is the neurodiversity scholar in residence at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. Kings of logic Like the education system, Robison said most companies are standardized in a way that may shut out autistic can- didates, but he expects efforts by com- panies like SAP and others to catch on with more large companies, creating more opportunities for people with autism. Robison said for employers, that's advantageous. "In many business situations, logic rules the day, and autistic people are kings of logic and reasoning," Robison said. More outreach is certainly needed to leverage these strengths, said Robison, and he noted ongoing support at work is important, especially when it comes to helping autistic employees with workplace etiquette. James Bavosi, an employment spe- cialist at HMEA, is on the front lines of this work in Central Massachusetts. He spends his days helping people with disabilities find jobs and providing on- the-job support once they have them. About half of Bavosi's clients have autism, and their abilities vary. Some find jobs in clean room manufacturing settings and veterinary offices, while others are working as computer techni- cians and tutoring college students. With only a handful of local compa- nies focused on hiring people on the spectrum – among them are Waters Corp. of Milford, and Imperial Distributors Inc. in Auburn, in addition to Dell EMC – Bavosi said employers are going to find themselves playing catch up. An estimated 500,000 U.S. teens with autism will become adults in the next 10 years, according to the advocacy group Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism. "It's just going to be a numbers game," Bavosi said. "It's going to be sup- ply and demand." Autism workforce The number of U.S. adults on the autism spectrum is expected to spike in the next 10 years, but the population is significantly underemployed. 500,000 The number of U.S. teens with autism to age into adulthood over the next decade 90% Share of adults with autism who are unemployed or underemployed 58% Share of adults with autism who ever worked in their early 20s; compared to 90 percent of adults with some kind of intellectual disability 1 of 68 Number of U.S. children diagnosed with autism Sources: Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism, Drexel University John Elder Robison, autism advocate W

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