Health

14 HEALTH • Fall 2017 "I'm really glad that they were looking to hire me, knowing about my disability, because I've heard about many (employers) that find out that their employees have autism and look for a reason to fire them," he said. Berry's hiring is part of a growing trend in Central Massachusetts and beyond in which companies, social service providers, and people with autism and their families are working together to boost employment among a group that has historically faced discrimination and a lack of job opportunities. Employment on the spectrum Among adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who use state developmental disability services, only 14 percent have jobs in their communities, even though 27 percent say they'd like to, according to a recent study by Drexel University's Life Course Outcomes Research Program. Another 15 percent work in paid jobs at Dell EMC latest to embrace autism hiring in Central Massachusetts \\ By Livia Gershon I n the three months that 20-year-old Joseph Berry has been working as a machine operator at medical device company Tegra Medical in Franklin, he's found the job a good fit. "I really like the experience and it's really good working a full-time job at such a young age," he said. Berry said he feels especially lucky to have the position since he's on the autism spectrum, something he knows can be a challenge in many workplaces. EMPLOYMENT ON THE SPECTRUM facilities serving people with disabilities. Laurie Stewart, human resources manager for the Tegra Medical facility, said the company has been working with the Franklin-based autism services provider Horace Mann Educational Associates (HMEA) to make sure Tegra Medical is welcoming and supportive for employees with ASD. That includes providing training for supervisors and managers. Knowing strengths, weaknesses "They need to have a basic understanding of ASD so they know when the person might need some help because they're not necessarily going to come up and say something on their own," she said. For Berry, it was helpful that his supervisors and coworkers understood "stimming"—behaviors like arm flapping and rocking that people with autism sometimes use to calm themselves and cope with difficult situations. "Sometimes I look a little weird to others when I do certain things," he said. "I still have a little bit of trouble with that, but it's no problem because I still get the job done right ... I'm quick with numbers. I figure things out pretty quickly." Denise Fabio, an advocate for people with autism, whose 27-year-old daughter, Amanda, is on the spectrum, said it's crucial for employers to know that every person with ASD has their own strengths and weaknesses. She said Amanda has an enormous drive to succeed. At 16, she took the initiative to ask for a job at a McDonald's restaurant while the two were eating out. She ended up holding the job for more than two years. Today, Amanda works at the Association of Developmental Disability Providers in Framingham, doing administrative office work like answering the phone and organizing supplies, as well as helping with the organization's lobbying work and conferences. "Social is not really who Amanda is, but she happens to be very focused, and she has purpose," Denise said. She said the most important way the organization has supported her daughter is simply respecting her. "They're respectful of who she is and what she does, as they are of one another," she said. At Imperial Distributors Inc., another local Joseph Berry, 20, works full-time for Tegra Medical in Franklin. Amanda Fabio, 27, works part-time in an office in Framingham.

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