Employment

National data has shown that many autistic adults are unemployed or underemployed, even when compared to people with other disabilities and in spite of having needed skills and abilities for the workplace. Researchers and policy makers have worked to develop programs that can increase opportunities for employment and improve employment outcomes. This includes job training and recruitment programs, as well as supports for employees and employers to increase retention and success in the workplace. This page provides information related to employment for people with autism and other disabilities.

Websites and Programs

U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy
- Job Accommodation Network (JAN) The Job Accommodation Network provides free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and employment issues. This resource includes information for employers, individuals seeking employment, and others.
The Arc
- Arc@Work
  This program helps public and private sectors recruit, hire, train, and retain job seekers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

More Websites and Programs

Toolkits and Guides

U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services
- A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities This guide is part of OSERS’s efforts to ensure that all students and youth with disabilities are able to succeed in the workforce. This guide addresses transition planning, transition services and requirements, postsecondary education and employment options, and the importance of supporting decisions made by students and youth with disabilities.

Autistic Self Advocacy Network
- Real Work For Real Pay: A Self-Advocate’s Guide to Employment Policy
  This plain language toolkit explains the existing policies that help people with disabilities people find and keep good jobs, and solve employment problems.

More Toolkits and Guides

Reports

Government Accountability Office
- Students with Disabilities: Additional Information from Education Could Help States Provide Pre-Employment Transition Services
  October 9, 2018
  Of the 74 state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies that responded to GAO's survey, most reported expanding services to help students with disabilities transition from school to work as required under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), enacted in July 2014. Most state agencies reported serving more students and providing work-based learning experiences and other activities.

Drexel University
- Vocational Rehabilitation Service Utilization and Employment Outcomes Among Secondary Students on the Autism Spectrum
  
  May 12, 2020
  Researchers analyzed Rehabilitation Services Administration data to determine the association of vocational rehabilitation services with employment outcomes for students ages 16-21. Students with autism were less likely to receive job-related services less than comparison groups.

More Reports

Research Articles

Anderson C, Butt C, Sarsony C. Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum and Early Employment-Related Experiences: Aspirations and Obstacles. J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Apr 30. doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04513-4. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32356082
Rast JE, Roux AM, Shattuck PT. Use of Vocational Rehabilitation Supports for Postsecondary Education Among Transition-Age Youth on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Jun;50(6):2164-2173. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-03972-8. PMID: 30848406

Videos

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
- Department of Labor Apprenticeship Initiative
  July 24, 2019
  Scott Robertson, Ph.D., discusses the Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Initiative, which aims to expand occupational skills training. Full Meeting Page.

Organization for Autism Research
- Autism and the Skilled Trades
  
  October 8, 2020
  This presentation discusses finding gainful employment and fulfilling careers for people in the autism community.