This document summarizes a presentation on neurodiversity and integrating autism into the workplace. It discusses national statistics showing high unemployment among those with disabilities including autism. It describes the Spectrum Advantage program which provides 4 months of employability training and work experience placements for those with autism. The program has achieved success in securing permanent employment for many participants. Common traits of autism that can impact employment are reviewed. Advantages of hiring those with autism are their attention to detail, problem solving skills, and reliability. Myths about employing those with disabilities are debunked.

1. Neurodiversity:
Integrating Autism
into the Workplace
Sarah Taylor, Spectrum Advantage
Alberta Council of Disabilities
Service Providers Spring Conference
May 1, 2015

2. Presentation Outline
• Disabilities and Employment
• Autism, what’s the big deal?
• Spectrum Advantage Program
• Success Rates for the future
• Other programs
• Questions
• Resources

3. Which of these workers has a disability?

4. National Statistics on Employment and
Disability
• Persons with disabilities are more likely to be either
unemployed or underemployed
• Federal government has estimated there are approximately
795,000 working age Canadians with disabilities who are
unemployed, despite having a disability that should not prevent
them working.
• Of these, approximately 50% have post-secondary education.

5. Provincial Statistics on Employment and
Disability
• Albertans with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed or
underemployed than Albertans without disabilities.
• The employment rate for Albertans with disabilities in 2006
was almost 15% lower than it was for Albertans without
disabilities.
• Although these statistics are not yet available, it is widely
believed that the economic downturn of 2008 had a serious
and lasting impact on employment rates for certain
underrepresented groups.

6. Autism and Employment
• Recent statistics indicate that 85% of people living on the Autism Spectrum
are unemployed or underemployed.
• A study published in the September 2013 issue of the Journal of the
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that young
adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have more difficulty
transitioning into employment than their peers with different disabilities.
• The study found that only half (53%) of young adults with an ASD had ever
worked for pay outside the home in the first 8 years following high school,
the lowest rate among disability groups even when controlling for
impairment severity, household income, and social demographics.

7. Employment Rates Comparison Chart
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Chart Title
General Population Disabilities Autism

8. What’s so different about ASD?

9. • "Aren't people with Asperger's more likely to be geniuses? Isn't genius
related to autism?“
• Television shows with gifted characters either identified with or assumed to
have autistic traits: Alphas, Big Bang Theory, Bones, Rizzoli and Isles,
Touch, and others. Some would include Sherlock Holmes and several other
detective characters with keen observational skills but poor social skills.
• News articles on autism and genius. Examples include: Genius Locus
(http://www.economist.com/node/13489714), What Genius and Autism
Have in Common (http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/10/what-child-
prodigies-and-autistic-people-have-in-common/), and The Key to Genius
(http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.12/genius_pr.html).
*The estimated prevalence of savant abilities in autism is 10%, whereas the
prevalence in the non-autistic population, is less than 1%.

10. What’s different about Autism?
• Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are conditions that affect how a person
interacts with other people, experiences the world and processes
information.
• ASDs are pervasive developmental disorders, meaning that they impact
every area of a person’s life from early childhood onwards.
• The spectrum in ASD means that an affected person’s difficulties can
range from barely noticeable differences to severe limitations.
• The vocational needs of people with ASDs depend on the individual and the
degree of their abilities.

11. Social Communication/ Language Barriers
• Having eccentric or limited language abilities
• Interpreting language in a literal way
• Using formal or stilted language
• Struggling with using language socially and the dynamics of
conversation

12. Social Communication Barriers - Nonverbal
Communication
• Not noticing or personally using gestures, facial expressions or
tone of voice
• Not recognizing others emotions, preferences, motivations or
expectations
• Not noticing other people’s signs of boredom, or irritation in
conversation
• Unawareness of unspoken rules of behaviour such as rules of
personal space
• Difficulty establishing or maintaining eye contact
• Difficulty developing or maintaining friendships

13. Imagination
• Having trouble with seeing the bigger picture, and abstract
thinking
• Difficulty with flexibility in thinking, which affects ability to
organize and plan ahead
• Feeling more comfortable with concrete facts than
hypothetical situations
• Difficulty understanding other people’s perspectives or points
of view

14. Other Common Features
• May have sensitivity to certain noises, smells, tastes or
textures
• May sometimes exhibit repetitive motor behaviours such as
pacing or arm flapping
• May experience anxiety if a routine, schedule or prescribed
procedure is not followed
• May have special areas of interest that occupy a lot of their
time and about which they remember large amounts of
information

15. • Import youtube video clip

16. Spectrum Advantage Program
• SPECTRUM ADVANTAGE is a 4 month work experience program that helps
Prepare People on the Autism Spectrum for Success in the workplace, and
helps employers see the advantages of hiring people who live on the
autism spectrum.
• The program breaks down like this:
• There is a month of group based employability skills training followed by a
3 month work experience placement within the (digital economy) and
supported by a job coach throughout

17. Qualifications/ Requirements
• Candidates must be 18-30 yrs. old and not registered in any academic
program
• Candidates cannot be receiving currently, or within the last 3 years, EI
(Employment Insurance) payments
• Candidates who are receiving AISH (Assured Income of the Severely
Handicapped) payments are eligible for financial assistance only during the
Employment Skills Work Experience portion of the program.
SPECTRUM ADVANTAGE IS NOT SIMPLY A PLACEMENT SERVICE.
PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED TO ACTIVELY SEEK EMPLOYMENT
WHILE ATTENDING THE PROGRAM.

18. Group-Based Employability Skills Classes
• Accepted participants are paid hourly minimum wage for attendance
at all classes
• Classes take place 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday), 5 hours a day
from 9:00 – 2:00 for a period of 4 weeks
• In addition to assessing technical skills through the completion of
tasks and assignments; we specifically try to focus on developing the
social skills needed in order to increase employability.
• Some of the topics covered include:
fundamental skills, interview skills, personal management, time
management, communication skills, workplace and social media etiquette,
digital privacy/security, understanding employer expectations, getting
along with others, clarifying expectations, working as part of a team, and
problem solving in the work place, etc.

19. Employment Skills Work Experience
• 12 Weeks at an employment placement while supported by a job coach;
• Hourly minimum wage is provided to Employer to offset training costs
• Participants are paid weekly for one 5 hour coaching session (these
alternate between both group and individual sessions
• Coaches touch base with Employers on a weekly basis to help to bridge
any gaps as well as to support the employers and their staff
For all placements, we:
• Complete a site survey prior to the first day of employment
• Meet with the participants’ direct supervisor to encourage honest and
open communication
• Offer a Lunch ‘n Learn workshop for all interested employees
• Attempt to secure opportunities that appeal to the participants area of
expertise/interest

20. Screening Procedure
1. Application Forms must be filled out by participant and
emailed in
2. Resumes (most recent edition) is to be emailed in to us
3. Interviews are conducted by a two person panel
4. Candidate Rating Forms are used
(A rating on a scale of 1- 5 is completed outlining the
participant’s Motivation, Social Presence, Appearance,
Education, Employability)

21. What we consider during screening
• Evaluate motivation
• Evaluate barriers – Education, Job History, Independence
• Evaluate employability preparedness – Transportation, Ability to track/keep
appointments, Ability to stay on topic
• Evaluate technological competence- Email etiquette, Cell phone usage,
computer tasks
• Evaluate vision for future – Thoughts about employment placements,
dream jobs, realistic goals
• Evaluate presentation- Appearance, Hygiene, Ability to answer questions

22. Advantages for Employers
• Exceptional concentration: People with ASDs can persist and focus on
detailed work. They often find opportunities to concentrate on work for
extended periods of time rewarding.
• Attention to detail: In addition to concentration, people with ASDs are very
attuned to detail, and are often commended for their accuracy.
• Problem-solving skills: People with ASDs tend to be very logical, visual and
structured thinkers and often enjoy the challenge of problem solving.
• Intelligence and aptitude: Many people with ASDs, particularly those with
Asperger Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism – have average to above
average intelligence levels.

23. Advantages for Employers – con’d
• Specialized interests and skills: People with ASDs often develop specific
areas of interest or skills.
• Good memory: Their interest in certain areas often comes with an extensive
knowledge of details, figures and facts about that area.
• Reliability: People with ASDs are very conscious of rules and employers
often value their punctuality, low-absenteeism, honesty and
trustworthiness.
• Retention: People with ASDs thrive in a work environment that is
structured, has routine and predictability. This often leads people with ASDs
to stay in one role for significantly longer than other employees.
• Repetition: People with ASDs often enjoy repetitive tasks, and may
appreciate tasks shunned by others due to their social isolation and
repetitive nature.

24. Myths about hiring people with disabilities
• Myth: Considerable expense is necessary to accommodate
workers with disabilities
• Fact: Most workers with disabilities require no special
accommodations and the cost for those who do is minimal or
much lower than many employers believe. Studies by the
Office of Disability Employment Policy’s Job Accommodation
Network have shown that 15% of accommodations cost
nothing, 51% cost between $1 and $500, 12% cost between
$501 and $1,000, and 22% cost more than $1,000.

25. Myths about hiring people with disabilities
• Myth: 40% of employers maintain that is is difficult or costly to provide
accommodations to workers with disabilities.
• Fact: The majority of employers who had made accommodations found that
the cost of the accommodation was only $500 or less. The vast majority
(73%) of employers report that their employees with disabilities did not
require accommodations.

26. Myths about hiring people with disabilities
• Myth: Employees with disabilities will use more sick leave and won’t be as
productive as other employees
• Fact: Employees with disabilities have the same absentee and sick rates as
non-disabled employees. Industry reports consistently rate workers with
disabilities as average or above average in performance, quality and
quantity of work, flexibility to demands, attendance and safety. Myth:
Persons with disabilities are unable to meet performance standards, thus
making them a bad employment

27. Myths about hiring people with disabilities
• Myth: Persons with disabilities are unable to meet performance standards,
thus making them a bad employment risk.
• Fact: In 1990, DuPont conducted a survey of 811 employees with
disabilities and found 90% rated average or better in job performance
compared to 95% for employees without disabilities. A May, 2002 VCURRTC
National Research Study of Employer's Experiences found that employees
with disabilities are as capable and productive (timeliness, punctuality, task
consistency & work speed).

28. Outcomes so far…
• First cohort began Group Based Employability Skills Classes on May 20,
2014
• So far 30 participants have been accepted into the program – Pilot group of
6 participants, Cohort 2 & 3 with 12 participants each.
• Of those 30, 28 completed the GBES classes, 26 completed the ESWE (3
month employability skills work experience) and 19 have been offered
permanent employment positions.
• We are currently recruiting for Cohort #4 set to begin on May 19, 2015.

29. Other Employment options specifically for
people living on the Autism Spectrum
• Meticulon – Calgary IT consulting company
• SAP Canada is a global market leader in enterprise application software
with offices in Vancouver and Montreal.
• JVS Toronto offers a Asperger’s Job Readiness program geared to higher
functioning individuals who have Asperger's Syndrome.
• The Denmark firm Specialisterne (which means Specialists in English)
focuses on finding jobs for people on the spectrum.

31. Resources
Autism Society of Minnesota. Working with People who have High Functioning Autism
and Asperger’s Syndrome: Tools and Strategies for Managers and Supervisors.
Forward Motion Coaching http://www.forwardmotion.info/ Email:
Barbara@forwardmotion.info
Prospects employment support – the National Autistic Society
http://www.autism.org.uk/prospects/ Dr. Scott Standifer, author of Adult Autism &
Employment: A guide for vocational rehabilitation professionals Hendricks, D. (2010).
Employment and adults with autism spectrum disorders: Challenges and strategies for
success. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 32, 125-134. Hurlbutt, K., & Chalmers, L.
(2002).
Adults with autism speak out: Perceptions of their life experiences, Focus on Autism
and Other Developmental Disabilities, 17(2), 103-111. Hurlbutt, K., & Chalmers, L.
(2004).
Employment and adults with Asperger syndrome, Focus on Autism and Other
Developmental Disabilities, 19(4), 215-222. Smith, M., Belcher, R. G., & Juhrs, P. D.
(1995).
A Guide to Successful Employment for Individuals with Autism. Paul, H, Brookes
Publishing.

32. References
• http://humanservices.alberta.ca/documents/alberta-employment-
first-strategy.pdf
• http://dtpr.lib.athabascau.ca/action/download.php?filename=mba-
13/open/negrychheatherProject.pdf
• http://www.autism.ca/readings/Employer%20Information%20Guid
e.pdf
• http://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-
journals/young-adults-with-autism-found-to-have-difficulty-
transitioning-into-employment
• http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/10/what-child-prodigies-and-
autistic-people-have-in-common/

33. References – con’d
• http://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-
journals/young-adults-with-autism-found-to-have-difficulty-
transitioning-into-employment
• http://www.worksupport.com/research/viewContent.cfm/589
• http://meticulon.com/