Transition to Work
From Autism Transition Handbook
On this page (click on a word to highlight the instances in the page):
accommodations ADA appendix beneficiaries comprehensive counselor coworkers creates cwds disclose disclosure ensuring financial habilitation harrisburg IDEA incentives labor mandates modifying networking Office of Vocational Rehabilitation OVR secured Social Security SSA SSI support ticket WIPA
Acknowledgement: The sections on Finding and Ensuring Success on the Job are reprinted here with the kind permission of the Organization for Autism Research, from their publication, Life Journey Through Autism: A Guide for Transition to Adulthood. This excellent resource is available for download at the Organization for Autism Research's website at www.researchautism.org.
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Transition to Work Overview
IDEA Federal special education law requires that school districts help students with disabilities make the transition from school to work and life as an adult. Although IDEA mandates services and programs while your young adult is in school, there are no federally mandated programs or services for individuals once they leave the school system. This means that your adolescent will need to make the most of this transition period to develop his life skills and prepare for entering the work force.
Broad Timeline for Middle School and High School
Finding a Job
As you are considering a work environment for your young adult with ASD, it will be important to consider both his/her likes and interests, and also what impact his/her disability will have on employment. You can use the information you gathered during the Person-Centered planning process to help pinpoint where your young adult's interest and a career might intersect. This section of the handbook will discuss other things to consider when finding a job for your young adult.
What Kinds of Jobs are Available for Individuals with ASD?
The employment available for an individual with ASD reflects the breadth of the entire job market. Generally, a job may belong to any of three categories that vary in the amount of support they offer the worker with a disability. Ranging from least to most supportive, these categories are Competitive employment, Supported employment, and Secured or segregated employment although neither is mutually exclusive, and an individual may find employment in more than one category.
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Job Match
When searching for jobs for your young adult with ASD, it is important to consider the match between your son and a particular job’s social, navigation, and production requirements. This “job match” is the extent to which a particular job meets an individual’s needs in terms of challenge, interest, comfort, camaraderie, status, hours, pay, and benefits. Generally, as people move through the job market over time, they get closer and closer to an ideal job match. Individuals on the spectrum may not be as motivated by money as their neurotypical coworkers are. So, for the majority of individuals with autism, their motivation to work will be directly related to the extent to which they enjoy the work they are being asked to do. A good match is of critical importance in these cases. When considering things that contribute to job match, they can be classified into physical and social components.
Job Search
Look to see what employment options are currently available in your area. Networking among friends, colleagues, and acquaintances will often be your best job search strategy. Once opportunities are identified, find out what kinds of skills your young adult will need to be successful in those environments. Then, identify what supports your young adult might require to do this job. This exercise can be done in advance of an actual job search to start your thinking about these topics. Think “Job carving.” The charts in Appendix: Job Ideas offer more lists and details of possible jobs that both low functioning and higher functioning individuals on the spectrum may enjoy based on their interests and thinking styles.
See Also:
The Institute for Community Inclusion's real work stories
Team PA CareerLink provides employment and training information and services to assist people in getting a job, and to promote lifelong learning. More information and the link to career opportunities can be found at https://www.cwds.state.pa.us.
Ensuring Success on the Job
Personal Disclosure
When considering a possible job or employment in general, it is important to consider when and if your young adult will disclose that he has ASD. If he has had assistance securing the job and is being provided with job coaching, the primary question becomes not should one disclose, but rather what information is relevant for disclosure and to whom? Remember, in all cases, disclosure is a personal choice, and there is no law obligating anyone to disclose that they have a disability. However, to be eligible for accommodations under ADA, some level of disclosure will be necessary. The Appendix on When (and if) To Disclose provides more information on timing options for disclosure, helping you to think through the positives and negatives about disclosing at various stages in the job search process. There is no one correct answer for when to disclose; however, once disclosed, that information legally must be kept confidential by the employer.
Accommodations on the Job
According to ADA, a qualified employee or applicant with a disability is an individual who can perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, the essential functions of the job in question. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to:
- Making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities
- Job restructuring or modifying work schedules
- Acquiring or modifying equipment or devices; adjusting/modifying examinations, training materials, or policies; and providing qualified readers or interpreters
An employer is required to make an accommodation to the known disability of a qualified applicant or employee if it would not impose an “undue hardship” on the operation of the employer’s business. Reasonable accommodations under ADA can include longer training periods, written lists of tasks to complete and the time of day they should be completed, and making sure there are no seriously distracting sights and sounds in the work area. For a more complete list of reasonable accommodations specific to autism, see the Appendix on Job Accommodations.
Educating Employers and Coworkers
Should your young adult decide to disclose, both employers and coworkers need to be educated about ASDs so that they can offer support when necessary. They will need to be trained on how to best work with your young adult. As part of the transition process, the transition team can establish what information will be necessary to teach future employers and coworkers about autism, and your young adult in particular. Be sure to emphasize areas where he will need help, along with his particular strengths.
Workplace-Specific Social Skills
Although social skills may not be necessary for your young adult to perform the actual job, they may be needed to help him or her keep the job or be more socially included at work. The social skills demanded vary from place to place, but there are basic skills that every employee should know. The following sections provide an overview of the areas where your young adult with ASD may need assistance or training to perform the job.
Social Security Programs
Ticket to Work Program
The Ticket to Work program is a program from the Social Security Administration for those who receive SSDI or SSI due to a disability, providing beneficiaries with more choices for receiving employment services. Under the Ticket to Work program the Social Security Administration (SSA) gives tickets to eligible beneficiaries who may assign those tickets to an Employment Network (EN) of their choice to obtain employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, or other support services necessary to achieve a vocational (work) goal. To determine the EN in your region contact Maximus at 1-866-968-7842 (1-866-YOURTICKET) or 1-866-833-2967 TTY (1-866-TDD 2 WORK) or at their website www.tickettowork.com. ENs, if they accept the ticket, will coordinate and provide appropriate services to help the beneficiary find and maintain employment. One can receive extended health care coverage, protection from Continuing Medical Reviews while "Ticket" is in use, more money, and reinstatement of benefits if you can no longer work. Find more information about the Ticket to Work program refer to www.yourtickettowork.com or www.ssa.gov/work. You may also contact your local OVR District office, or call 1-800-257-4232.
For a list of Ticket to Work Employment Networks, refer to the Ticket to Work website at Ticket to Work Directory
Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program
The WIPA program is a program from SSA that helps address the need for effective benefits planning and allows individuals with disabilities to remain employed without the loss of medical benefits (i.e Medicaid). Work Incentives include, but are not limited, the Plan to Achieve Self- Support (PASS), Trial work periods (TWP) and theImpairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) . SSA Work Incentives are available to all beneficiaries regardless of the source of their employment services.
For more information on WIPA see
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/WIPA/html.
Pennsylvania Employment Resources/Job Support
Department of Labor and Industry - Office of Vocational Rehabilitation OVR is a Pennsylvania Agency that provides services that enable an individual to become employable. They provide services such as diagnostic, vocational evaluations, vocational counseling, training, placement assistance, assistive technology and support services. To determine eligibility, the vocational rehabilitation counselor will ask the following:
- Does your son or daughter have a mental or physical disability that creates a substantial impediment to employment?
- Is there a reasonable expectation that he/she will succeed in employment with the accommodations provided through OVR?
To find out more information about OVR's Individualized Placement Services and to meet with an OVR counselor who can help you select an employment goal and develop a comprehensive strategy so that you can find the type of job that meets your needs, please refer to their website on OVR Individualized Employment Services. Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Department of Labor and Industry, Special Programs, 1313 Labor and Industry Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Or contact a local office.
If you are interested in a comprehensive report on the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation's activities, refer to the draft 2011 FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR UPDATE, March 2010.
Pennsylvania Career Link, Commonwealth Workforce Development System (CWDS) may be used for career assistance (finding a job, looking for a better job, improving job skills) or seeking vocational rehabilitation services. CWDS enables individuals to search for job openings, create a résumé, apply for jobs online, research career information or request vocational rehabilitation services.
Department of Education - Bureau of Career and Technical Education provides individuals with opportunities throughout their lifetimes to develop, in conjunction with other education and training programs, the knowledge and skills needed to keep Pennsylvania’s workforce competitive. Bureau of Career and Technical Education, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126.
See Also:
Waiver Funded Services for Transitioning to Work
Resources
References
The Current State of Services for Adults with Autism (2009). Gerhardt (Ed.) Organization for Autism Research.
