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ASD in the Workplace: Understanding Community Employer Perspectives
Employment is a key milestone in an individual’s life and major component of social integration. Research on individuals with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has shown that employment is positively related to several dimensions of quality of life, including economic resources, positive self-perception, access to an active social network, and preferred living arrangements (Blackorby & Wagner, 1996; Butterworth & Gilmore, 2000; Stephens, Collins, & Dodder, 2005). Despite these positive features of employment, individuals with ASD do not achieve the same employment outcomes as the rest of the population. As a group, they encounter issues such as unemployment or underemployment, low wages, and a lack of support in the workplace (DeLeire, 2000; Yamaki & Fujiura, 2002). Recent analyses of individuals with ASD in the workplace found that only 53.4% of young adults have held a job outside the home in the eight years following high school graduation (Roux et al., 2013).
In an effort to understand the employer perspective on hiring and retaining employees with ASD, we applied Psychological Contracting Theory as the basis for generating questions on expectations and allowable accommodations in the workplace. Psychological Contracting Theory is a well establish research paradigm in business and management literature that conceptualizes the employer/employee relationship as an informal contract based on perceived expectations and commitments by both parties. This theory holds that positive employment relationships and long-term employment arrangements rely on an appropriate match in expectations between employers and employees.
Objectives:
The objective of the current study is to conceptualize employer expectations for accommodating individuals with ASD in the workplace.
Methods:
The current study surveyed community employer perspectives across industries in the western United States. Following the Psychological Contracting Theory framework, results of the current study reflect the degree to which community employers are willing to accommodate individuals with ASD. The accommodations included are based on recommendations for individuals with ASD in the workplace from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) in areas aligned with core features of ASD. The target demographic of the survey was corporate leadership and hiring decision-makers (e.g., human resource managers).. At the completion of the study, 128 individuals participated in the survey.
Results:
Results show high levels of variability between employers regarding acceptable accommodations in the workplace. Survey respondents showed generally high commitment to accommodations related to communicating in the workplace, time management, and strategies to support organization. In contrast, respondents indicated less willingness to accommodate for issues related to atypical body movements, maintaining focus, social skill deficits.
Conclusions:
The current study found high variability between employers with respect to which accommodations should reasonably be expected in the workplace. These findings support the need for individuals with ASD need to self-advocate for accommodations in their workplaces. In addition, individuals with ASD should make informed decisions regarding potential employers, as the variability in the above results demonstrate that there are degrees to which employers are willing offer certain accommodations.