One of the key elements of a successful employment program for autistic individuals is job coaching. Coaching enhances employment success by ensuring greater job satisfaction, increased productivity, and in the long term, greater employee retention. — It is widely acknowledged that increasing the diversity of workforces leads to positive outcomes. McKinsey’s Diversity Matters report has...
Networking – it’s a word that has provoked strong emotion, from being a “bloody nightmare” to sending a “cold chill” down people’s spines. But what does networking mean for the autistic professional trying to get ahead in their career? I decided to ask autistic professionals directly about this topic, focusing on these five questions: Do...
All around the world, there are hundreds of autistic people working in professional, white-collar jobs. Some may have disclosed their autism. Some may choose to hide their autism at work, otherwise known as “masking”. Given the diversity of the autism spectrum, I decided to ask autistic professionals directly about their experiences thriving or masking at...
Asheigh Wilson started thinking about a career in technology only towards the end of high school. But she has not looked back, despite being temporarily stood down during COVID-19. She tells Rachel Worsley that drawing up a personal job map has helped her get the most out of her profession. When you were a child,...
This year has been a huge time of change. Our team have done an amazing job responding to Covid by transitioning our training, coaching, recruitment, assessment and events online. Our webinar last week was just one of many areas of our business that have had to quickly pivot. There has been an extraordinary growth in...
Working from home (WFH) during COVID-19 has both advantages and disadvantages for autistic professionals. And someone who has thrived during the new normal is Sydney-based Maria, a quality assurance (QA) tester at Mable, the digital portal that links carers and supports people with those who need them.
By Barb Cook, M.Aut., Dip. HSc. (used with permission) Workplace social skills. These words strike fear into the soul of any autistic person. I know this, because I am one of those people. I’ve had a tumultuous employment past, prior to my official diagnosis of Asperger syndrome (autism), ADHD and dyslexia in 2009. I never...
By Barb Cook, M.Aut., Dip. HSc. (used with permission) Information and technology (IT) has boomed over the past 30 years and become an integral part of the modern developed world. Employment opportunities in IT exploded alongside this growth and created pathways for autistic people in finding job security in an industry that has been stigmatized...
By Barb Cook, M.Aut., Dip. HSc. (used with permission) Neurodivergent people often experience challenges in exercising skills associated with self-determination and self-advocacy Being pinnacle life skills that drive their success in education, employment, independence and within society, with the right supports, tools and strategies, they can develop high levels of self-determination, providing a firm sense...
It is often assumed by people that I meet, that our training is for autistic employees rather than employers. In fact, the opposite is true. This misunderstanding is excusable. In other cases of unemployment, such as veterans or young people, up-skilling is often successful. Yet for the autistic community, they are usually over-skilled. Instead, our...
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