The Range Of Careers Options For Autistic Individuals

Many autistic individuals desire to be employed, but companies often lack the knowledge to implement and manage an inclusive workforce.

A conservative estimate is about 50,000-60,000 autistic people turn 18 annually. They graduate from high school and are ready to take on college and careers, yet four in 10 adults with autism never work for pay between high school and their early 20s.

A conservative estimate is about 50,000-60,000 autistic people turn 18 annually. They graduate from high school and are ready to take on college and careers, yet four in 10 adults with autism never work for pay between high school and their early 20s.”It’s easy to assume generalities about persons with disabilities, such as most autistics are good with IT and don’t enjoy conversing with others,” said Melissa Skaggs, Owner of The Hive. “One of our employees frequently self-discloses to customers that he is autistic and enjoys chatting with new people who come into our cafe. Another employee with autism stays in the kitchen almost 100% of the time and rarely comes out to the front of the house, even to serve plates. Our employees are placed according to their personalities rather than their diagnoses.”

Talent, creativity, and know-how abound in autistic people, and countless industries await their contributions and innovations. The options go on and on, from accounting and the arts to factories and food service.

It’s time to change society’s perception of how corporations can seamlessly employ and incorporate people with autism into their workplace and raise awareness that individuals with autism can be valuable productive employees in all industries.

Jobs For All Skill Levels and Creativity Levels

Many companies and businesses for autistic individuals could be valuable resources. But, just like anyone, it’s about discovering each individual’s talent and supporting their efforts to excel.

“I think this starts at learning the Neurodivergent person’s passion,” said Ryan Casey, Executive Director of ClearWeave Careers. “It doesn’t have to be an exact match, but at least close. For instance, if you have someone who loves to edit videos, even if they work at a restaurant, see if that person could help with the restaurant’s TikTok and Instagram and upload videos a couple of hours a week.”

Below are some of the career areas that we will be exploring in the coming weeks:

• The Arts: Hands-on, physical arts jobs that would suit those with autism include house painting, 2D and 3D arts, picture framing, potter/ceramicist, printmaking, woodworking, acting, and performing instrumental and vocal music. Digital arts possibilities include graphic design, animation, visual effects, photography, architecture, illustration, and CAD design.
• The Science Sector: Positions like a research assistant, reference librarian, genealogist, pharmacy technician, academic researcher, lab technician, or scientist could fit those on the spectrum. Analytical skills and adherence to procedures are essential for jobs in the sciences, and people with autism may appreciate the environment where those traits are highly valued.
• The Science Sector: Positions like a research assistant, reference librarian, genealogist, pharmacy technician, academic researcher, lab technician, or scientist could fit those on the spectrum. Analytical skills and adherence to procedures are essential for jobs in the sciences, and people with autism may appreciate the environment where those traits are highly valued.
• Assembly-line Manufacturing: Leveraging the skill some possess of routine and repetitive actions, employees with autism can thrive as assembly line workers in manufacturing companies, automotive plants, electronics, computer plants, recycling plants, or roles like package handler, load supervisor, and mail processor.
• Food and Beverage Service Industry: All roles in a commercial kitchen could be a good fit, including chef in the culinary arts, baker, or support roles like prep cook, line cook, sous chef, dishwasher, or busser. Also, as the microbrewing and micro-distillation industries grow, there is room for shift brewers, a production brewery, and distillery workers at local and national operations. Food and beverage industries need people of all skill levels for efficiency so that adults with autism can find their niche.
• Fashion and Retail: Those on the spectrum could be designers, pattern makers, laundry and dry-cleaning workers, window dressers, pressers, cutters, or apparel workers. The fashion and retail industries have room for people with various skills. These industries are just as much about what happens behind the scenes as what is on display. There is incredible potential for autism-specific innovations, such as creating sensory-friendly clothes for some on the spectrum.
• Accounting/Finance: Recognizing patterns and having a long attention span are tremendous advantages when working with financial information. Possible roles include a CPA, tax preparation specialist, actuary, investment analyst, bookkeeper, billing specialist, or accounts payable clerk.
• Hospitals: Depending on their skill level, those on the spectrum could become a physician, or nurses, hold administrative roles or be a janitor. Hospital jobs can overlap with IT, accounting/finance, and medical recordkeeping for a doctor’s office or surgery center.
• Information technology: People with autism spectrum disorder can be incredibly proficient as network engineers, web developers, web designers, software engineers, and database administrators—logical minds and good problem solvers of all sorts and highly valued in the IT world.
• Farming/Animal Science: Some on the spectrum have a unique understanding of animals and may have more ease relating to animals. This could benefit roles such as veterinary technician, groomer, dog walker, trainer, equine trainer, zookeeper, livestock handler, or pet sitter.

Why Hire Neurodiverse Employees

“Want fewer no-shows and more applications on file? ” asks Skaggs. “Open up your hiring policy to include neurodiverse. People with differing abilities are grateful to be employed.”

There are many reasons to consider hiring neurodiverse individuals. For example, a study done in 2018 by Accenture, AAPD, and Disability found of the companies they researched that hired those on the spectrum, they achieved, on average, 28% higher revenue, twice the net income, and 30% higher economic profit margins compared with other companies in the same sample.

“It would be easy to fix employment needs by tapping into this underappreciated talent pool,” Casey said. “All you would need to do is some basic training to at least start that process. The Neurodivergent can bring a new perspective and innovation. Think of what Einstein, Tesla, and Turing – people who have been thought of as being Neurodivergent – and the value they brought to the world. Your organization will be a “cut-above” both intelligence-wise and perspective-wise.'”

The Harvard Business Review supports employing people with autism  as a competitive advantage. They say the results include increased morale, improved products and services, higher productivity, and ultimately increased bottom lines. 

There can also be marketing opportunities to highlight your diversity and inclusion program. Recently, Skagg’s company, The Hive, received a $20,000 cash prize as part of the inaugural Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp Small Business Hero Day, which recognized small businesses across the country that were nominated for going above and beyond for their local community.

As Skaggs adds, though, while she’s been able to hire more employees thanks to this prize, it simply feels good to be inclusive.

“Including the neurodiverse creates opportunities for a sense of humbleness – and sort of an “I’m ok, you’re ok, we’re all ok” – type of mentality, as well as vulnerability,” she said. “Ask a large staff HR person, and this is the holy grail for team building!”

(Source: Forbes)