The Challenges of Vocational Training for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background

Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is usually diagnosed in childhood, as emphasized by the American Psychological Association (APA), it is a lifelong condition (APA, 2013). Adults with ASD continue to face challenges throughout their life, with poor outcomes in a variety of areas in adulthood (Howlin, 2000). There has been an increase in the reported prevalence of ASD; recent estimates are one in 59 individuals (Baio et al., 2018), and approximately one in 54 individuals (Maenner et al., 2020). This indicates that it is unlikely that there will be a decrease in the future, and appropriate services and support will be needed for individuals with ASD, especially vocational training and employment services. Despite the large numbers of adults with ASD, researchers have only recently turned their attention to the outcomes in adulthood, and earlier studies were focused on interventions for children with ASD (Nicholas et al., 2017).

Employment is important component of independent adult life, with a pronounced impact on health, quality of life, and well-being for every individual, including people with ASD (Roux et al., 2013). Difficulty in gaining and maintaining employment is one of the major problems of individuals’ with ASD (Hedley et al., 2018). Those who are in steady employment, can increase their social status and become a part of a society; their financial independence and autonomy are enhanced, and they become less reliant on their families or on publicly funded programs (Roux et al., 2013). Conversely, unemployment in people with ASD has been associated with negative effects on their psychological and physical health, increased mortality, and a higher rate of suicidal incidents (Van Bourgondien et al., 2014).

In general, therefore, the quality of life of individuals with ASD appears to be improved when they achieve successful employment (Roux et al., 2013), but higher rates of unemployment are recorded among individuals with ASD compared with other disability groups (Baldwin et al., 2014; Roux et al., 2015; Shattuck et al., 2012). Even when individuals with ASD are employed, their work tends to be low-paid, and with reduced working hours (Roux et al., 2015; Shattuck et al., 2012), or it does not correspond with their abilities and preferences (Muller et al., 2003). Roux and colleagues (2015) indicated that even when individuals with ASD are employed, they may struggle to adjust to a work setting, and usually earn less money than their peers with the same qualifications and/or experience.

Segregated day programs, supported employment programs and competitive employment are some of the available vocational options for individuals with ASD. Although large amounts of money have been invested in employment services, work outcomes for individuals with ASD are still poor (Burgess & Cimera, 2014). Emphasis on the impairments and social deficits of individuals with ASD rather than on their strengths and expertise might be a factor in their poor employment outcomes (Holwerda et al., 2012). Even when individuals with ASD are well-suited for a specific job, they may need assistance to locate, gain and maintain employment (Howlin et al., 2004). Usually, members of their family play this supportive role, as many individuals with ASD report that they do not receive the support services that they really need (Roux et al., 2015).

It is therefore of utmost importance to focus on the strengths and capabilities of individuals with ASD, instead of highlighting their weaknesses. This chapter is intended not only to identify the barriers to satisfactory employment, but also to make proposals for ways of overcoming these barriers. The aim was to focus on successfully implemented strategies for employment of individuals with ASD and identify the positive interventions.