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Autism Jobs and Vocational Tasks

Dr. Mary Barbera

When my son, Lucas, celebrated his 18th birthday, he officially became an adult. He participated in some autism jobs for a few years prior to his 18th birthday through his IEP at school. The next summer as part of an Extended School Program (ESY), Lucas started volunteering at a local hotel for an hour each week. There were all kinds of jobs at the hotel providing lots of opportunities for Lucas and his team to explore vocational tasks and autism jobs.
As we continue to teach Lucas to complete different job tasks, I thought I’d explain how I break down and teach any vocational task for an autism job to Lucas through Applied Behavior Analysis. This can be used for other learners with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities.

Teaching a Task for Autism Jobs

By teaching Lucas social skills for his job, Lucas can be more independent. For instance, take teaching Lucas to roll utensils inside a napkin. We want him to be able to roll the utensils himself, so the first step is to determine what the finished product should look like. Also if there are any important quality issues to consider. The utensils need to be clean and the napkin needs to be tightly rolled so the silverware does not fall out. For a simple task such as rolling utensils, the napkin can be unrolled to see how it was folded. Also how the silverware was arranged, and how the napkin was rolled.
For a more complex task such as setting up banquet tables and arranging the tables, it might be helpful or necessary for an employee or someone proficient at the skill to demonstrate how the job task is performed from start to finish.
Next, we need to determine whether or not the student or adult you are working with can complete the whole task or part of the task. The amount of supervision or assistance by a job coach or teacher also needs to be planned.

Task Analysis

After a task is selected and demonstrated, a task analysis should be completed. A task analysis is a written list of the steps that are needed to complete a task. These steps can be written or typed on a data sheet so that data can be collected to ensure that the student is learning the steps. Next, the job is modeled (for students who can imitate) or physically prompted. Practicing a skill at home or school can also be helpful. Especially if there are one or two steps that are more difficult. Once the individual starts completing the steps of the job with no errors, prompting and assistance can be systematically faded.
As children with autism get older and leave school, they can learn to do different tasks and hold a job. It’s important to know the right steps to take so that they do the job well.

Gary Mayerson and Autism Jobs

I spoke with Gary Mayerson on his new book, Autism’s Declaration of Independence. You can view the video above. Gary’s fall into the world of autism was exactly that: a fall. He was a partner in a law firm in Manhattan where he was busy representing some of the country’s most powerful people. But when a family member was diagnosed with autism, his world was flipped upside down. Soon, Gary began to wonder why there wasn’t a law firm dedicated to serving autism-based cases. He recognized a need for one, so he filled it.

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Nearly two decades have passed since Gary made “the best decision” of his life, and he has found himself a part of some very important cases; including the first autism-based case to ever reach the US Supreme Court.

But Gary wears more than a single hat. Along with serving as an attorney, he is also the board chairman on Job Paths; a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing appropriate vocational training assessments and services. Essentially, they prepare students with autism so that even if they don’t go to college after they graduate, they still have skills leading to employment. Thanks to these skills, they are able to take on appropriate, sustainable jobs.

Gary says Autism’s Declaration of Independence is about finding the best possible outcome for a child’s transition from school life to adulthood. There is a lot of focus on the school year, but what happens when the child graduates and is unemployed? Now the question becomes, “what did they graduate to?”

A Focus on Transitions

There now needs to be more focus on transitions for people with autism. Independence is so important for their mental health and their general wellbeing. A child’s IEP should include an assessment, experts, and access to school programming and support systems that prepare them for the upcoming transitions into the working world. You can start at age 16, even. Don’t be afraid of trial and error. Go into a restaurant or laundromat and find out what their easiest job or quietest job might be. Depending on the child or client, there are jobs that they can do that fit their needs. While they are still in school, the autism services they have in place can work with them on their tasks.
Also, don’t be afraid to get creative. Gary Mayerson shared with me a story about an adult with autism who lives in Kodiak Island, Alaska. He started a personalized dog tag business because his parents saw that making dog tags was something he liked to do. There are a lot of dogs on Kodiak Island, so it was the perfect fit. Through a bit of creativity and a leap of faith, he was able to become an entrepreneur and work for himself. Even if you live in a remote area, you can find a job for your child or client. There can be a really great life waiting for them outside of school.

Learn More about Autism Jobs

If you have a child or client with autism, take one of my free workshops at marybarbera.com/workshop. Join my community of other parents and professionals of children with autism. I take my knowledge of ABA therapy and share simple things you can do for your child or client to help them be as happy and independent as possible. Whether you are new to the autism world or you just have a few questions, my workshops are for you. Go to marybarbera.com/workshop today to learn more about autism jobs and how you can help your child or client succeed after high school or college graduation. Your child or client can be successful. Let me help.

Free Workshop to Learn to Turn Autism (or Signs of Autism) Around

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