Emma Barrow

Sally Griffin
UWRT 1103 090
13 March 2016
The first paragraph provides background information on the examined group. The second
paragraph goes more into detail on the main idea of the research paper and introduces the
question to be investigated.
Employment of ASD Individuals
To live an independent lifestyle in a civilized society, one of the most important things
needed is a source of sustainable income. People most commonly obtain this by using their
abilities for the production of a good or service to sell to others, an activity called employment.
This means even if they dont work for an organized business or have a solitary position, their
job will have at least some social aspects. For people with autism spectrum disorders, this can be
a challenge. The autism spectrum refers to a range of developmental disorders that include
autism, Asperger syndrome, PDD-NOS, and more. These conditions commonly manifest as poor
communication skills, difficulty bonding with peers, routinized behavior, sensory issues, and
sometimes learning disabilities. [1]
The functional skills of a person with ASD largely depend on the severity of their
symptoms. If a person with profound autism is able to work at all, it will likely be in a part-time
menial labor job more likely to serve the purpose of instilling independence skills than
supporting themselves or a family. People with Asperger syndrome or other high functioning

disorders typically are intellectually capable of getting a higher education and holding important
positions in the workforce. They may even have an advantage in technological fields [2].
However, according to a 2013 study of 21-25 year olds who received special education services
while in high school, the job outlook for autistic high school graduates is rather grim. Only
53.4% reported having ever worked for pay, 33.6% were currently employed. Their average
salary is $8.10 and 20.9% have worked full-time. Minorities and low-income groups had a
greater disadvantage. In comparison, 88.2% of respondents with emotional disturbance,
averaging $11.90 an hour, and speech impairment, averaging $12 an hour, have been employed.
62% of those with mental retardation have been employed at an average of $9.60 an hour. [3]
Less than a fifth have ever lived on their own. [4] Interestingly, autistics who undergo vocational
rehabilitation services have a higher rate of rehabilitation than people with other disabilities. [5]
Naturally, people would want to try and understand this. A good first step to take in investigating
this would be to really try to learn what employment is like for autistic people and the challenges
it brings.

Works Cited

Grandin, Temple, PhD. Colorado State University. Fort Collins: Colorado

State U, 1999. Indiana University Bloomington. Indiana Resource Center for
Autism, 2016. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/Choosing-the-Right-Job-for-People-with-

Autism-or-Aspergers-Syndrome>.
American Psychiatric Association. Autism Spectrim Disorder Fact Sheet.
Arlington: American Psychiatric, 2013. DSM-5. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact

Sheet.pdf>.
Roux, Anne M. "Postsecondary Employment Experiences Among Young
Adults With an Autism Spectrum Disorder." Journal of the American
Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 931-939 52.9 (2013). Web. 14 Mar.

2016. <http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567(13)00377-8/fulltext>.
Anderson, Kristy A., Paul T. Shattuck, Benjamin P. Cooper, Anne M. Roux,
and Mary Wagner. "Prevalence and Correlates of Postsecondary Residential
Status among Young Adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder." Autism 18.5
(2013): 562-70. Web. 14 Dec. 2016.

<http://aut.sagepub.com/content/18/5/562>.
Smith, Frank A., and Jaime Lugas. "Vocational Rehabilitation Employment
Outcomes for Transition-age Youth with Autism and Other
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