Commentary: The challenges and promises of competitively employing autistic adults in the United States

Current United States statistics suggest that autistic individuals will experience high unemployment and underemployment rates throughout their lives. Furthermore, despite the passage of federal legislation to employ young autistic adults in competitive integrated settings, where they work alongside non-disabled workers and earn at least minimum wage, most individuals receiving state services still are placed in day programs or sheltered workshops. Since meaningful employment is the most important determinant of life satisfaction, this failure is a critical societal problem, exerting increasing pressure for systems change. But the news is not all bad. Private sector companies have increased their hiring of disabled workers, producing a growing base of expertise in the recruitment, on-boarding, training, and management of autistic employees. This has led to a growing recognition that autistic individuals can be ideal workers. Autism researchers have advanced the field by investigating these private industry programs as well as conducting efficacy trials of interventions and services that help autistic individuals in the workplace. However, gaps in knowledge persist stemming from the heterogeneity of autistic workers, limited knowledge about those not receiving state services, and a system of federal services that is fragmented, poorly coordinated, difficult to navigate, and over-taxed. Autism researchers can continue to improve outcomes of autistic workers through investigations of the fit between autistic workers, their preferences, and the characteristics of available jobs, and through effectiveness trails of promising employment interventions and services that promote systems change that help break down the barriers to better integration of existing state services and resources in the United States. Despite new United States laws, after high school graduation, autistic individuals enrolled in state funded employment services are generally placed in in day programs or sheltered workshops where they do not experience competitive integrated employment. Increasing involvement by private industry and autism researchers is helping to increase awareness of the talents of autistic workers, to better understand the factors that help them to get and keep jobs as well as their preferences and barriers to success. Researchers are conducting clinical trials of the efficacy of interventions and services that illustrate promising approaches to helping autistic workers. One great barrier to success is the fact that the current system of funded supports is fragmented, poorly coordinated, and difficult to navigate. We conclude with suggestions for researchers as well as an example of how our group is attempting to implement an evidence-based approach that involves working within the challenging California state service system.