Verified by 
Too often, when looking for a job placement for a person on the autism spectrum, people take the approach of asking for a handout, or a favor. We need to approach this differently. In my previous blog post, I wrote about necessary life skills. Now, lets look at the top 10 skills and attributes most employers look for as identified by the Bureau of Labor (Job Outlook). Although these come from the last report I could find that was published in 2003, a search on the internet revealed these are basically the same skills that employers are searching for currently. I discovered that many of those attributes are attributes people on the spectrum have, yet rarely do we "sell" or market those attributes to prospective employers.
Here’s the top ten of what employers look for:
- honesty and integrity;
- a strong work ethic;
- analytical skills;
- computer skills;
- teamwork;
- time management and organizational skills;
- communication skills (oral and written);
- flexibility;
- interpersonal skills;
- motivation and initiative.
Now, many of you reading this are probably focusing on the skills in this list your child or student does not have. Look at it again, and think about what attributes your child does have. For example, most people on the spectrum are honest to a fault – they are usually the ones in the store saying “yes” when a woman trying on a dress says “Does this make me look fat?” They are not the employee who will be caught with his hand in the cash till. That’s a positive point to sell. A strong work ethic applies to most of our guys – the ones who do not like a change in routine and are going to be there rain or shine. They will not be calling in sick because they had one too many tequila shots the night before, or leave early because they have an event to attend. Analytical skills are really ‘obsessive attention to detail,’ and many of our children have that. The child who likes to line up blocks and trains probably has good organizational skills. Teamwork and flexibility are difficult areas for many, but we should be teaching flexibility at school (there are ways of doing that), and teamwork can be handled by ensuring the person on the spectrum has one person on the team that he is in contact with for all needed information. Many of our children with Asperger’s are good communicators, and some have become journalists, speechwriters and professors.
The point is, when people are selling a product and/ or service, they market the positive attributes, not the negatives. And that’s precisely what we need to be doing with any prospective employees on the spectrum.
In my next article, I’ll discuss the youth’s interests and strengths, and how to consider these to prepare for future employment. In the meantime, if you are searching for more information on employment and autism, you will find practical information and resources in A Full Life with Autism, co-authored with my son Jeremy.
