Examining Vocational Services for Adults with Autism

Background: The project addresses the under-studied and under-served area of vocational services for adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).  Despite gains in vocational and employment supports for adults with ASDs, substantial gaps remain. The Canadian Participation in Activity Limitation Survey (PALS, 2006) database suggests that adult males (25-64 years) with ASDs, have remarkably lower employment and labour force participation.  Only 40% of adult males in this category are employed.  Less than half participate in the labour force (employed or unemployed but looking for work).  These employment outcomes are approximately 10 percent lower than that observed among other disabled male counterparts. Vocation-related service needs for adults with ASDs have thus emerged with increased urgency as a growing cohort of adolescents with ASDs are aging into adulthood.

Objectives:

The project aims to identify needs, barriers and opportunities related to vocational success for adults with ASDs.  ‘Vocation’ is defined as meaningful, routine, sustained activity that is growth provoking, personally rewarding and often associated with the provision of a living wage.  Specific research questions are as follows.

1. What services support meaningful vocational opportunities for adults with ASDs in Alberta?

2. What services (or components of services) offer best evidence for beneficial outcomes?

3. What types of vocational services are most beneficial for which specific groups of adults with ASDs (i.e., nature of challenges with respect to language, intellectual development, presentation of ASDs, etc.)?

Methods: An online environmental scan has been conducted in which models of vocational practice in ASDs (or relevant to ASDs) across Alberta have been systematically collected and reviewed.  A second level followup survey and interview with a sub-sample of participants, based on maximum variation, are being conducted to further examine the practice and experience of vocational supports for persons with ASDs.

Results: Findings identify a diverse range of vocational services and models being offered such as job coaching in natural settings, peer groups and programs fostering vocational opportunity and/or skill building.  These findings identify challenging, multi-level issues in the workplace such as concerns that vocational services appear to be inconsistently implemented across communities.  There is preliminary evidence suggesting that supported employment for persons with ASDs potentially offers increased labour market productivity and engagement.  These findings contribute to our understanding related to needs, sources and gaps in vocational resources for adults, as well as offer recommendations for moving forward. 

Conclusions: Challenges and opportunities related to vocational experience and support in ASDs have not been fully considered in a Canadian context.  There appears to be a general lack of vocational inclusion for persons with ASDs.  Findings will inform practice and community-level application and development. 

Reference

Participation in Activity Limitation Survey, 2006, www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=82m0023X&lang=eng; accessed November 7, 2011.