Spectrum Connections
Building self advocacy and job readiness skills
for young adults on the spectrum
A job readiness resource for young adults on the spectrum
Every year, 50,000 students on the autism spectrum leave high school. Many hope to get a job or go to school and live on their own. But four in ten can’t find work for pay by the time they reach their early twenties. Those who do find jobs mostly work part-time for low wages which is not enough to allow them to support themselves independently.
Why is this happening?
Looking for a job is a highly social process which highlights the poor communication skills that are key features of autism. On top of that, young adults typically start a job search just as they lose the critical skill instruction services they received in high school and transition programs.
Programs offered by Spectrum Connections provide job search readiness services for young adults who are chronologically but not developmentally ready to actively look for a job. Services focus on helping young adults build their self-advocacy, self-presentation and self-management skills as they get ready to launch a job search.
Over 50% of youth on the autism spectrum are disconnected from school or work in the first two years after high school.
The rates of disconnection are higher for youth with autism than for any other types of disability.
There is a steep drop-off of service use as youth exit high school.
One in four disconnected youth on the autism spectrum received no services since leaving high school.