For a growing number of adults with high functioning autism, securing a job is proving to be a steep hurdle, but it’s not for lack of qualifications.
Many are graduating from college at the top of their class and submitting shining resumes. They’re even landing interviews, but that’s where the string of success tends to stop.
The lack of social skills inherent in the autism diagnosis means that a job interview can be the ultimate buzz kill for an otherwise highly qualified applicant, experts say. As a result, studies indicate that fewer than 15 percent of adults with autism are competitively employed.
Even those who do secure work often struggle to succeed in the first months on the job, studies show. But if a person with autism has the tools to remain employed for a year, they’re likely to fare well long-term.
Trouble is, many agencies tasked with helping individuals with disabilities gain employment are unprepared to help this burgeoning population.
Families report case workers unfamiliar with Asperger’s syndrome, a diagnosis many on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum identify with. And, some say they struggle just to qualify for assistance because they appear so capable on paper, reports The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. To read more click here.
In the article it stated: “The challenge with people on the (autism) spectrum, of course, is social interaction. People look at these kids and say, ‘Be more social.’ Well, they can’t.”
You only need to look at jobs that are advertised. Almost all of those jobs have as the first criteria “must possess good interpersonal skills”. Now that pretty much automatically excludes most of us on the spectrum. But in reality, most jobs don’t really need really good interpersonal skills. With maybe a little bit of extra work, a manager can get excellent productivity from workers without the “oh so special” skill.
Corporate America is losing out on a lot of excellent talent because they are stuck in a mindset that is locked into the buddy-buddy way of doing business. Too often I have seen mediocre people advance only because they have “good interpersonal skills” … and then they screw things up because they don’t really have the other skills necessary … like native intelligence.
When I was a manager, I generally had a staff that was a little harder to manage, but was on the whole much more intelligent and hard working …. even though they weren’t the best at personal interaction. While my staff was generally smaller than comparable departments, they generally out produced the larger (and more chatty) staffs.
For the most part, managers are not skilled at handling people who are a little different. You only have to look at the Harvard MBA program to realize that future managers are being taught that “networking” is more important than being competent. This leads to bad decisions being made and the acceptance of low quality … fluff is being valued over substance. This is the basis of the current operating models and is leading us down the path to mediocrity.