Hello:  My son is 19 and is high functioning with PDD.  He is capable of doing work but needs help because of initial anxiety and sometimes needs instructions repeated several times. He can gradually learn but needs that extra help.

Is it possible for me to find a job coach through your website who specializes with people like this who can help me locally?  I live in Marin County in the Bay area in California.

I told Debbie about Barbara Bissonnette of Forward Motion Coaching, then discovered we had a previous request for job coach information in the San Francisco Bay Area (http://www.jobs4autism.com/job-coach-needed-in-san-francisco-bay-area-an-aspergers-request/) that had received two comments – one from Barbara Bissonnette and another from a man who says he works with people with autism and Asperger’s and left his phone number.

Does anyone out there have any other advice or information for Debbie or others in the Bay Area? Please share it here!

Thumbnail image from http://www.zazzle.com

Topics include: networking  … the importance of small talk (and how to do it) … office politics … dealing with authority and change … time management tips … managing anxiety and stress … how to be a team player … accepting criticism and feedback …  and much, much more.

Examples from coaching clients are used to illustrate common employment challenges and how various techniques are applied in actual circumstances. This book is a handy reference that readers can refer to again and again for guidance on specific job-related topics.

The pragmatic recommendations will benefit individuals who are entering the workforce, as well as those who struggle to maintain employment, or who want to improve their performance and advance their careers.”

(Book description is from the Forward Motion website. Click HERE to read more about it or to purchase a copy.)

There are four components of Career Solutions, Inc.’s supported employment services: job development, job placement, job coaching and on-going, follow-up support. They help determine the best type of employment in relation to the individual’s needs and abilities, make job placements on a case-by-case basis, provide on-the-job training via a job coach, and follow up with the individual and employer to address any additional requirements or problems.

In their Continuing Education program, they focus on independent living, social and employment related skills.

Independent Living instructors provide instruction in the client’s own home,  assisting with skills relating to money management, health and safety, interpersonal relations, career enhancement and development, community awareness, recreational skills, nutrition, hygiene and leisure.

For a transition-age (age 18-21) student with a disability, Career Solutions provides services “designed with an outcome-oriented process that promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment, continuing education, adult services, independent living, and community participation.”

Career Solutions, Inc., along with The Arc of Omaha, form Ollie Webb Center, Inc.

For more information about Career Solutions, Inc., including eligibility, click HERE.

Photo from Career Solutions, Inc.

Scott Williams/ Senior student Rep
www.thecollegeofcommunityliving.com

To see Scott’s own job story, click HERE

Thumbnail image from HERE

Is there anyone out there who has any information or advice for this mom and her son? Is there anyone else facing a similar dilemma?

(thumbnail image from hubpages.com)

Disclosure is a personal decision. Whether it is the right option for you depends on the nature of your job, your overall performance, specific challenges that you face, whether you have had a disciplinary action, and your comfort level with disclosing a disability.

There are benefits and risks. On the plus side, disclosure provides you protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Some of my clients have saved their jobs by disclosing and requesting accommodations. The risk is a job offer rescinded, a promotion denied or a job lost, without the real reasons being stated. It can be difficult, expensive and time consuming to prove discrimination.

Employers are compelled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. A qualified individual is one who meets the employer’s standards for performance and productivity. An accommodation is a modification or adjustment that allows individuals to participate in the interviewing process or to perform the essential functions of their job. The modifications must be realistic and cannot cause an undue hardship for the employer.

Whether an accommodation is reasonable or not depends on your job and your company. For Susan, a data entry clerk, requesting written instructions was reasonable. Ken, however, worked as a financial analyst. His supervisor explained that Ken’s job required judgment. It was not possible to provide written instructions about how to address every situation.

Disclosing does not guarantee that you will receive a job offer or continue in your current employment. Employers do not have to lower their standards of quality or productivity for an employee who is disabled. Let’s suppose that all customer service employees are expected to enter at least 30 orders per hour. Because of Asperger’s Syndrome, your processing speed is slower; you can only enter 22 orders per hour. You are considered unqualified for the job.

Accommodations are decided on an individual basis. Most employers are very willing to make adjustments that are reasonable; however the discussion is a negotiation. The more prepared you are, the better your chances of getting the accommodations that you need. Proactively suggesting solutions greatly increases the likelihood that your employer will implement them.

Here is an example of how one of my coaching clients disclosed to her employer. Tina is a receptionist for a large financial firm. One of her duties is to make sure that visitors have the proper security clearance before leaving the lobby area and entering the facility. One particularly busy day, Tina issued a visitor badge to someone she thought she recognized as he rushed through the checkpoint and quickly flashed an ID. Concerned about the possible security breach, Tina reported the incident to her supervisor, who issued Tina a written warning.

Tina explained to human resources that Asperger’s Syndrome affects her short-term memory and her ability to recognize faces under stress. Her employer agreed to turn off the television in the lobby during Tina’s shift, because the sound is distracting to her. Employees have been instructed to send written, not verbal, visitor requests to Tina in advance so that she will have more time to process them. Signs are now posted in the lobby informing visitors that they must check in with the receptionist and show appropriate identification.

Sometimes, despite disclosing and giving your best efforts, you lose your job. If this happens, or has happened, to you, treat it as a learning experience. Try to find out from the employer specifically what went wrong and what you need to improve. Research other industries or professions where you can transfer your skills. Do not become discouraged. With determination and practice virtually everyone can learn new skills, gain insight into strengths and limitations and improve their personal presentation, all of which increase the odds of finding satisfying employment.

Excerpted from the Asperger’s Syndrome Workplace Survival Guide: A Neurotypical’s Secrets for Success, ©2010 Barbara Bissonnette, Forward Motion Coaching, and available exclusively at www.ForwardMotion.info.