Predictors of employment status among adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Abstract. BACKGROUND:In the United States, adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience high rates of unemployment and underemployment in relation to adults with other disabilities and the general population. Yet there is little research examining their employment experiences and the predictors of employment status. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the employment characteristics and histories of both employed and unemployed adults with ASD, and the factors that contributed to their employment status. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used an online survey and the Short Effort Reward Imbalance (ERI) Scale to gather data. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine predictors of employment status and self-reported health. RESULTS: Of the 254 adults with ASD who participated in this study, 61.42% were employed and 38.58% were unemployed. Over half of the participants reported job imbalance on the Short ERI Scale and the vast majority did not receive any job assistance. Participants who disclosed their ASD diagnosis to their employer were more than three times as likely to be employed than those who did not disclose. Education level was also a significant predictor of employment status. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests disability disclosure and education level are factors that contribute to employment status.

Employability for UK University Students and Graduates on the Autism Spectrum: Mobilities and Materialities

“…Moreover, employers were at times identified through their practices and/or attitudes as actively obstructing employment mobilities by discriminating against students and graduates who had disclosed their autism diagnoses. As with other studies (Krieger et al 2012;Ohl et al 2017), participants related how mistrust and fear of othering attitudes from potential employers and co-workers frequently caused them to not disclose at all, which given their potential needs puts them at a distinct disadvantage with respect to their postgraduate employment outcomes.…”

Dropping out and moving on: A qualitative study of autistic people’s experiences of university

“…Yet, little is known about autistic people’s experiences of dropping out of university. It is vital this topic is understood since employment outcomes are poorer for autistic people ( Allen & Coney, 2018 ; Friedman et al, 2013 ; Hurlbutt & Chalmers, 2004 ; Taylor & Seltzer, 2011 ) and higher education (HE) could help employment prospects ( Chen et al, 2015 ; Migliore et al, 2012 ; Ohl et al, 2017 ). Due to the lack of research on this topic, this study used qualitative methodology to understand why some autistic people are unable to complete university.…”

Gender, Sex and Traumatic Brain Injury: Transformative Science to Optimize Patient Outcomes

“…Our research has also indicated potential gendered differences in the type of incident that contributes to injury (Amodio et al 2017). Likewise, sex and gender appeared to affect victimization patterns in our epidemiological study of assault-precipitated wrTBI in Ontario (Mollayeva et al 2016): female workers are at greater risk of sustaining wrTBI than male workers (59.1% vs. 40.9%), and they also sustain more injuries to body parts aside from the head and neck.…”