Work Without Limits B2B Network February 11, Barbara Bissonnette, Principal, Forward Motion Coaching

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1 Work Without Limits B2B Network February 11, 2014 Barbara Bissonnette, Principal, Forward Motion Coaching

2 Who I Am & What I Do Career Development Coaching for Individuals with Asperger s Syndrome Training & Consultations for Employers Employer-Sponsored Coaching Author, The Complete Guide to Getting a Job for People with Asperger s Syndrome and the Asperger s Syndrome Workplace Survival Guide: A Neurotypical s Secrets for Success

3 My Clients Range in age from 17 to 63 Across the U.S. and beyond Entry level to director/professional positions Majority seeking/in competitive (not sheltered or supported) employment

5 Mild Form of Autism Kanner s Autism Asperger s Syndrome The Autism Spectrum

7 Primary Impact on Adults & Employment Interpersonal communication Managing time and resources Sensory stimuli (hypo- or hyper-sensitivity) Anxiety

8 Communication Concrete, literal thinkers Difficulty noticing/interpreting nonverbal communication Miss nuance, implied meaning, sarcasm Deficit in social filtering Do not adjust presentation based on social context

9 Organization of Time & Resources Varying degrees of difficulty Seeing the big picture Prioritizing Being flexible/seeing options Multitasking

10 Sensitivity to Sensory Stimulus Typically in the workplace: hyper-sensitivity to sights, sounds, odors, tactile sensations

11 Anxiety Elevated level of anxiety common World appears to be a random and confusing place

13 A Growing and Under-utilized Labor Pool 200,000 autistic teenagers to come of age in U.S. by 2016* Many more individuals earning college degrees In the right job, with the right support, these are loyal, valuable employees * Autistic and Seeking a Place in an Adult World, Amy Harmon, NY Times, 9/17/11

14 No Short List of Right Jobs Accountant Administrative assistant Analyst Bus driver Canvasser (political) Chemist College professor Computer programmer Consultant Creative writer Data entry clerk Editor Electrician Engineer Fine artist GIS technician Graphic artist Lawyer Librarian Meteorologist Nurse Paralegal Physician Physicist Production manager Records manager Reporter Retail sales associate Sales manager Screenwriter Supply chain manager Teacher (adult education) Teacher (early childhood) Veterinarian Warehouse worker Web developer

15 In a World of Multitasking Generalists

16 These are the Technicians, Specialists, Experts Logical and analytic Deep knowledge of narrow subject area Detail oriented (data driven vs. conceptual processing) Accurate & methodical Focused Honest & loyal

17 Right Work Environment At least some elements of routine Structure and clear performance expectations Minimal interruptions/multitasking Supportive co-workers Not too much pressure Right level of social interaction

18 Businesses are Utilizing Specialist Skills Computer software giant SAP announced that they will employ people with autism as software testers, programmers and QA specialists (May, 2013) Specialisterne, Aspiritech: train autistic software testers and outsource services

19 Free Employer s Guide You will receive a copy of the Employer s Guide to Asperger s Syndrome from Work Without Limits (PDF format)

20 Contact Information Barbara Bissonnette, Principal Forward Motion Coaching Stow, MA Tel: ForwardMotion.info Web:

EMPLOYER S GUIDE TO ASPERGER S SYNDROME

EMPLOYER S GUIDE TO ASPERGER S SYNDROME Barbara Bissonnette, Principal Forward Motion Coaching S O L U T I O N S F O R E M P L O Y E E S W H O A R E B R I G H T, T A L E N T E D A N D S K I L L E D, B