One of the key elements of a successful employment program for autistic individuals is job coaching. Coaching enhances employment success by ensuring greater job satisfaction, increased productivity, and in the long term, greater employee retention. — It is widely acknowledged that increasing the diversity of workforces leads to positive outcomes. McKinsey’s Diversity Matters report has...
All around the world, there are hundreds of autistic people working in professional, white-collar jobs. Some may have disclosed their autism. Some may choose to hide their autism at work, otherwise known as “masking”. Given the diversity of the autism spectrum, I decided to ask autistic professionals directly about their experiences thriving or masking at...
Working from home (WFH) during COVID-19 has both advantages and disadvantages for autistic professionals. And someone who has thrived during the new normal is Sydney-based Maria, a quality assurance (QA) tester at Mable, the digital portal that links carers and supports people with those who need them.
By Barb Cook, M.Aut., Dip. HSc. (used with permission) Workplace social skills. These words strike fear into the soul of any autistic person. I know this, because I am one of those people. I’ve had a tumultuous employment past, prior to my official diagnosis of Asperger syndrome (autism), ADHD and dyslexia in 2009. I never...
By Barb Cook, M.Aut., Dip. HSc. (used with permission) Information and technology (IT) has boomed over the past 30 years and become an integral part of the modern developed world. Employment opportunities in IT exploded alongside this growth and created pathways for autistic people in finding job security in an industry that has been stigmatized...
By Barb Cook, M.Aut., Dip. HSc. (used with permission) Neurodivergent people often experience challenges in exercising skills associated with self-determination and self-advocacy Being pinnacle life skills that drive their success in education, employment, independence and within society, with the right supports, tools and strategies, they can develop high levels of self-determination, providing a firm sense...
It is often assumed by people that I meet, that our training is for autistic employees rather than employers. In fact, the opposite is true. This misunderstanding is excusable. In other cases of unemployment, such as veterans or young people, up-skilling is often successful. Yet for the autistic community, they are usually over-skilled. Instead, our...
[blockquote author=”” link=”” target=”_blank”]Coaching is a growth opportunity. To develop new skills, new ways of thinking and new strategies to overcome challenges.[/blockquote] We are often asked why our autistic candidates need coaching if they are so talented? Coaching is about thriving instead of surviving. An individual receiving coaching has the opportunity to explore who...
With employers turning their focus to enabling their workforce to work from home, hiring managers are faced with a new challenge of mobilising their teams, implementing new processes and managing workloads remotely. Employers may find this time of heightened change difficult to navigate, particularly the recruitment process. At Xceptional we believe there has never been...
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