New Book Offers Framework for Improving Career Outcomes for Young Adults with ASD

Autism in the Workplace: Creating Positive Employment and Career Outcomes for Generation A by Amy E. Hurley-Hanson, Cristina M. Giannantonio, and Amy-Jane Griffiths, Assistant Professor of Clinical Counseling and Program Coordination of the graduate school counseling program in Chapman’s Attallah College of Educational Studies, was recently published as part of Palgrave Macmillan’s Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma series. This book fills a gap in workplace disability literature by discussing the impending financial and social costs of the career challenges for a whole generation of individuals with autism.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 59 children are on the autism spectrum, and tens of millions of people worldwide are affected with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies of young adults with ASD have found that they have much higher rates of unemployment than the general populate. And as of 2016, the National Autistic Society reported that 85% of adults with ASD are unemployed.

Autism in the Workplace explores the career experiences of Generation A, the half-million individuals with ASD who will reach adulthood in the next decade. These individuals will be entering the workplace in unprecedented numbers, so it’s essential to address the long-term employment and careers for this generational cohort. As part of this effort, it’s important to explore the challenges faced by both these job seekers and their prospective employers.

Using empirical data that examines the work and career experiences of individuals with ASD, the authors discuss issues surrounding ASD in the workplace from individual, organizational, and societal perspectives.

Ultimately, the goal is to help researchers, practitioners, and employers to understand the factors that will lead to positive work and career experiences for individuals with ASD. Autism in the Workplace offers a framework for organizations committed to hiring individuals with ASD and enhancing their work experiences and career outcomes now and in the future.

Amy E. Hurley-Hanson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Cristina M. Giannantonio, Ph.D., is a Professor in Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business and Economics.

Amy-Jane Griffiths, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Counseling and Program Coordinator of the graduate school counseling program in Chapman’s Attallah College of Educational Studies, is a licensed psychologist. Her research and clinical work focus on improving educational and employment outcomes for individuals with exceptional needs.