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28 March 2024

UAE job market (dis)abilities: Autism is no disqualification

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

A study conducted among 2,000 young adults in the United States with one of four types of disabilities, including 500 with autism, concluded that one in three young adults with autism has no paid job experience, college or technical schooling nearly seven years after high school graduation.

Furthermore, adults with autism often fare worse when it comes to work and educational experience than people with other disabilities, including those who are mentally disabled.
 
Although no official numbers on working adults with autism in the UAE are available, it is expected that the situation is not much better here.
 
Stepping Stones, a training and support center for children with disabilities adopts an (in the UAE) first-of-its-kind vocational programme to guide young adults through the transition from the childhood years to the adult world, where work, housing, and other challenges come to the rise.
 
The childhood years are often a period with a relative level of support from parents, schools or support centers. However, once the age of 18 is reached this network of support tends to decrease.
 
"Many parents complain of a drop of services after their child has reached the age of 18. They say that after 18, there is nowhere to go for their child," says Adam Griffin, vocational teacher at Stepping Stones.
 
According to the team there are many opportunities for adults with autism as long as there is the right approach to the disability.
 
"People with autism are often very skilled in one particular field. They could make a positive contribution to the community. We try to create more positive awareness," says Adam.
 
Stepping Stones' vocational training programme focuses on autistic children in the age group of 12-17 and aims to best prepare the child for adulthood. "Each child is different," says Maria Quirke, Occupational Therapist at Stepping Stones. "Some of them are able to be relatively independent, although others need some level of support."
 
As such, there are different options. Depending on the nature of the disability the young adult could work as a competitive employee, under the supervision of a job coach, opt for a customized job position, be self-employed, or work with people with similar disabilities.
 
"At times, the individual with autism may be able to fulfill all responsibilities of a job. Other times, “job carving” may be necessary. Job carving entails tailoring a job specifically for an employee with autism.
 
"To do this, employers may reassign other workers’ smaller tasks to create a specific job for the person with autism," writes the Alpine Learning Group in Supported Employment & Supported Volunteerism Training Manual.
 
"Employers might not always be willing to do this," says Adam. "They take into consideration the economic aspects and may find that it is not feasible to adapt to the special circumstances of the employee. But often this employee could positively contribute to the company."
 
Creating a welcome environment for autistic adults is still a challenge in the UAE, note the Stepping Stones team. "There are some islands of good work, but no integrated system. People are still not very aware of how to deal with autism.
 
Focusing on the strengths of the child and developing a level of confidence and self-determination are key aspects of the transitioning process Stepping Stones is working on with the group of children they are currently training.
 
Meanwhile, they are hoping to encourage a facilitating community and create positive awareness to sustain a support network after the child has reached the adulthood.