The Autism News | English


For the thousands of students from throughout Michigan who have autism, transitioning from school to the workforce can be a challenge.

Many have strong academic and visual skills, but others struggle with communication, making it difficult to thrive in the workplace, experts say.

It’s an obstacle the Autism Education Center at Grand Valley State University is hoping to chip away at, thanks to a $24,200 grant the university received this month. It aims to help educators develop a strategy to find jobs for high school students who are preparing to graduate.

“Everybody is employable,” said Amy Matthews, director of the autism center.

It’s just a matter of people pairing them with the employer “looking for the right skill.

“People with autism have some pretty good skills and some pretty unique skills that could be utilized.”

The grant was funded by New York-based Autism Speaks, which bills itself as the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization. GVSU was one of 27 organizations in the nation to receive such a grant. Together, the grants totaled about $600,000.

The grant will help develop a framework for evaluating the strengths of students, and then finding businesses seeking employees with those skills, Matthews said. It also aims to provide training that would help create a supportive environment for people with autism to work in.

“We’re trying to give people a model to follow,” she said.

MLive

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