You're Hired!: Practical Strategies for Guiding Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder to Competitive Employment

Despite having marketable skills, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have one of the highest unemployment and under-employment rates of all disability groups. You’re Hired! Practical Strategies for Guiding Individuals with ASD to Competitive Employment is a guidebook to support practitioners who prepare young adults with ASD for competitive employment. Anchored in best practices, this teacher-friendly and classroom-ready resource provides detailed “how-to’s” on supporting individuals with ASD from their initial employment exploration through navigating the challenges of the first job.

This text is a valuable resource for Special Education practitioners teaching in transition programs and is well-suited for teacher preparation programs that provide ASD certifications. In addition, occupational therapists and school counselors will find many useful resources, such as inventories, checklists, and templates, that will aid in the roles they play in preparing individuals with ASD for the job market.

Patricia S. Arter, EdD, is professor of special education and the department chairperson of counseling, leadership, and educational studies at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in special education. Dr. Arter’s main areas of research are creating access for marginalized special needs populations through inclusion, vocational training, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Specifically, she has more than a decade of experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the areas of vocational training, social skills training, emotional regulation training, and use of virtual reality (VR) to improve interview training skills. Before moving to Winthrop University, she founded and directed (2007–2019) the SOAR program (Students On-Campus Achieving Results), an on-campus program for individuals with ASD to secure competitive employment. Dr. Arter oversees the WinthropLIFE program (https://www.winthrop .edu/coe/winthroplife/), which offers inclusive postsecondary opportunities to individuals with intellectual disabilities through independent living, employment training, and community living. Dr. Arter has more than 20 peer-reviewed publications and numerous national and international presentations in her research areas. Prior to her career in higher education, Dr. Arter was an elementary and middle school inclusion teacher for more than 15 years. Dr. Arter holds an EdD in special education leadership in urban setting schools from Johns Hopkins University, an MS in special education from Johns Hopkins University, and a BS in elementary education from Towson State Tammy B. H. Brown, PhD, is professor of education at Marywood University. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in education and serves as director of the Students On-Campus Achieving Results (SOAR) program, a campus-based program to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to secure competitive employment. She has published numerous practitioner-focused articles in state and national journals, including a recent article in Teaching Exceptional Children on the use of virtual reality (VR) to prepare individuals with ASD for job interviews. She has also presented at nearly 50 peer-reviewed conferences. She is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the International Literacy Association (ILA), the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE), the International Dyslexia Association, (IDA), and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She is also a member of the Keystone State Literacy Association (KSLA), where she has served on the journal’s editorial board. Dr. Brown holds a PhD in education with a concentration in literacy education from Rutgers University, an MS in reading education from Marywood University, and a BS in human ecology education from Marywood University.

Tammy B. H. Brown, PhD, is professor of education at Marywood University. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in education and serves as director of the Students On-Campus Achieving Results (SOAR) program, a campus-based program to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to secure competitive employment. She has published numerous practitioner-focused articles in state and national journals, including a recent article in Teaching Exceptional Children on the use of virtual reality (VR) to prepare individuals with ASD for job interviews. She has also presented at nearly 50 peer-reviewed conferences. She is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the International Literacy Association (ILA), the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE), the International Dyslexia Association, (IDA), and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She is also a member of the Keystone State Literacy Association (KSLA), where she has served on the journal’s editorial board. Dr. Brown holds a PhD in education with a concentration in literacy education from Rutgers University, an MS in reading education from Marywood University, and a BS in human ecology education from Marywood University.

Jennifer Barna, PhD, NCC, ACS, is an Associate Professor and Director of the school counseling program at Marywood University. She holds PK-12 school counseling certification with an autism endorsement. Dr. Barna is a Past President of both the Pennsylvania Counseling Association and the Pennsylvania Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors. Her work with students on the autism spectrum includes several presentations on preparing students with ASD for the transition to college and supporting the social emotional development of students. She has also presented on how school counselors can support families who parent a child with ASD. Her most recent publications focus on helping students with ASD gain essential employability skills and making a successful transition to college. Dr. Barna is an advisory board member of the Students on Campus Achieving Results (SOAR) program at Marywood University.