Alisha Ohl1, Mira Grice Sheff2, Sarah Small3, Jamie Nguyen4, Kelly Paskor5, Aliza Zanjirian5. 1. Occupational Therapy, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, USA. 2. Minnesota Department of Health, Maternal & Child Health Section, MN, USA. 3. Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck, NJ, USA. 4. NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY, USA. 5. NYC Department of Education, New York, NY, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In the United States, adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience high rates of unemployment and underemployment in relation to adults with other disabilities and the general population. Yet there is little research examining their employment experiences and the predictors of employment status. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the employment characteristics and histories of both employed and unemployed adults with ASD, and the factors that contributed to their employment status. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used an online survey and the Short Effort Reward Imbalance (ERI) Scale to gather data. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine predictors of employment status and self-reported health. RESULTS: Of the 254 adults with ASD who participated in this study, 61.42% were employed and 38.58% were unemployed. Over half of the participants reported job imbalance on the Short ERI Scale and the vast majority did not receive any job assistance. Participants who disclosed their ASD diagnosis to their employer were more than three times as likely to be employed than those who did not disclose. Education level was also a significant predictor of employment status. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests disability disclosure and education level are factors that contribute to employment status.
BACKGROUND: In the United States, adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience high rates of unemployment and underemployment in relation to adults with other disabilities and the general population. Yet there is little research examining their employment experiences and the predictors of employment status. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the employment characteristics and histories of both employed and unemployed adults with ASD, and the factors that contributed to their employment status. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used an online survey and the Short Effort Reward Imbalance (ERI) Scale to gather data. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine predictors of employment status and self-reported health. RESULTS: Of the 254 adults with ASD who participated in this study, 61.42% were employed and 38.58% were unemployed. Over half of the participants reported job imbalance on the Short ERI Scale and the vast majority did not receive any job assistance. Participants who disclosed their ASD diagnosis to their employer were more than three times as likely to be employed than those who did not disclose. Education level was also a significant predictor of employment status. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests disability disclosure and education level are factors that contribute to employment status.
Authors: Tiago S Jesus; Sureshkumar Kamalakannan; Sutanuka Bhattacharjya; Yelena Bogdanova; Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla; Jacob Bentley; Barbara E Gibson; Christina Papadimitriou Journal: Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl Date: 2020-08-20
Authors: Tea Lallukka; Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz; Jenni Ervasti; Kristina Alexanderson; Marianna Virtanen Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-04-05 Impact factor: 3.390