Improving Employability Outcomes for Young Adults with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

For the purposes of this project I focused my research on young adults with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the disconnect these individuals experience from society, particularly in the area of employment. In recent years there has been an increased focus on early intervention and improving educational outcomes for children with ASD (Roux, Shattuck, Rast, Rava, & Anderson, 2015). While vast improvements have been made in the educational arena, very little has been done to ensure post-educational resources for continued education, training, or employment endeavors for those with ASD (Wehman, et al., 2014). This disconnect between secondary education and higher education or employment has become a major area of concern to the autism community (Roux, Shattuck, Rast, Rava, & Anderson, 2015). When addressing the issue of high unemployment rates among young adults with high functioning ASD, it is important to first understand the deeper causes of the problem