Huntsville, Ala. — A program called ‘Open Doors’ aims to help adults with autism acquire the skills they need to be successful members of the workforce.
David Stidger started the program in hopes of preparing adults with autism for possible employment in the future.
Majority of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are still unemployed, and Stidger is hoping that preparing them and training them to acquire the skills that they need to perform effectively as workers will help change that. He told:
“We want to get them job exposure, we want them to learn to assimilate in the work place, learn those base skills. Then when a job opportunity comes a long they’ll be a little more prepared than they would have been.”
Despite the rising awareness of the developmental condition and the growing number of those diagnosed with it, very little resources and services are available for those ASD once they turn into adults.
Through ‘Open Doors,’ adults with autism are taught different skill sets that could be useful once they join the workforce. According to Stidger, some of these skills are:
“Scanning, data entry, they organize and shelve the DVDs and movies, some of them help the patrons.”
One-on-one job trainings for the ‘Open Doors’ program are held at venues like the Huntsville-Madison County Library, where trainees are taught on-the-job skills and receive social benefits.
Source: Alexandra Carter WHNT News 19 Program helping adults with autism succeed in the work force