Fort Lauderdale, Florida – teacher, Rachel Silverman who has autism talks openly about the best work situation for those individuals who have autism and for the individuals who hire them.
Talking on News Channel 5 she said:
“You make small payments for the first five years and at the end of the mortgage everything else is done,”
Rachel teaches a small class of students aged 18 – 24 who have high functioning autism and/or cerebral palsy at the Dan Marino Foundation.
One of the many things that Rachel has been teaching her students is to choose the right line of work.
“Unfortunately, many business jobs have higher social and sensory requirements requiring a lot of social skills and a lot of teamwork that are ill suited for autistic people,”
She tells individuals with autism who are looking for a job to select one that can accommodate their needs.
“You need something that doesn’t require you to work in face-to-face social interactions and a lot of teamwork,”
She also tells employers that they need to talk to the autistic individual directly and explicitly, and if possible give written instructions.
“You have to talk to us directly and explicitly and if you’re managing somebody you preferably want to give them written instructions.”
Rachel has a degree in international relations, and a masters in taxation.
She found it difficult in the world of work though as they were social jobs.
“Now I’ve found a job I love as a teacher,”
The original article by Tom Kastanotis on the News Channel 5 website can be found here