Change of Work Environment May Impact Autism Symptoms in Adults

Adults with autism who were engaged in more independent work environments showed improvements in core autism symptoms, daily living skills, and other behavioral problems, according to a recent study in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

“Interestingly, we saw this effect across the range of possible vocational activities,” says lead study author Julie Lounds Taylor, PhD, assistant professor of Pediatrics and Special Education and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigator. “Meaning that going from no vocational activities to working in a segregated/sheltered setting had similar positive effects as going from a segregated/sheltered setting to working in the community,”

She and her colleagues at Vanderbilt University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison studied 153 adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who were part of a larger longitudinal study on adolescents and adults with autism.

The average age of participants was 30, and data was collected at two separate points 5.5 years apart. The investigators looked at the effect of vocational activities on behavioral functioning—autism symptoms, maladaptive behaviors, and activities of daily living.

“[The findings] suggest to us that striving to place adults with autism in the most independent vocational setting appropriate for them may lead to subsequent improvements in their behavioral development,” Taylor says. While families and vocational rehabilitation specialists would be the best ones to make this determination, primary care providers can ensure that families are informed about the value of finding employment appropriate to their son or daughter’s skills and abilities.

The authors noted underemployment is common among adults with autism, with about 50% primarily spending their days in segregated work or activity settings with little community contact.

“Many adults with ASD require some degree of training, services, or formal supports to be able to achieve their maximum potential in the workplace, but the adult disability service system is severely under-funded and getting these supports can be very difficult,” Taylor explains.

In addition, the high rate of unemployment in the U.S. as a whole means fewer available jobs and a higher degree of competition. Now more than ever, adults with autism need employment programs and more intervention programming. 

So why does employment have such a positive impact on adults with autism? The researchers aren’t quite sure yet. Is it having a purpose to one’s day? Is it having the opportunity to interact with others? Or is it simply that vocational activities provide structure for one’s day? 

“Answers to these questions have very important implications for how we would counsel families,” Taylor says. “A next step in this line of work is to separate out what, exactly, it is about employment that is beneficial to adults with autism.” 

—Colleen Mullarkey

Reference

Taylor JL, Smith LE, Mailick MR. Engagement in vocational activities promotes behavioral development for adults with autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord. [Epub ahead of print].