Autism and Employment Challenges

 

Chinnu Ann Cheriyan, Verrazano Class of 2020, Majored in Psychology with a Minor in Sociology/Anthropology

The process of selecting your career can be overwhelming. There are so many factors to consider, such as your skills, what you’re passionate about, how much money you want to make, etc. The process of thinking about all of this is different for everyone. Being part of Dr. Kristen Gillespie Lynch’s lab, I took part in many projects involving autistic individuals. I learned that autistic people struggle to find employment and face many challenges along the way, such as discrimination and lack of understanding from others. I learned about the struggles they face in their jobs, and how they have to self-advocate in order to obtain appropriate accommodations. All this information made me curious about how they find their dream jobs.

As a member of Dr. Gillespie-Lynch’s research lab, I served as a mentor for autistic students. I helped them with many aspects of their college career, such as academics and social life. Through the mentorship program, I was also able to gain their perspectives about their goals and the challenges they experience. I learned a lot from them and realized how important this type of research is. I collaborated on a survey developed by a participatory research team that was sent to multiple universities throughout the world. This survey addressed several aspects of life such as education and relationships. With the help of my fellow collaborators, I developed three questions related to what job participants are interested in, what challenges they expect to face in their career, and how they will use their strengths to overcome them. I was able to connect with many talented researchers and was inspired by their passion for research in autism.

In my study, I worked with another student and qualitatively coded the participants’ responses to the questions. I had a lot of fun because I got to read a lot of interesting and thought-provoking responses. We compared their responses to that of non-autistic college students, and found that both groups have similar goals. Despite the obstacles faced, autistic people want the same things as neuro-typical individuals. Our study also highlighted the strengths of autistic individuals. By building off those strengths, we can help autistic people achieve their dreams. We also have to be aware of the challenges they face, such as discrimination, and find ways to bring awareness and combat against it.

        This project took a lot of time and effort, but was extremely rewarding. I’m proud of everything I 

accomplished with my collaborators. Our research can bring awareness to an important issue. By 

working together, we can overcome obstacles and help everyone achieve their dreams.