The number one thing I’ve learned as the parent of an autistic adult and employment specialist for adults with autism and other intellectual disabilities is that each person is uniquely gifted and different from the next. True, there are generalizations that hold true for many with autism. This includes being highly focused, having attention to details, and sensitivities to sound and touch.

Specialists in the field know the meaning of the often quoted “Once you meet a person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” Most are quiet and withdrawn, but the next one is talking your arm off. One is slow moving and the next one is a speed demon. Dual diagnoses such as anxiety, depression or attention deficient are common and add to the uniqueness of the person.

General vocational rehabilitation programs, workshops or other nonprofit training programs that group everyone in the same bucket and take them step-by-step through the same processes and leave them at the door to fend for their own often fall short of success.

This also holds true for post-secondary education programs at technical colleges that mainstream everyone without any special help. These systems need to change and recognize that persons with mental and cognitive disabilities function much differently than the typical high school graduates.

Engaged Employment and state service providers like SOS Health Care are successful in placing people in competitive employment because—from the assessment to the placement and to the coaching – each person receives customized and individualized care.

Spending more time with individuals to get to know them and understand their challenges in addition to being in the community instead of a classroom setting is so vital for the goal of Employment First. The South Carolina Employment First Initiative states that employment in the general workforce is the first and preferred option for individuals with disabilities receiving assistance from publicly funded services. In other words, the “disabled” person is working with others, being paid the same rate and expected to achieve the same outcomes. The only difference is the support a person receives from a job coach working with the employer.

Here are a couple examples of how individualized and customized approaches to employment have worked in the real world.

After completing a two-hour assessment in his home with his mother and receiving reports from his case manager, Josh was assessed with mid-functioning autism and an intellectual disability. This slowed his mobility for completing tasks and hampered his memory. Since there was no public transportation, Josh’s mother was his support for getting to and from his job.

Josh had previous volunteer experience from a local thrift store but no work experience. A job was “carved” at a local restaurant where Josh rolled silverware in napkins and greeted customers over the lunch hour. He also wiped menus. After doing this for a month or so, Josh progressed to cleaning tables and chairs after customers left. Simple supports where brought in to help Josh improve his napkin rolling time and step him through the process of cleaning tables. The supports were a kitchen timer and picture display.

The assessment for Bill didn’t take as much time as the one for Josh. Going in, the job coach knew Bill had worked before and graduated from a technical school with a degree as a paralegal. Bill’s main challenge was behavioral issues and social issues from having Asperger’s Syndrome. Bill could drive but had recently totaled his car after going off a rural road.

Bill needed a full-time job as soon as possible as he was facing eviction. He didn’t have internet and was using a cheap cell phone. The main goal for the job coach was to locate job openings Bill could apply for that matched his previous experience and were close to where he lived. Bill utilized bus transportation and met his job coach at a local library. Together, they applied for jobs including the one Bill eventually obtained at a nearby Walmart. Bill required very minimal coaching for the position. However, Bill’s job coach made several personal contacts and arranged an internship for Bill with a small law office.

Jimmy is a 23-year-old with Down syndrome. His assessment required more involvement from the job coach, including what’s termed community-based instruction. Jimmy went with his job coach to grocery stores and restaurants to see how he handled himself with people and other activities. He also was placed in a smaller, family-owned restaurant near his home so his mother could drive him. Jimmy bused tables and cleaned the restrooms. There were more than a few steps to the restroom cleaning, so the job coach designed a task card showing each step that Jimmy could pull out of his pocket when needed.

Someone told me when I started doing this work, “This is the hardest job you’ll ever have.” True. A job coach needs to think deeply about the people he’s working with to understand their uniqueness. It requires dedication and a whole lot of patience. There are the ups and downs but also the smiles of satisfaction from people working for the first time and feeling independent