TITLE:
Toward developing a simulated workplace laboratory for adults with high functioning autism spectrum disorders
AUTHORS:
Ronna Fried, Gagan Joshi, Amelia Kotte, Elana Kagan, Joseph Biederman
KEYWORDS:
Workplace; Employment; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Self-Report
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.3 No.3,
June
28,
2013
ABSTRACT: Objective: Adults with high functioning autism spectrum
disorders (HF-ASD) often experience difficulty in sustaining employment, yet
little is known about workplace deficits in this population. This study aimed
to assess the workplace performance of individuals with HF-ASDs in a previously
validated laboratory workplace simulation environment. Method: Seven subjects
of both sexes, ages 18 - 21 with a clinical diagnosis of ASD were brought in
for a 10- hour workplace simulation, with a series of structured and
unstructured tasks designed to elicit DSM-IV Attention Deficit and
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms and to provide objective measures of
workplace performance. Results: HF-ASD participants performed significantly
worse than Controls on several tasks throughout the day, particularly in the
afternoon. Although HF-ASD subjects did not report elevated symptoms of ADHD,
they completed significantly less of the unstructured tasks than Controls. Conclusion:
These findings suggest that unstructured work activities and a lack of
self-awareness are two primary areas of workplace deficits for individuals
with HF-ASD.