Learning the ‘Unspoken Rules’ — from chronicle.com by Kelly Field
Excerpt:
Welcome to Rochester Institute of Technology’s Career Ready Bootcamp, a two- to three-week program that is part of a nascent effort to tackle stubbornly high unemployment rates among autistic college graduates. Though few colleges are as far along as RIT, more than 50 institutions have joined a newly formed council focused on better preparing autistic students for employment.
Many of the things colleges are trying — from mock interviews and performance reviews, to meetings with employers — would benefit all students, says Cristina M. Giannantonio, co-editor of the book Generation A: Research on Autism in the Workplace. But they’re especially helpful for students on the spectrum, who often struggle through the hiring process.
Young adults with autism have some of the highest joblessness rates of individuals with disabilities, with more than 30 percent of autistic college graduates unemployed, one study found.