Subscribe to the Aspire Wire
This month's blog article was featured in the September 2025 issue of our digital newsletter, Aspire Wire.

By Elise Wulff, MEd
Senior Manager, Consultation Services


This October, we celebrate the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) — a time to honor the contributions of workers with disabilities and advance the conversation about inclusive workplaces.

Employment is central to independence and quality of life — yet for many autistic and neurodivergent individuals, meaningful work remains out of reach.

Did you know?

  • Up to 85% of autistic adults are unemployed — including those with advanced degrees.
  • Only one in three autistic young adults are employed within two years of high school graduation — below the national average.
  • Many who are employed are underemployed, working below their skills and education.


The good news: structured employment support programs are making a difference, helping autistic individuals build skills, connect with employers, and find meaningful roles. And parents and caregivers can and should begin laying the groundwork long before graduation.


Pre-Vocational Skill-Building: Start Early, Practice Often

Here are some practical ways to help your child build employment-ready skills:

  • Recurring Volunteer Work: Commit to small, routine responsibilities — like walking a neighbor’s dog every Tuesday at 4 p.m. or taking out the trash every Saturday before 9 a.m. These consistent tasks build reliability and time awareness.
  • Weekly Calendar Planning: Help your child block out their own schedule. Ideally, use paper and pen and then consider copying the information to digital tools like calendars, reminders, and to-do lists.
  • Social Introductions: Look for opportunities for your child to practice greeting others — from a simple name exchange to sharing a sentence about their grade, interests, or future career goals.
  • Stress and Anxiety Management: Prepare and support your child to practice copying techniques in public settings like libraries or community parks so that they can manage anxiety in real-world situations.
  • Self-Advocacy Skills: Help your child build scripts and look for opportunities to to voice their needs — for example, “The sound of the printer bothers me — could I sit on the other side of the room?” This helps normalize asking for accommodations later in life.


Transition Planning for High School and Beyond

If your child is approaching a high school graduation or similar transition, consider collaborating with your child on the following:

  • Create a Resume: List volunteer roles, part-time jobs, and school projects. Help your child identify which transferable skills they learned (e.g., teamwork, reliability, problem-solving).
  • Draft a Cover Letter: Work together to write a general letter describing your child’s strengths, work ethic, and aspirations.
  • Talk About Accommodations: Discuss which school supports (extended time, quiet spaces, visual schedules) might also help in the workplace — and learn how to request them professionally.


Get Involved

Parents, caregivers, and Aspire Adult participants can support NDEAM by sharing their recommendations or inviting Aspire to lead a Neurodiversity in the Workplace workshop. Together, we can close the employment gap — one skill, one opportunity, and one inclusive organization at a time.