Autism @ Work - Orange County

Call to Action: How to approach your employer about a hiring initiative!

Interested in approaching your employer, but don't know how!

Let us help! Grit & Flow along with our partner, The Spectrum Works, are here to get you started!

​

We are ready to get going! What do I do?

There are two resources that can help you begin your journey.

• Grit & Flow, Tiffany@GritandFlow.com

• The Spectrum Works, Jessica@TheSpectrumWorks.org

Both resources will meet with you for free and help you begin your journey.

I would like to approach my employer, but where do I start?

There are many easy ways to approach your employer. Here are a few suggestions.

• Set aside some time to talk about what you learned tonight and how you would like to explore autism at work in your organization.

• Highlight the free resources available to navigate your organization through the process.

• Offer to set up a free session to learn what autism looks like at work and how it can benefit your organization.

• If there is an Employee Resource Group for autism/disabilities, or a Diversity & Inclusion team, they may be your best allies.

• Offer to organize a lunch and learn on autism and neurodiversity in the workplace.

We only have a few employees. What difference can I make?

• Each new job created changes life and positively impacts the stigma surrounding individuals with autism.

• There are many incentive programs that fit well with smaller organizations and provide support resources and potentially initial compensation to the autistic individual.

• Many individuals will prefer working for a smaller company. It is more personal, and they find more security in the smaller number of managers and co-workers.

​

Sounds great, but we just don’t have the right culture.

• A culture of inclusion can benefit all employees and it doesn’t have to be a huge effort.  Inclusion is often best built starting with small teams.

• Initial steps to increase inclusion are:

  • Lunch & Learns about Autism in the workplace

  • Sensitize programs such as inviting young adults into your workplace for a tour

  • Summer interns

  • Getting involved in a charity event supporting autism

• Strong steps:

  • Set-up initial conversations with your manager or HR about the importance and benefits of employing this population. 

  • Invite Grit & Flow or The Spectrum Works to discuss the discovery of where a hiring effort may be feasible and most strategic.

I would love to, but what if I can’t support the employee(s)? We already have so much to manage.

• You don’t have to do this alone. We have often seen employees gladly and eagerly volunteer in companies to support autism at work programs

• In addition, there are many competent agencies in Orange County that can support you and the employee to provide a productive and rewarding experience.

• Our teams (instead of "An employee support'"?) will assist you with training the employee and ensure that he or she is headed in the right direction.

This sounds great, but I don’t think there would be a budget for a program like this.

• Desire, but no budget… No Problem!

• There are incentives that provide an employer of reference

• The accommodations an individual need is not always costly

• Paid Internship Program ($10,400) https://www.gritandflow.com/paid-internship-program

• Tax Incentives for hiring persons with disabilities

• Federal employment goals (7%) for companies with federal contracts (Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act)