Networking and Working:
A Curriculum for Women with ASD Seeking
Employment
Kathy Koenig
Jane Thierfeld- Brown
Aileen Thurm
Ken Sitek
Session 1
Do I really want to work?
What does it mean to be a working person?
PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY
Appearances:
Hygiene and Wardrobe
Phone Skills/Voicemail/Email/Texting
Web skills/Facebook/Digital Media
Money Management – Supporting Myself
•Rent
•Food
•Utilities
•Clothing
•Transportation
Accepting General Work Responsibilities
•Arriving on time, managing work breaks, leaving
when allowed, stay longer if needed
•Stepping up when extra work is presented
•Communicating consistently with co-workers
•Communicating with your supervisor regularly and
effectively
Demonstrating Competence
How can you demonstrate competence?
By making sure you understand the job, doing the job correctly,
consistently asking questions, and improving over time
Remaining Persistent in the Face of Obstacles
The workplace can be stressful, especially in the face of
obstacles. It is important however, to be able to
•accept feedback from co-workers and supervisors,
•remain calm when things go wrong,
•problem solve in the moment,
•and make smart decisions/choices
• WHO CAN HELP IF I AM HAVING A DIFFICULT
TIME?
• Knowing how to function in the workplace is
key to success in a job.
• How to get work completed.
• How to stay calm if there are problems.
• How to take feedback and learn new skills.
Session 2
What do I know about myself?
How does living with Autism Spectrum Disorder impact me?
Do I have trouble talking to people?
Do I struggle to “read” people?
Is it hard for me to know how to behave?
What else?
Do I have any learning challenges or organizational challenges?
• Issues with understanding spoken language or writing?
•Trouble with time management? Organizing my work tasks?
Getting started? Finishing a task? Following through?
Dealing with anxiety, depression, and other issues
What is anxiety and what is depression?
(social anxiety-performance anxiety-panic)
Anxiety:
•Apprehension over what's about to happen and what could happen in the future.
•Worried thoughts, or a belief that something could go wrong.
•Feeling like you need to run away or avoid things that could cause further anxiety.
Depression:
•Feeling of sadness about the future, as though it's hopeless.
•Listlessness, and a lack of belief that positive things will occur.
•Little worry, but instead a certainty of future negative emotions. Possible suicidal thoughts.
Social Anxiety:
Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is an anxiety disorder in which a person
has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Anxiety (intense nervousness)
and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized by
others.
Performance Anxiety:
Mild social anxiety, inexperience in public, strong distaste for failure. Anything in life can
cause these emotions. Some people are born with a mild performance anxiety, or grew up
naturally shy so the idea of talking in public is upsetting to them. Others are prone to
distress over the idea of being judged, possibly because of experiences in the past,
upbringing, or bullying.
Panic:
Panic is a sudden sensation of fear which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and
logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation
consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reaction.
Do others get anxious at work?
Complete the Anxiety Self-Assessment Questionnaire….
And let’s talk it over!!
How do others deal with the anxiety?
• Can I learn from their experience?
• Maybe a mentor at work would help.
Strategies to reduce anxiety;
How aggressively do I have to attack this?
http://www.adaa.org/tips-manage-anxiety-and-stress
Session 3
Learning and Maintaining Independence
Go over your honest assessment of your adaptive skills
(page 9 in your workbook)
•Personal Care
•Time/money management/phone/computer/internet
•Transportation skills
•Coping skills/emotional regulation: DBT strategies?
•Writing skills
•Web skills
What Behaviors do I have to learn?
What shouldn’t I do?
What behaviors do I have to change?
How do I go about doing this?
What are my
strengths?
What do I do
best?
List in your workbook in the notes section
Session 4
What is networking and why is networking important
for finding a job?
Practice introducing yourself and letting people know a
little bit about you
What to say and what NOT to say when you introduce
yourself or when you are talking about what kind of
work you would like to pursue
Session 5
What is the right work environment for me?
What is the right job for me?
With people
Quiet
Busy
space
SWOT
Analysis
Session 6
The Culture of the Workplace
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Physical layout
Décor
Space between co-workers
Noise level
Conversation between employees
Respect for authority
• What else do I need to know
about the place I am working?
Am I expected to
work independently or
as part of a team?
What about informal relationships between people at work?
Session 7
My networking and working plan
• Do I need help with finding jobs to apply for?
• Who can I ask?
Do I need a resume??
What is the process for applying online, and how do I
follow up?
Session 8
All the details: References, phone calls, emails,
interviewing and follow up!
• Do I need help in preparing for an
interview?
• Who can I ask for help?
How to present yourself for the interview and the job..
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My availability
My references
My skills
Why I want the job
Why I think I would be a good fit for the job
ETC….
• Do I need a coach or someone to help me
transition to a job?
– To help me learn the work culture?
– To help me learn the social or unwritten rules
of my new job?
What challenges do I have?
• How do I work on these?
• Who can help?
• Can I ask for accommodations at work?
• What do I ask for?
• Who do I ask?
How am I doing?
• How do I ask for feedback?
• How do I know I am doing well at my job?
GOOD LUCK