Sync-Up! FAQ

What is autism?

  • Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. ASD symptoms occur uniquely in each individual. (Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2018)
  • Not all people with ASD have the same symptoms or level of severity of symptoms. (Autism Society, 2016; Yang et al., 2017; Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2018)
  • Some of the most common behaviors include: “difficulty making eye contact or holding a conversation, difficulty with reasoning and planning, intense interests; poor motor skills’ and sensory sensitivities.” (Autism Society, 2016; Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2018)

What is high-functioning autism (HFA)?

  • People with high-functioning autism are intelligent (ranging from a normal to a high IQ), high-functioning individuals with social skills deficits. (Roberson, 2016; Different Brains, 2018)
  • They may be creative and excel at art, music, math, languages, or other areas. Famous people with autism include: “Dan Akroyd, Courtney Love, Tim Burton, Susan Boyle, and Satoshi Tajiri.” (Different Brains, 2018)
  • Because people on the spectrum think differently, this can inspire creativity and fantastic achievements. (Different Brains, 2018)
  • Previously, HFA was known as Asperger’s syndrome until it was reclassified in the DSM-5* diagnostic manual which was published in May 2013. (Different Brains, 2018)
*DSM-5 is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) It is “an authoritative volume that defines and classifies mental disorders in order to improve diagnoses, treatment, and research.” (American Psychiatric Association, 2018)

How widespread is autism?

  • In 2014, the CDC estimated that 1 percent of all people in the world have autism spectrum disorder. (Autism Society, 2016)
  • In 2018, the CDC estimated that 1 in 59 births in the United States are babies with ASD. (Autism Society, 2016)
  • Currently, more than 3.5 million Americans have ASD. (Autism Society, 2016)
  • 75-80% are male. (Odom et al., 2014)

What about employment for people with autism?

  • According to the U.S. Department of Labor, while national unemployment overall was at 4.2% in October 2017, (where 5% is considered full employment), the unemployment rate for all people with disabilities was 10.5%. (Adults with Autism, n.d.) It is not known what portion of this is for autistic people because of differences in terminologies and difficulties in data collection. (Adults with Autism, n.d.)

What advantages would people with high-functioning autism have in the workplace?

  • Detail-oriented (Carr, 2017; Technical Training Programs, 2018; Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2018)
  • Adept at solitary jobs or tasks. (Carr, 2017; Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2018)
  • According to the National Foundation for Autism Research, (Technical Training Programs, 2018) technology companies are beginning to hire people with autism because of the following traits:
    • Technical aptitude
    • Logical Thinking Patterns
    • An Inclination for Repetitive Work
    • Excellent Memory
    • Acute Visual Perception

What are the disadvantages experienced by many people with Autism in the workplace?

  • “Getting and keeping jobs” can be difficult for people on the spectrum due to problems with communication and social skills. (Adults with Autism, n.d.)

What are some of the communication and social skill challenges in the workplace for people with Autism?

  • Face-to-face interactions can be challenging due to “difficulties recognizing and understanding facial expressions.” (Mazurek, 2013)
  • According to Dr. Kenneth Roberson, (2016) people with autism have difficulty interpreting “other people’s social behavior”, understanding eye contact, tone of voice, hand gestures, and non-literal communication. (Kindle Locations 756 – 758)
    • Roberson, (2016) further explains non-literal communication as “humor, figures of speech, irony, and metaphor.” (Kindle Locations 756 – 758)

What are some of the approaches to improving ASD social skills issues?

  • Vocational Rehabilitation (Face-to-Face)
  • Soft Skills training (Face-to-Face)
  • Technology* is being used increasingly to aid in the improvement of communication, social skills and developing vocational skills for people with ASD. (Odom et al, 2014)
*Technology refers to electronic devices, applications or networks. (Odom et al, 2014)

Why is technology effective for teaching social skills and other subjects for people with ASD?

  • Odom et al., 2014, reviewed various studies about interactive technology used to assist with ASD behaviors or to provide learning and found that technology is engaging for adolescents with ASD due to “visual presentation of information as a preferred form of learning and support.”
  • Interactive technologies designed for people with ASD range from personal computers, the internet, mobile devices, “shared active surfaces, virtual reality, sensor and wearable devices and robotics.” (Odom et al, 2014, p. 3808)
  • Takashi and Suzuki, (2013) found in a study of 4 adults, that they preferred communicating online rather than face-to-face because they feel that they communicate better this way.

What are some of the technologies found to be useful in helping people with ASD?

Social Media

  • Mazurek’s study of 108 adults with ASD found that because of a preference for screen-based technologies, social media is commonly used among adults with ASD and is perceived to be a “comfortable way to communicate and engage with others.” (2013, p. 1713)

Multimedia

  • Golan and Baron-Cohen (2006) found an increase in recognition of complex emotions by interpreting facial expressions and tone of voice using interactive multimedia.

Virtual Reality

  • Virtual reality technologies have been found helpful in increasing people with ASD’s understanding of facial expressions, use of social skills. (Lorenzo et al., 2013)
  • One important aspect is the simulation of a real environment. (Lorenzo et al., 2013; Yange, Allen, Abdullahi, Pelphrey, 2017)
  • Social Skills training in a virtual reality environment has several advantages: a safe environment to practice social skills without fear of consequences from making mistakes, facilitates the application of the learned skills to real-life situations, being able to repeat the learning lesson multiple times, and it is an environment that can be customized to meet the needs of the learner.  (Kandalaft, M., Didehbani, N., Krawczyk D. C., Chapman, S. B., 2013; Yange et al., 2017)