NARRATE – Narrative Approaches for Professionals Supporting People on the Autism Spectrum on Their Way to Employment is born out of a growing need for employment services for People on the Autism Spectrum (PoAS) perceived by (VET) professionals working with this group of people. Even though there is ample evidence to support the potential benefits to companies when they hire PoAS, who often demonstrate trustworthiness, reliability, attention to detail and intense focus that result in increased work output, the interface with the world of work is still not well covered: unemployment and its consequences (e.g. insufficient incomes, low self-respect, young adults’ low independence from parents and, at worst, social alienation and falling into poverty) are hampering the life of adult PoAS.
The VET field, even though it actually aims to equip people with knowledge, and skills required in the labour market, often lacks means to better support both PoAS dealing with the world of work, and companies in employing and integrating PoAS in their environments.
One of the reasons might be the dominant narrative about autism, considering it a neuro-biological developmental disorder. Such a framework is negative by design, as it emphasises deficits and severity levels and takes little account of the single PoAS’ strengths, competencies & skills. Due to this framework:
PoAS tend to see themselves as people with a deficit and are not used to pay attention to their strengths, competences & skills. This has also a negative impact on the way they approach work.
Professionals try to help PoAS dealing with the “impairment” they are supposed to have because of their condition.
Companies tend to experience the employment of PoAS as a difficult process, fearing they should heavily modify their work environment to integrate one or more employees who are actually supposed to have a mental disorder that could create problems with co-workers and in terms of work efficiency.
NARRATE intends to reframe this dominant narrative about autism, in order to provide professionals a theoretical and practical approach to help them support both PoAS in entering the labour market and engage and support the companies (willing to) employ PoAS. We will develop a training program addressing both sides, based on the Narrative Approaches. Such approaches suggest autism can be understood as an alternative way of being, with different rhythm, tempo and ways of decoding (interpreting) the world. PoAS can then be seen as people presenting areas of strength and areas of gaps at the social, communicative and sensory level, instead of people with a mental disorder.
Applying this narrative opens up new possibilities in supporting PoAS interacting with the world of work and companies dealing with PoAS, as it highlights that PoAS’ have strengths & skills that can be nurtured for the world of work and that can be added values for companies’ environments.
