maximizing job performance and social integration for ... autism idd pt2.pdf · fragrance...

JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

Maximizing Job Performance and Social Integration for People with Autism and

Intellectual Disabilities Part II

Melanie Whetzel, Lead Consultant Cognitive/Neurological Team

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Strategies and Accommodations

Established in 1983 as a national, free service. Specialize in job accommodations and the

employment provisions of the ADA. Assist with the interactive process. Give targeted technical assistance. Provide comprehensive resources. Maintain confidentiality. Communicate via telephone, chat, text, TTY, relay,

email, Skype, and social networks. Offer live and archived training. Work as a partner in making model employers.

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Strategies and Accommodations to increase:

Productivity and efficiency Self-management Tolerance to workplace changes Management of job stress and anxiety Time management and planning On-task behaviors

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Managing stress and anxiety: Stress and anxiety Interacting with co-workers Working effectively with supervisors Sensitivity issues Apps

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Situation: An employee who was uncomfortable speaking in meetings decided it was just easier not to show up. His supervisor didn’t agree.

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Managing Stress / Emotions: Refer to counseling and EAP Allow telephone calls during work hours to doctors

and others for needed support Allow the presence of a support animal Allow flexible work environment: Flexible scheduling Modified break schedule Leave for counseling Work from home/Flexi-place

Modify environmental triggers

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Solution: The employee talked with his supervisor about several triggers and ideas for solutions, one of them being an advanced organizer or agenda for meetings so he would be more prepared to speak. The employer agreed to provide assistance.

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Situation: A help desk employee’s main job functions were troubleshooting the problems of other staff members. He was highly competent in solving problems, but became impatient, rude, and disrespectful to co-workers who contacted him for assistance.

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Coworker Interaction: Provide sensitivity training to promote disability awareness Allow employee to work from home when feasible Help employee “learn the ropes” by providing a mentor Make employee attendance at social functions optional Allow employee to transfer to another workgroup, shift, or

department Encourage employees to minimize personal conversation or

move personal conversation away from work areas Allow alternative forms of communication between coworkers

such as email, instant messaging, or text messaging Use role-play scenarios to demonstrate appropriate behavior in

workplace Use training videos to demonstrate appropriate behavior in

workplace

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Solution: A new policy was instituted which allowed the employee to take requests for help by e-mail instead of in person or by phone, reducing the employee’s stress caused by interactions with coworkers. This enabled him to keep his emotions and behavior in check.

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Situation: A food service worker in the kitchen of a restaurant helps with food preparation and cleaning. She completes job tasks, but she talks to her co-workers incessantly about her personal issues. A manager talks with the employee and explains that her conduct is interfering with work and making coworkers uncomfortable.

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Solution: A job coach teaches the employee how to talk with co-workers about impersonal topics (like the weather) and how to focus conversations on work tasks they perform. The job coach then helps the employee apply the new skills directly on the job and is able to fade out direct involvement after a couple of months.

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Situation: An employee who was having difficulty performing her job functions, even right after her manager had given her instructions, called JAN for suggestion on communication strategies.

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Working Effectively: Communicate one-to-one with employee Deal with problems as they arise Keep job coach informed Train supervisors on communication etiquette Discuss disciplinary procedures Monitor effectiveness of accommodations currently

provided Provide detailed day-to-day guidance and feedback Offer positive reinforcement

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Working Effectively (cont.) Identify areas of improvement for employee in a fair and

consistent manner Provide clear expectations and the consequences of not

meeting expectations Give assignments verbally, in writing, or both, depending

on what would be most beneficial to the employee (e.g. use of visual charts)

Assist employee in assigning priority to assignments Assign projects in a systematic and predictable manner Establish long-term and short-term goals for employee Adjust supervisory method by modifying the manner in

which conversations take place, meetings are conducted, or discipline is addressed

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Solution: JAN suggested strategies for communication that included speaking more slowly, using clear short sentences, and asking the employee to repeat back the information to help determine if she has understood.

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Situation: A paraprofessional in a large elementary school asked to be relieved of lunch duty as an accommodation, as she was overwhelmed with the noise level in the cafeteria during the lunch period.

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Fragrance sensitivity: Maintain good indoor air quality Discontinue the use of fragranced products Use only unscented cleaning products Provide scent-free meeting rooms and restrooms Modify workstation location Modify the work schedule Allow for fresh air breaks Provide an air purification system Modify or create a fragrance-free workplace

policy Allow telework

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Strategies and AccommodationsFluorescent light sensitivity: Move employee to a private area to allow for personal

adjustment to appropriate lighting Change lighting completely Allow telework Noise sensitivity: Move employee to a more private area or away from high-traffic

areas Move employee away from office machinery, equipment, and

other background noises Provide an environmental sound machine to help mask

distracting sounds Provide noise canceling headsets Provide sound absorption panels Encourage coworkers to keep non-work-related conversation to

a minimum Allow telework

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Solution: The employee was accommodated by being taken off of the lunch duty in the cafeteria and given the “detention” lunch duty, where a small number of children would eat lunch in a classroom under closer supervision that did not allow them to interact with each other.

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Anxiety Apps:Help users: Relax and calm Refocus Deep breathe Monitor behaviors Recognize triggers

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Time Management and Planning: Concentration/Distractions Time management Organization Prioritization Completing tasks Apps

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Situation: An automotive repair technician was highly distractible and inattentive to his tasks.

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Concentration: Reduce distractions in the work area Increase natural lighting or provide

full-spectrum lighting Divide large assignments into smaller

tasks and goals Use auditory or written cues as

appropriate Restructure job to include only

essential functions Provide memory aids

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Solution: The employee was provided a mechanic’s stool with color-coded shelves. His supervisor helped him “load” the stool with regularly used tools. He was also given a daily checklist.

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Situation: A mail clerk had difficulty remembering to go for his second mail collection run when he was involved in other tasks.

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Time Management: Divide large assignments into several smaller

tasks Use a timer Provide a checklist Plan and structure time Supply an electronic or handheld organizer Use wall calendar to emphasize due dates

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Solution: The mail clerk was provided with a watch that had a timer set for when he needed to start his run. The watch vibrated to alert him it was time to go.

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Situation: An employee who works outside landscaping has trouble with time management and staying focused on the tasks he needs to complete. He works for a smaller employer who cannot provide the direct supervision he needs. He was using his phone to assist him, but the employer felt it made him look like he was off task.

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Solution: A JAN consultant recommended a daily written list of tasks and purchasing a watch with multiple settings that can be programmed to varying amounts of time. The watch was set to vibrate or alarm, and the task needing to be completed or started appeared on the face of the watch. The employee was trained to set the watch for the tasks he has to complete daily.

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Situation: A janitorial employee had difficulty organizing his supplies and knowing what to do differently in various areas.

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Organization and Prioritization: Use color-coding, daily or weekly charts, Provide a job coach and / or Assign a mentor Allow supervisor to assign prioritization of tasks Use electronic organizers, mobile devices, e-mail Assign new project when previous project is complete Provide a “cheat sheet” Organize work space to reduce clutter Provide separate work areas Schedule a time to clean/organize work space Take time at the end of each day to organize

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Solution: The employer color-coded the rooms and the needed lists of supplies for each of the different areas. The employee was also provided a color-coded flip chart for the varied tasks.

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Situation: A clerical aide would sometimes get lost or become disoriented when delivering mail items to different floors in her building.

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Performing or Completing Tasks: Provide verbal prompts (reminders) Provide written or symbolic reminders Use alarm watch or beeper Use jig for assembly to increase productivity Arrange materials in order of use Use task list with numbers or symbols Avoid isolated workstations Provide space for job coach Provide additional training or retraining as needed

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Solution: JAN suggested providing the employee with a color-coded map of the building, identifying each department or office and the location of elevators. This employee could also use a walkie-talkie to communicate with a supervisor if she became lost in the building.

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Organizational Apps:

Help users: Create schedules and to-do-lists Share lists with others Break down tasks Create reminders and alerts Manage time

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On-task Behavior: Job Coaching Mentoring Apps

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Situation: The primary essential function of a janitor at a furniture factory is to sweep away the ever-accumulating sawdust, which he does very well. However, once he has performed a complete sweep of the floor, he has difficulty determining when it needs to be done again. This results in the sawdust becoming a barrier to other workers' mobility.

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Solution: The employer brings in a job coach to address the problem. After monitoring the employee's work and helping him learn to discriminate between a clean floor and one that is ready to be swept again, the job coach is able to fade out his direct involvement, but remains available to support the employee as needed.

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Situation: A new warehouse custodial employee is working successfully with a job coach. The job coach spoke with the manager about getting the employee into a routine as quickly as possible, but the manager kept changing the directions he had given the employee.

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Solution: The job coach helped the employee make an ordered list of tasks he needs to complete before leaving each room and ask the manager to okay the order of the list. Since the biggest challenges were variations in the routine, the job coach has asked that she stay with the employee until the routine has been set and gradually reduce her time with him. The manager agreed to accommodate the employee in this way.

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Situation: A new employee who had passed his probationary period with flying colors was now experiencing the gradual withdrawal of the job coach who had been instrumental in the employee’s success. The supervisor was seeing a few issues resurface.

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Solution: The employer recruited a co-worker that had formed a positive relationship with the new employee to function as a natural support to the employee after the job coach was gone, providing the same type of support.

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Situation: A country club employee was having difficulty getting motivated in the mornings to initiate the tasks he was responsible for. Extended training on how to do the tasks, along with a task list in picture form were not proving to be successful motivators.

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Solution: The employer noticed that a friendship had developed between the new employee and a pro shop employee. The pro shop employee described the relationship as a grandfatherly one. He began to mentor the new employee by doing periodic “checks” on him during the mornings. The response was very positive, and the new employee worked successfully, seemingly eager to please his new friend.

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On-Task Apps:

Help users: Create schedules and to-do-lists Create reminders and alerts Manage time Relax, Refocus, Calm Self-regulate

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JAN Workplace Accommodation Toolkithttp://AskJAN.org/toolkit/

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http://prod.askjan.org/toolkit/


Also available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM5EmNX9T2I49

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM5EmNX9T2I


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Questions?

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Contact (800)526-7234 (V) & (877)781-9403 (TTY) AskJAN.org & [email protected] (304)216-8189 via Text janconsultants via Skype

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