By Malynn Kuangparichat, Psy.D., J.D. and Dr. Jennie

As a junior or senior in college, you’re fully immersed in the college experience – going to class, completing short and long-term projects, and studying for exams. You finally feel like you’re in a routine, and you’ve got the right accommodations and accessibility to thrive in college. But lurking in the back of your mind is the next big transition coming – graduation and entering the professional work space.

Honestly, it’s easy for so many college students to be so immersed in their school work and college life that they haven’t thought too much about starting their transition into a career during the final years of college. And that’s what we’d like to talk about today.

So, we’re going to be talking to you, as an individual on the autism spectrum, about understanding and advocating for yourself when it comes to transitioning from higher education to the workplace.

What it comes down to is that we want you to know the types of support, on campus and in the workplace, you can take advantage of in order to make the transition from college to work easier and more successful.

Finding the Right Support For Your Transition into the Workplace

Before we dive in, we invite you to learn more about how to thrive academically in college in our last article. In the post, we lay out some key considerations – including accessibility, support systems, and inclusivity – to make the environments at school (and at your first job) a more supportive and inclusive space for individuals who are on the autism spectrum. You can click here to learn more about thriving in higher ed.

Join a Career Prep Program on Campus

When it comes to transitioning from the college setting into the job setting, you can consider finding a career preparation program within your college.

These programs can be tailored to individuals on the autism spectrum to discover the skills they need for work, and enhance your ability to seek out other skills to be employable. They can also help you gain confidence as you’re seeking a job and navigating the market. And so this can include workshops for building a resume, honing interview skills, and getting training and job placement assistance, as well.

If you want to see what employment supports and resources are out there, in addition to a career prep program within your college, then go to the PA autism resource website for more resources.

Get Peer Support to Walk You Through the Job Process

Another support besides a career prep program that you can consider is getting peer support. Getting connected with a peer who has walked through the process already, and can walk you through the transition is an invaluable resource. It’s helpful to learn from a peer when you’re stepping into these new spaces like going for a job that we might feel really intimidated by.

Talk With a Career Counselor

Besides a career prep program or peer support program, you might have access to a career services center on campus. Many universities have career services centers, but something to consider is the fact that career counseling services may be geared towards neurotypical people. 

For example, you may not find some of the recommendations fit your neurodiverse needs like your issue isn’t necessarily test anxiety, but more around planning your approach or getting organized. That means career service centers might not be fully equipped for individuals on the spectrum.

Other Non-Traditional Career Supports

So what else can you do if a career services center isn’t able to meet your needs? If we think outside the box a bit here, you could consider executive skills coaching. You can also look into an occupational therapist who comes with a neurological perspective. An OT can do some coaching around things that could support executive skills to help with getting assignments done such as building that resume and carving out time to further research job opportunities.

How to Thrive in the Workplace

Once you find yourself in the workplace, you can look for support to create an environment that encourages inclusive workplace culture. Fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace culture is essential for retaining and empowering employees who are on the autism spectrum.

To foster a supportive and inclusive workplace culture, this might involve promoting acceptance, celebrating diversity, addressing any stigma or misconceptions about autism as well. 

Feel Safe to Disclose and Advocate for Yourself in the Workplace

We know a piece of all this is that you need to disclose that you’re on the autism spectrum in order to find support in the workplace for inclusive workplace culture.

So we want to make sure that whether it’s at the university level or at a job, you feel safe in your environment to be able to disclose and advocate for yourself. 

Within the workplace, you’ll want employers who encourage open communication about inclusivity and autism, and being able to provide opportunities for you to disclose your diagnosis.

To be able to communicate your disclosure can help you get the accommodations and support needed to implement in a way that’s going to be effective for you. Additionally, disclosing the diagnosis to your employer protects you under ADA. You can learn more about disclosure for college-age or young professional on the autism spectrum in this article, Cyber Disclosure for Youth With Disabilities.

And then it also allows you to continue advocating for yourself so that your needs can be met and you can work towards more of that independence and autonomy in the professional setting.

Grow in Your Field Through Mentorship or Networking Opportunities

Especially in the workplace, you can gain insight into your chosen field and grow by finding a supportive mentor or building relationships through networking opportunities. These professional relationships can help you access invaluable career guidance as they continue to grow.

This can be formal mentorship programs, networking events, or just having the ability to connect with other professionals in their field of interest. 

Get Workplace Support Through Feedback 

In addition to growing through mentorship and networking opportunities, you can also grow through regular feedback from your employer. Then you can get a sense of what is going well, what expectations are being met, and what needs adjusting or improving.

Something to consider within the workplace culture is emphasizing “soft skills.” It’s those personal characteristics, social skills that can really help an organization thrive. It could involve communication skills, but it can also involve just general work ethic such as reliability, teamwork, and discipline. To improve your soft skills, it’s helpful to get to know yourself and your strengths, and work from there.

You can actively solicit feedback from your supervisor so you both can identify areas for improvement and also ensure that your needs are being met effectively. It’s important to have regular check-ins, whether it’s performance evaluations or opportunities for informal feedback, to help you work in a positive environment that feels inclusive.

When you receive feedback, you can let your employer know that it’s most helpful when that feedback is a little more direct, and more concrete. 

For example, if your employer recommends you to be a little more engaged with coworkers, then ask them to provide tangible examples. 

Such as: What does that look like? What does that look like during work tasks? Does it look like checking up on people to see where they are? What are you asking for and how can I implement that? 

Essentially, we want to take out that gray area. So you’re looking for feedback to help you continue to advance, and you can ask for direct feedback with specific examples.

Wrap Up

Because we believe college students and young professionals on the autism spectrum deserve to thrive, we want you to be able to implement these supportive policies and practices for your success. 

Starting in the final years of college, you can find support for a smoother transition into the workplace through a career prep program, career services center, or peer support. You can also search for other non-traditional career transition support through executive coaching or an occupational therapist with a neurological perspective.

Within a safe workplace, you can disclose to your employer and advocate for yourself as an individual on the autism spectrum. When it comes to getting feedback, we suggest you get to know yourself and your strengths so you can grow from there.

Navigating transitions from college into the workplace can be overwhelming due to the unknowns. Just because you’re flexing your independence doesn’t mean you need to navigate the transitions on your own. 

If you’re feeling anxious with the transition, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local mental health practices.

As always, we’re here to help you find the best fit mental health support at Chester County Well-Being (CCWB) through an initial call, high-quality psychological and psycho-educational evaluations and screenings for autism that includes you in the process all the way to diagnosis, and strength-based therapy sessions with one of our compassionate and expert clinicians.

You can contact us here.

*Disclaimer: The contents of this blog does not constitute a clinical relationship or replace the need for professional services. 

Contact Us

Here at CCWB, we value our clients and acknowledge the courage it takes to seek professional mental health support.

Chester County Well-Being (CCWB) provides a range of mental health services to ensure we meet our community’s needs. We serve individuals, couples, and families in the Chester County area. Reach out to us here.

Our specializations include:

• Work and Career issues
• Stress Management
• Therapy for Depression and Anxiety
• Conflict Resolution
• Family Counseling
• Parenting Support
• Couples Counseling
• Grief Counseling
• Addiction & Recovery

Teletherapy

All our clinicians provide safe and secure teletherapy sessions to anyone residing in PA. Additionally, we provide telehealth options for residents of other states, depending on the clinician. Simply head to our About Us page, and click each clinician’s “read more” tab for telehealth details.

Telepsychology services are provided by Dr. Kuangparichat and Dr. Stern to clients who reside in a state that participates in PSYPACT. Find out if your state is on the list of participating states HERE.

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About the Authors

Malynn Kuangparichat, Psy.D., J.D. is founder and psychologist at Chester County Well-Being.  

She has a collaborative approach that results in highly tailored evaluations intended to meet her clients’ unique needs. She focuses on an individual’s strengths, which are integrated in the practical, personalized recommendations identified by the findings of an evaluation. 

In her free time, she enjoys running, spending time with family and friends, and getting ice cream or doughnuts from the local shops.

Jennie, Postdoctoral Associate at Chester County Well-Being

Dr. Jennie provides therapy for kids, adolescents, and adults. She also specializes in psychological and psycho-educational testing for concerns like ADHD, emotional or behavioral concerns, and autism.