Community News

It’s not news to anyone in the autism community that, for many people with autism, finding a job after high school is stacked with obstacles. Project SEARCH is working to eliminate those obstacles.

Project SEARCH is an innovative program that provides real-life work experience for people with disabilities. It originated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and has since expanded to 240 program sites across 40 states and five countries. Project SEARCH programs also offer employability training and independent living skills so that people with disabilities can make a successful transition to a productive adult life. The model involves an extensive period of skills training and career exploration, innovative adaptations, long-term job coaching, and continuous feedback from teachers, skills trainers, and employers.

The University of Washington in Seattle was the site of a Project SEARCH pilot during the 2017-18 academic year, according to an article on its website. The university worked with the state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Seattle Public Schools, and PROVAIL, a local nonprofit that helps people with disabilities find jobs and gain life skills.

Seven young adults, ages 20 or 21, participated in unpaid, part-time internships at 10 on-campus sites. The interns started a new job each quarter to gain skills for and understanding of different work environments. For example, the article notes, “Transportation services assigned an intern to tackle maintenance at Central Plaza Garage; the department of communications needed someone to help check out camera equipment to students; and the speech and hearing clinic needed an extra hand to inventory books for children.”

Students participating in Project SEARCH have a support team that helps make for a smoother transition between school and workplace. Staff from PROVAIL and Seattle Public Schools try to match the Project SEARCH internships with participants and their interests and challenges. They are also on hand for daily morning meetings to discuss the itinerary and again for an afternoon meeting to debrief.

In the article on the university website, Jill Locke, a research assistant professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and the Project Search campus liaison, noted that this practical experience and on-the-job training will better prepare participants for work. And, she pointed out, people with autism in the workplace bring value to their employer as well. Programs like Project SEARCH give people with autism the support and training they need so they in turn can contribute to workplaces and their communities.