Clinical Round Table 11 - Promoting Occupational Success for Neurodivergent Individuals with ADHD and Autism: A Clinical Discussion

Meaningful and successful occupational roles, including gainful employment, is essential for quality of life, well-being, and to obtain competitive income for self-sufficiency. Unfortunately, low occupational obtainment and poor job satisfaction is common for neurodivergent individuals. Evidence-based intervention development has primarily focused on childhood and early adolescence, and there is limited information on effective supports to promote successful occupational functioning. This clinical roundtable aims to identify recommendations for direct clinical practice, program development, and research to reduce barriers and promote successful employment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism. This panel has extensive expertise from state-wide program development and deployment, to ADHD/autism occupational research expertise, to neurodivergent lived experience in the workplace. Discussion will apply a preventive and strength-based lens to consider person (e.g., motivation, self-efficacy), context (e.g., work policies supportive of neurodiversity), and task-level (e.g., hands-on vs. seated work) workplace protective factors for neurodivergent individuals. Understanding these factors can help individuals choose jobs that are good fit in context of personal characteristics/interests; maintain work motivation/self-efficacy; and build requisite skills employers are seeking. In turn, employers are seeking guidance on how to build more inclusive work environment, including for neurodivergent employees. To that end, program directors will speak to lessons learned from developing and disseminating programs for transitioning neurodivergent individuals into employment, and building community partnerships with employers. Discussion will reference the extant ADHD and autism literature on work, and how the two literatures can inform recommendations for both or unique to each population. Lastly, the panel will address the perspective of lived experience to inform future research and program development. By increasing understanding on how to support neurodivergent individuals’ occupational functioning, we can promote greater well-being and quality of life for this population.