1. Networking and Working: A Curriculum for Women with ASD Seeking Employment Kathy Koenig Jane Thierfeld- Brown Aileen Thurm Ken Sitek

2. Session 1

3. Do I really want to work? What does it mean to be a working person?

4. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

5. Appearances: Hygiene and Wardrobe

6. Web skills/Facebook/Digital Media Phone Skills/Voicemail/Email/Texting

7. Rent Food Utilities Clothing Transportation Money Management – Supporting Myself

8. Accepting General Work Responsibilities Arriving on time, managing work breaks, leaving when allowed, stay longer if needed Stepping up when extra work is presented Communicating consistently with co-workers Communicating with your supervisor regularly and effectively

9. Demonstrating Competence

10. How can you demonstrate competence? By making sure you understand the job, doing the job correctly, consistently asking questions, and improving over time

11. Remaining Persistent in the Face of Obstacles

12. The workplace can be stressful, especially in the face of obstacles. It is important however, to be able to accept feedback from co-workers and supervisors, remain calm when things go wrong, problem solve in the moment, and make smart decisions/choices

14. WHO CAN HELP IF I AM HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME?

15. Knowing how to function in the workplace is key to success in a job. How to get work completed. How to stay calm if there are problems. How to take feedback and learn new skills.

16. Session 2

17. What do I know about myself?

18. How does living with Autism Spectrum Disorder impact me?

19. Do I have trouble talking to people? Do I struggle to “read” people? Is it hard for me to know how to behave? What else?

21. Do I have any learning challenges or organizational challenges?

22. Issues with understanding spoken language or writing? Trouble with time management? Organizing my work tasks? Getting started? Finishing a task? Following through?

23. Dealing with anxiety, depression, and other issues

24. Anxiety: Apprehension over what's about to happen and what could happen in the future. Worried thoughts, or a belief that something could go wrong. Feeling like you need to run away or avoid things that could cause further anxiety. Depression: Feeling of sadness about the future, as though it's hopeless. Listlessness, and a lack of belief that positive things will occur. Little worry, but instead a certainty of future negative emotions. Possible suicidal thoughts. What is anxiety and what is depression? (social anxiety-performance anxiety-panic)

25. Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is an anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Anxiety (intense nervousness) and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized by others. Mild social anxiety, inexperience in public, strong distaste for failure. Anything in life can cause these emotions. Some people are born with a mild performance anxiety, or grew up naturally shy so the idea of talking in public is upsetting to them. Others are prone to distress over the idea of being judged, possibly because of experiences in the past, upbringing, or bullying. Panic is a sudden sensation of fear which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reaction. Social Anxiety: Performance Anxiety: Panic:

26. Do others get anxious at work?

28. Complete the Anxiety Self-Assessment Questionnaire…. And let’s talk it over!!

29. How do others deal with the anxiety? Can I learn from their experience? Maybe a mentor at work would help.

30. Strategies to reduce anxiety; How aggressively do I have to attack this? http://www.adaa.org/tips-manage-anxiety-and-stress

31. Session 3

32. Learning and Maintaining Independence

33. Go over your honest assessment of your adaptive skills (page 9 in your workbook)

34. Personal Care Time/money management/phone/computer/internet Transportation skills Coping skills/emotional regulation: DBT strategies? Writing skills Web skills

35. What Behaviors do I have to learn?

36. What shouldn’t I do?

37. What behaviors do I have to change? How do I go about doing this?

38. What are my strengths? What do I do best? List in your workbook in the notes section

39. Session 4 What is networking and why is networking important for finding a job?

41. Practice introducing yourself and letting people know a little bit about you

42. What to say and what NOT to say when you introduce yourself or when you are talking about what kind of work you would like to pursue

45. Session 5 What is the right work environment for me? What is the right job for me?

47. With people Quiet Busy space

48. SWOT Analysis

49. Session 6 The Culture of the Workplace

51. Physical layout Décor Space between co-workers Noise level Conversation between employees Respect for authority

52. What else do I need to know about the place I am working?

53. Am I expected to work independently or as part of a team?

54. What about informal relationships between people at work?

55. Session 7 My networking and working plan

56. Do I need help with finding jobs to apply for? Who can I ask?

57. Do I need a resume??

58. What is the process for applying online, and how do I follow up?

59. Session 8 All the details: References, phone calls, emails, interviewing and follow up!

61. Do I need help in preparing for an interview? Who can I ask for help?

62. How to present yourself for the interview and the job..

63. My availability My references My skills Why I want the job Why I think I would be a good fit for the job ETC….

64. Do I need a coach or someone to help me transition to a job? – To help me learn the work culture? – To help me learn the social or unwritten rules of my new job?

65. What challenges do I have? How do I work on these? Who can help?

66. Can I ask for accommodations at work? What do I ask for? Who do I ask?

67. How am I doing? How do I ask for feedback? How do I know I am doing well at my job?

68. GOOD LUCK