Soeker Mogammad Shaheed
Department of Occupational Therapy, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
Work. 2020;65(4):733-747. doi: 10.3233/WOR-203127.
There is limited existence of qualitative research on adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who are transitioning between skills training programs and finding employment in the open labor market, in South Africa.
The aim of this current study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of individuals living with ASD, regarding transitioning from a skills training program to working in the open labor market.
The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten participants, who were diagnosed with ASD, and working in the open labor market, as well as five key informants, who have worked with autistic individuals in a skills training program.
The data collected, using an explorative, descriptive, qualitative method, were analyzed using thematic analysis, and resulted in three emerging themes.
Theme one: The 'disorder' in the workplace -The individual and collective barriers that individuals experience in the workplace are described, including social, emotional, and communication difficulties, as well as the stigmatization experienced by persons with a disability. Theme two: Making the workplace work -The facilitative support that individuals are exposed to, in the form of intervention from occupational therapists, sensory psychologists, and other forms of skills training programs, are described. In addition to supportive intervention, the relationships and networking within, and outside of the workplace, are discussed in theme two. Theme three: What works for me -The individual adaptations made by the participants, in the form of unique coping mechanisms in the workplace, as well as in the home environment, are discussed.
It was observed that, while there are barriers to the transitioning of autistic individuals into the open labor market, there are enablers that facilitate a less challenging transitioning process, in the form of family and workplace support, as well as skills training, and self-identified coping mechanisms.
在南非，关于患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的成年人在技能培训项目之间过渡并在开放劳动力市场就业的定性研究非常有限。
本研究的目的是探讨患有ASD的个体在从技能培训项目过渡到在开放劳动力市场工作方面的经历和看法。
通过对10名被诊断患有ASD且在开放劳动力市场工作的参与者以及5名在技能培训项目中与自闭症个体合作的关键信息提供者进行半结构化访谈收集数据。
使用探索性、描述性、定性方法收集的数据采用主题分析法进行分析，得出了三个新出现的主题。
主题一：工作场所中的“障碍”——描述了个体在工作场所经历的个人和集体障碍，包括社交、情感和沟通困难，以及残疾人所遭受的污名化。主题二：让工作场所发挥作用——描述了个体所获得的促进性支持，形式包括职业治疗师、感觉心理学家的干预以及其他形式的技能培训项目。除了支持性干预之外，主题二还讨论了工作场所内外的关系和网络。主题三：对我有效的方法——讨论了参与者所做的个人调整，形式包括在工作场所以及家庭环境中独特的应对机制。
据观察，虽然自闭症个体向开放劳动力市场过渡存在障碍，但也有一些促成因素，以家庭和工作场所支持、技能培训以及自我认同的应对机制的形式，促进了一个挑战性较小的过渡过程。
