Employ the Ace! Katarzyna Matynia SYNAPSIS Foundation, Poland Paving the way to employment of people with an ASD.

Employ the Ace! Employ the Ace!

Katarzyna MatyniaSYNAPSIS Foundation, Poland

Paving the way to employment of people with an ASD

Background

The Model of Social and Vocational Activation Programme for People with Asperger Syndrome

and High-functioning Autism

• Developed as a result of our cooperation with two international partners: National Autistic Society – Prospects from the UK and Specialist People Foundation from Denmark• Tested and adapted to local circumstances during the project financed by European Union in 2011-2012• The first and the only such solution for adults with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism (HFA) in Poland so far

Who is the Ace?

• The main idea of the Model is to focus on abilities and advantages of people with an ASD which can be attractive for potential employers such as: attention to details accuracy motivation to work honesty ability to perform repetitive and routine tasks

Testing the Model

• 14 participants – people with Asperger syndrome (13) or high-functioning autism (1)

• 10 men and 4 women• Most of them 20-30 years old• 13 with at least secondary education• 9 months of training (October 2011 - June 2012)

Internships

Internships

• in private enterprices, public offices and NGO • assistant support

Office skills

training

Office skills

training• using office equipment • writing formal letters • working with documents

Social skillstraining

Social skillstraining

• group traninig • individual sessions

Types of support for people with ASD included in the Model

Employment Advisor support

• group training • individual sessions

IT training

• MS Office• Windows XP/7• html

Successes of the project

Projekt „Implementacja skutecznych europejskich systemów funkcjonowania

ekonomii społecznej w zakresie wprowadzania osób z autyzmem na polski

rynek pracy” współfinansowany przez Unię Europejską w ramach Europejskiego

Funduszu Społecznego

• Employment for people with Asperger syndrome - 7 out of 14 people found employment after the project, 5 of them are employed on the open labour market

• Development and usage of their hidden potential• Growing self-confidence of people with ASD• Development of their social skills• Increase of their vocational skills and motivation to work• Employers willing to join the programme and adapt workplaces

Why it is worth to use the Model?

Thank you for your attention!

Katarzyna Matynia [email protected]

SYNAPSIS Foundation, Warsaw, Poland

More information: www.zatrudnij-asa.pl www.facebook.com/zatrudnij.asa