Businesses that welcome and value autistic customers will value and respect autistic employees.
By Dianne Porter CEO Missing Piece Awareness connecting the autism community with businesses. Missing Piece Awareness trains and supports businesses to welcome in and effectively serve autistic customers and their families.
In ten years, 500,000 individuals with autism will age of the educational system.
Planning for the transition into the workforce cannot wait until a child enters high school or a vocational program. Planning for independence and transition to the workforce needs to start the day a diagnosis is given.
Parents already understand the need to have their children involved in as many community settings as possible to practice, generalize skills and overcome sensory issues.
Those who understand autistic children recognize the brilliance and hidden talents they possess yet fear they will not be able to meet their full potential if not given the opportunity to fully participate in the community. How can families fully participate when they are shunned, isolated and fearful of journeying out into the community?
There is a gap between what the families need- and a businesses’ ability to meet their needs. Understanding through education and exposure brings down the barriers that stand in the way of families with autism feeling safe, supported and welcomed in the community.
The next generation of adults need to be those who have grown up together, autistic individuals and non-autistic individuals side by side This next generation will be understanding and appreciative of each other’s’ diversity. They potentially will become the natural support within the workplace for each other.
Misunderstanding denies autistic individuals and families participation in their community. Misunderstanding also denies the general population from ever seeing past stereotypes to actually seeing an individual who has autism as a complete, complex and unique person not just a label.
Society as a whole needs to be educated on what autism is, the strengths of autistic individuals and how to interact cohesively. This should start in businesses and community establishments. Businesses that respect and value their customers with autism will be the same businesses that respect and value autistic employees.
We cannot sit around waiting, expecting someone else to fix the problem. Communities need to take responsibility for their own community members and reap the rewards by doing so. Missing Piece Awareness provides businesses the knowledge and tools they need to welcome and support customers with autism and their families.
Legislators need to recognize, reinforce and reward businesses that actively support the autism community. This includes supporting businesses that can welcome and accept their autistic customers and businesses that proactively hire individuals with autism.
For us, the blocking force or the “Missing Piece” is understanding through education. It is the only way that true autism acceptance can become a reality. Gaining knowledge, familiarity and transforming perceptions is the only way that true autism acceptance can begin to occur.
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