How to Find Work that Works for People with Asperger Syndrome: The Ultimate Guide for Getting People with Asperger Syndrome into the Workplace (and keeping them there!)

For those who want to help somebody with Asperger Syndrome find and keep a satisfying job, this book is a vital tool. Gail Hawkins guides readers through the entire process of gaining employment, from building a supportive team, identifying and addressing workplace challenges, to securing an appropriate post. Including practical tips on topics such as finding potential employers and creating a dazzling CV, as well as sensitive advice on assessing when somebody is ready for work, and how, when and where to disclose a disability to an employer, Hawkins' well-tested approach aims to provide all the information needed for a fast, realistic, and successful path to fulfilling employment.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures. Introduction. Part I: The Players. 1. What You Should Know about Finding Work that Works for People with Asperger Syndrome. 2. The Employer. 3. The Job Coach. 4. The Candidate (The Employee with Asperger Syndrome). 5. Family. 6. Professionals, Teachers and Support Workers. Part II: The Foundation.7. The Four-Pillar Teaching Technique. 8. The Employment Toolbox. 9. The Big Picture (Assessing Employment Skills for People with Asperger Syndrome). 10.The Strategy Guide. Part III: The Dream. 11. The Career Direction Formula. 12.The Interview. 13. The Job Search. 14. Keeping the Job. Recommended Reading. Resources. Index.

About the Author :
Gail Hawkins is an experienced vocational consultant, who has specialized in working with people on the autism spectrum for the past 15 years. Formerly Director of the Kerry's Place Autism Services, in 1995 she founded Mission Possible, the first agency in North America to find avenues to employment specifically for people with Asperger Syndrome.

Review :
Having counselled a few clients who had been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome I was hoping that this book would help me in any future interactions with jobseekers and I am confident that it will. The book is incredibly methodical and detailed in its content, with each section full of explanations, strategies, examples and checklists, The strategies are proven by Gail's fifteen years as a professional in this field and her examples are from real case studies, which bring the chapters to life. The carefully laid out chapters cover the importance of work-readiness in the candidate and fears of a potential employer, right through career choice, job seeking strategies, discloser, starting work to the all important final chapter on keeping the job. How to Find Work that Works for People with Asperger Syndrome is a comprehensive and practical book packed with information about, and suggestions for, strategies to enable people with Asperger Syndrome (AS) to be successful in the world of work. The book takes a very welcome positive and upbeat approach and you can feel it willing people with AS to succeed. I certainly recommend How to Find Work that Works for People with Asperger Syndrome to those in the helping professions who are likely to work with individuals of varying ability with AS, as well as employers who have staff with AS and those with AS who are seeking employment and their families. For professionals, I feel that the book is worth its money for Chapter 4 alone. This gives a clear descriptions of some of the characteristics of AS and a sensitive discussion of the issues that need to be thought about when considering employment.