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Our STORY

OUR VISION

We believe that autistic adults can be integrated into the workforce through education and opportunity.  Our vision is to change society’s perception of how corporations can seamlessly employ and integrate people on the spectrum into their workplace. 

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OUR MISSION

Provide job training and employment support for young autistic adults by partnering with companies to build more inclusive workplaces. 

OUR STORY

In 2011, founder Ann Marie Sullivan saw first-hand that autistic individuals have the ability to work. After learning that 80-85% of individuals on the spectrum are unemployed and hearing the amazing stories of how having a job changed their lives, Ann Marie set out on a mission to change that… and Spectrum Works was conceived. The initial idea was to start a financially self-sustaining social enterprises to train and employ autistic individuals, with the first focus on screen printing roles.

 

The vision and mission quickly evolved after we co-located in Green Distribution, one of the largest screen-printing companies on the East Coast. We saw that a neuro-diverse workforce not only benefited autistic individuals, it also had a positive impact on the employees of Green Distribution.  With the help of the owner, Robert Butters, we formulated a new model to help companies build inclusive neuro-diverse workforces to help solve the unemployment crisis for autistic individuals.

 

Spectrum Works unique approach educates companies that individuals on the spectrum can be valuable productive workers, provides various programs to help companies build inclusive workforces, and implements programs to assist high schools and universities create job training programs for young autistic adults.  Our model helps autistic individuals live up to their potential for stable, successful, economically self-sufficient lives and, at the same time, helps companies create more neuro-diverse workforces.  Since 2013, over five hundred individuals have been through the program, and we are now in a position to take the model nationwide. 

 

We are motivated every day by our students and graduates - our story is their story. Our happiest moments are seeing their self-confidence improve, their skills increase, their friendships deepen, their acceptance into college, and when they ultimately become employed.

STUDENT STORIES 

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Meet 

Noah

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Meet 
Dennis

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Meet 

Andrew 

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Meet 

Dominick

FACTS & STATISTICS ABOUT AUTISM & EMPLOYMENT

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can

cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. ​

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1 in 36 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 

(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023)

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44% of autistic individuals have intellectual abilities that are average or above average. 

(Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years, 2016)

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Approximately 500,000 autistic youth will reach adulthood within the next decade in the U.S.A. 

(Language and Communication in Autism, 2005)

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Most autistic individuals have social communication challenges, but these vary and some are highly verbal. 

(Autism Speaks, 2012)

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85% of autistic adults are unemployed, despite the desire to find employment.

(United Nations, World Autism Day, 2015)

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Adults diagnosed with Autism can maintain consistent hours worked per week for significant periods of time. 

(Costs and Benefits of Employing and Adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder. A Systematic Review, 2015)

Learn more about the Spectrum Works team;

the founder and the board

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