Building a More Inclusive Work Force – Montana-based Griffin-Hammis Associates

In the coming years, there is going to be a wave of young people with A.S.D. graduating from schools and embarking on careers. It will take significant changes in workplaces across the country to accommodate them.

In recent years, there has been a dramatic rise in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (A.S.D.). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 730,000 people in the U.S. under age 21 have an A.S.D. It’s much harder to estimate the number of adults on the autism spectrum because only in recent decades has the condition been regularly diagnosed.

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One company that has experience customizing employment for a wider range of clients is Montana-based Griffin-Hammis Associates http://www.griffinhammis.com/ , which, among other services, develops profiles of people with disabilities and surveys the needs of a range of employers in the community to come up with good matches. It would seem that the combination of in-depth personal assessments and a detailed mapping of community employment needs would be essential to any systematic solution.

By DAVID BORNSTEIN

Full Story: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/building-a-more-inclusive-work-force/

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The University of Montana Rural Institute has been a leader in the area of transition planning for youth with disabilities since 1995. Activities have included:

Provision of education and training to schools, families, students and agencies;

Development of innovative strategies and transition models;

Demonstration, outreach and technical assistance, both on-site and long distance;

Promotion of systems changes to support effective transition for youth from school to adult life; and
Information dissemination.

http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/transition/