When my son was diagnosed with autism at age five, it changed how I viewed the condition. My son has a unique way of processing the world that is akin to a superpower. He makes connections that I would never even consider, reads better than many adults, and has a broad emotional range hard to put into words. His autism gives him unique skills that we are just beginning to understand. Unfortunately, my son is likely to struggle to find a job and utilize his skills in the workplace.
Employment prospects for people with neurodiverse conditions are dire. According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report, only 16.8% of the population with disabilities are employed. While Federal law requires equal opportunity, difficulties still exist in integrating neurodiverse individuals into the workforce.
There is an approaching crisis of employment and it must be solved now. Cases of autism continue to rise, the number of children with autism rose more than 119% between 2000 and 2010, and 1 in 68 children has autism in the U.S. These children are growing up and deserve the dignity of work. Illinois, where we live, needs to pave the way in how states make room for neurodiverse individuals into the workplace.
I’m calling on the Illinois legislature to enact comprehensive employment reform aimed at helping individuals with autism, Down syndrome and other neurodiverse conditions to find and keep jobs. The reform legislation should include specialized vocational rehabilitation services, expanding subsidies for small businesses to enable outreach to neurodiverse communities for hiring purposes, funding for reasonable accommodations and to promote awareness and integration among their employees, ensure every state agency has a recruiting and integration plan for including more neurodiverse individuals.
If we don’t act now, Illinois and states across the country will face a crisis in just a few years. We can’t afford to have over 80% of such a large portion of our population unable to find and keep work. If we act now to encourage comprehensive employment reform for people with neurodiverse conditions, we can ensure they are self-sufficient and contributing to our economy.
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