Job Coaching and Skills Assessment
Among the most pressing and common questions we hear from autistic adults and their families are: What is the right job for me? What talents do I have that might not be apparent on the surface? What supports will I need to be successful in the workplace?
A driving motivation for the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is to help individuals answer these questions, and to help our employment partners learn how to fully utilize the capabilities of autistic employees — the “autism advantage” — by recruiting and optimally employing autistic individuals with educational levels ranging from high school to college and beyond.
Partner Supports
Support Finding Your Skills
PAIRIN is a social enterprise company whose mission is to make education relevant and hiring equitable. The company was founded on the belief that all people have amazing value, but most of us never realize our potential. People are too often put into ill-fitting boxes, told we can’t, won’t and will never be able to attain our dreams. They seek to change this.
For information and support with this platform, and for login details, please contact Dave Caudel.
Job Coaching
If you are an autistic adult looking to hire a job coach, we recommend you contact Alan Cohen.
He has well over a decade of experience in providing career and job development services to Neurodiverse individuals. During his tenure with the Autism Society of North Carolina, he earned the prestigious Claudia and Roman Direct Service Award for outstanding dedication and support for individuals with ASD and the recipient of the ANCOR (American Network of Community Options and Resources) in North Carolina, for Direct Support Professional of the Year. As an Employment Specialist, he helps neurodivergent individuals secure meaningful and competitive employment through a collaborative process by formulating a targeted job search strategy, focusing on career interest, vocational skill sets, and academic/work history. Alan’s email address is alnco21@gmail.com.
“Words can hardly express how grateful we are to Alan for his assistance. This is something we could not have done without him. It is hard to see so many adults on the Spectrum who never get a chance to work at a job they enjoy while earning a livable wage. Alan has changed Nathan’s life and we are thankful to him and the amazing work that the Frist organization is doing.”
– Sandra Bauer, parent
Another neurodivergent job coach is Danielle Feerst. She is a licensed Occupational Therapist with clinical experience working with youth and young adults with Autism and ADHD. She conducts weekly, virtual sessions for coaching, and offers family/caregiver consultation and virtual job interview preparation. Her network for career services includes her connections in the Autism technology startup community. Her coaching has a deep focus on communication skills, social emotional learning, and empathy. This unique style is a brand new approach for the autism community. Using a peer model and a co-active coaching approach, she offers a unique perspective on mentorship for the Autism community. Visit her website or book a consultation here. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Danielle Feerst at danielle@ielevatetech.com.