Additional information
by Rudy Simone (Author), Temple Speaker Grandin (Foreword by)
This title addresses a very significant challenge in the American workforce. Over 1.5 million people are affected by autism or Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and this population is entering the workforce unprepared, clashing with unprepared coworkers. Over 85 per cent of people with AS are without full-time employment, and the United States is spending almost $90 billion annually for autism treatment and research. Author Rudy Simone surveyed people with AS and their employers to provide solutions for employees with AS, and their parents, educators, and coworkers. Although people with Asperger's Syndrome (a mild form of autism) are often highly intelligent, it is thought that over 85 per cent are without full-time employment. That is an outrageously high percentage. This book is a resource to help employers, educators, and therapists accommodate this growing population, and to help people with AS find and keep gainful employment. Simone looks into all aspects of employment - because there is more to a job than what the tasks are. From social blunders, to perfectionism, to bullying by coworkers, Simone presents solutions to difficult challenges. Readers will be enriched, enlightened, and ready to work - together.
Author Biography
Rudy Simone was born in upstate New York in 1964, but spent most of her life living in other places, including parts of Asia, Europe, and California. A person on the autism spectrum, Rudy knows her topic well--her previous jobs include waitressing, editing, owning her own cafe, landscape gardening, office managing, singing, and writing. Rudy has had essays published in other books on autism and spirituality ("Voices of Autism" and "29 Gifts") and for a time was the head staff writer and managing editor of TAPS Paramagazine. In 2009, her first book "22 Things a Woman Must Know If She Loves a Man with Asperger's Syndrome" was published, and then in 2010, she released two more popular titles on Asperger's, "Aspergirls" and "Asperger's on the Job." In addition to being a lecturer and researcher in the field of Asperger's Syndrome (focusing on how AS affects females, employment, relationships, and sensory issues), Rudy is also currently a novelist, screenwriter, and a "speakeasy jazz" singer.
