輕症自閉症者大專校院離校後就業情況分析

Abstract

近年來大專校院的自閉症學生人數逐年攀升，但有些研究指出，無論自閉症者的智力或教育程度如何，在就業的表現均不理想。本研究旨在了解輕症自閉症者大學離校後的就業經驗與現況，並以自編的「大學離校後自閉症青年就業情況追蹤調查」為工具，採方便取樣，共收回81份有效問卷。輕症自閉症者的就業與未就業情況約為3.3：1，輕症自閉症者的樣本以公立大學為主，可能因此平均薪資較一般青年佳，但他們仍較一般學歷相當的青年更容易從事低技術性的職類，或是計時、零工等非典型工作，且半數以上的在職者年資未滿一年，顯示他們多處於就業未穩定的狀態。輕症自閉症者有頻繁地更換工作的現象，且離職原因與其自閉症特質有關聯，包括因面臨職場人際困難、難以適應工作而有壓力等。輕症自閉症者在尋職時常面臨經歷不足、對自己或工作不了解、缺少求職技巧等各樣困難，且失業時間更長、更少獲得錄取機會。但儘管有就業方面的困難，輕症自閉症者卻鮮少使用身心障礙者的職業重建資源，原因包括對相關資訊不了解、服務不適用等。關於輕症自閉症個體與環境適配性不佳的原因，以及如何透過職業重建流程給予輕症自閉症者協助，是未來可進一步研究的方向。In recent years, the number of students with autism in higher education institutions has been increasing. However, some studies indicate that regardless of the intellectual or educational levels of individuals with autism, their employment outcomes are generally unsatisfactory. This study aims to understand the employment experiences and current situations of individuals with mild autism spectrum disorder (ASD) after leaving university. A self-developed questionnaire, Survey on Employment Status of Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder after College, was used for data collection through convenience sampling, resulting in 81 valid responses. The ratio of employed to unemployed individuals with mild ASD was approximately 3.3:1. The sample primarily consisted of individuals who attended public universities, which may contribute to a higher average salary compared to typical young adults. However, they were still more likely to engage in low-skilled occupations or non-typical jobs such as part-time or temporary work, compared to young adults with similar educational backgrounds. Moreover, over half of the employed participants had less than one year of work experience, indicating a high level of employment instability. Individuals with mild ASD exhibited a frequent job turnover, and the reasons for leaving were associated with their autism traits, including difficulties in interpersonal relationships and challenges in adapting to work, resulting in stress. During job searching, individuals with mild ASD faced various difficulties, such as insufficient work experience, lack of self-awareness or understanding of job requirements, and a lack of job-seeking skills. They also experienced longer periods of unemployment and had fewer job opportunities. Despite these employment difficulties, individuals with mild ASD rarely utilized vocational rehabilitation resources designed for individuals with disabilities. Reasons for this underutilization included a lack of awareness regarding available resources and services that may not cater specifically to their needs. The factors contributing to poor fit between individuals with mild ASD and their environments, as well as how to provide assistance to individuals with mild ASD through the vocational rehabilitation process, are areas that warrant further research in the future.