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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : October 8, 2014 10:26 AM IST
Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder can brighten their chances of bagging a job now. A new simulated training technique teaches them how to develop rapport and impress the interviewer. Adults with an autism spectrum disorder, who may have trouble talking about themselves and interacting socially, do not always make good impressions in job interviews and have low employment rates.
'Adults with an autism spectrum disorder tend to have difficulties with social communication, which may interfere with them having a successful job interview,' said lead study author Matthew J. Smith from Northwestern University. A new human simulation training programme - based on software originally used to train FBI agents - helps adults with autism improve their job interview skills and confidence, the new Northwestern Medicine study reported. (Read: Environmental factor to blame for autism?)
'Our programme helps trainees learn to talk about their ability to work as a team member so they sound easy to work with. They also learn how to sound interested and enthusiastic about a potential job, as well as convey that they are a hard worker,' said Smith, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences. 'We hope that this training programme can improve the employment potential for persons with autism spectrum disorder,' added senior study author Michael Fleming, a professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine. (Read: Simple way to help detect autism earlier a five minute questionnaire)
The trial included 16 individuals, aged 18 to 31, who received the job interview simulation training and 10 in the control group who did not. Those in the training group each practiced 15 to 20 job interviews with the virtual reality training. Trainees receive a score at the end of each interview with scores of 90 or better informing them that, 'You've got the job!' The study has been published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. (Read: World Autism Awareness Day 2014 Not enough doctors to treat autism in India)
What is autism?
Autism is a developmental disorder wherein the normal brain development is disrupted very early in life. Autistic spectrum disorder is an umbrella term to encompass all the neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Autism impacts communication, behaviour and social relationships and approximately 67 million people worldwide are estimated to be affected by it. It is the fastest growing global disorder. In this condition, cognition skills are hampered because of altered nerve cells, although the causative factor is unknown. A combination of genetics and the environment have been found to contribute to the development of autism. Symptoms differ from one child to the other. Autistic children have varying degrees of impairment in communication and socialization, and have various behavioural problems in the form of repetitive behaviour, restricted play interests and sometimes very unusual interests.
Autism can be diagnosed in many cases by 3 years of age based on the symptoms the child shows. There is no cure for autism. But early diagnosis and early intervention with therapies does improve the long term outcome in autism. The various therapies recommended are occupational therapy, communication therapy and behavioural therapy. Medications are used to improve some of the symptoms like irritability, hyperactivity and aggressive behaviour when they do not responded to other therapies. (Read: Treating autism therapies and treatments)
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With inputs from IANS
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