Affiliations: [a] Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| [b] Division of Occupational Therapy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Beth Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, 3307 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. Tel.: +1 215 707 4504; Fax: +1 215 707 7656; E-mail: bpfeiffe@temple.edu.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have some of the highest rates of postsecondary unemployment. Predictors of successful employment for individuals with ASD include a combination of personal and external factors. However, the majority of employment supports target personal factors and give minimal consideration to the environment. OBJECTIVE:To examine the relationships between the social and sensory aspects of person-environment fit and job satisfaction from the perspective of working adults with ASD. METHODS:Participants over the age of 21 diagnosed with ASD who worked at least 10 hours a week completed the Job Satisfaction Survey, the Adult Sensory Profile, and the Work Environment Scale. RESULTS:There were significant positive associations between job satisfaction and the work environment in peer cohesion, supervisor support, autonomy, clarity, innovation and physical comfort. Individuals with more symptoms of Low Registration and Sensory Sensitivity had significantly lower scores on physical comfort in their work environments. Those with more symptoms of Sensory Avoiding reported significantly less satisfaction with their job. CONCLUSION:It is important to understand the impact of the environment in relation to the unique characteristics of the individual to improve the person-environment fit and overall job satisfaction.
Keywords: Autism spectrum disorders, work environment, work satisfaction, person-environment fit
