Universität zu Köln

Espelöer, Julia ORCID: 0000-0003-2847-0648 (2023). Challenges in Professional Integration of Individuals with ASD: Characterizing ASD-Specific Social Competence Deficits and ASD-Specific Workplace Requirements. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

Entering the working life provides autonomy and social participation and requires social skills, which may hinder the sustainable vocational integration of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with qualitative impairments in social interaction and communication as well as inflexible behavior. Interpersonal difficulties are commonly associated with social withdrawal behavior and social anxiety symptoms, which could further aggravate professional development. The aim of this thesis was to examine the employment situation of individuals with ASD without intellectual disabilities in Germany. It investigated the ASD-specific manifestation of social competences, social anxiety symptoms, and social insecurities as well as specific needs and requirements of individuals with ASD for a suitable workplace based on self-report. First, we demonstrated that individuals with ASD without intellectual disabilities showed increased unemployment rates by a factor of approximately five despite above-average educational qualifications compared to the general German population. Results showed that interpersonal difficulties often led to termination of employment for people with ASD (study 1). Second, in order to characterize ASD-specific interpersonal difficulties, individuals with ASD and individuals with social anxiety disorder were compared. A specific manifestation of social anxiety in ASD became apparent, based on fundamentally impaired social competences and difficulties in processing social information. Individuals with ASD showed distinct difficulties in tolerating uncertainty, which could further increase withdrawal behavior (study 2). Third, we showed that coping with social demands at work is particularly challenging for people with ASD. A specifically pronounced need for the reduction of social and interactional demands in the workplace and for structured working conditions became apparent among individuals with ASD compared to individuals sharing the characteristics of social interaction difficulties, but for whom an ASD diagnosis was clinically ruled out. Results showed that people with ASD reported distinct difficulties in obtaining and maintaining suitable employment that offers economic security compared to people without ASD (study 3). The thesis demonstrates that social difficulties entail several barriers for individuals with ASD, which, however, can be overcome by increasing societal knowledge and awareness about autism-specific strengths and weaknesses addressing public authorities, potential employers, and colleagues. This thesis highlights the need for specific professional support for individuals with ASD without intellectual disabilities in order to provide sustainable, satisfactory social and vocational integration.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Espelöer, Julia julia.espeloeer@uk-koeln.de orcid.org/0000-0003-2847-0648 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-718679
Date:	2023
Place of Publication:	Köln
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Human Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Human Sciences > Department Psychologie
Subjects:	Psychology
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language Autism spectrum disorder English Employment English Education English Social competence deficits English Information processing deficits English Workplace requirements English Social anxiety English
Date of oral exam:	14 December 2023
Referee:	Name Academic Title Falter-Wagner, Christine Prof. Dr. Vogeley, Kai Prof. Dr. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/71867