| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺北大學 === 社會工作學系 === 107 === The value and meaning of workis constantly constructed and praised in the process of social change. However, it strongly influences the right to workfor disabled people becausethe job performance and ability are still the main evaluation criteria in the labor market. Compared to people with disabilities in general, the employment rates and wages of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are significantly lower. The purpose of this study is to explore how people with ASD understand and explain their employment process, working experience, the meaning of employment and the expectations of the employment services.
A qualitative method with in-depth interview was adopted in this study. Eight people with ASD were interviewed, and two parents whose children with ASD had participated this study were interviewed in order to enrich the context of their children’s employment process. In addition, twosupported employment specialists were interviewed for the purpose of triangulation method. The results showed that the employment dilemma for people with ASD including the difficulties of finding jobs by themselves, and the jobs recommended by supported employment specialistswere limited and most of which were vacancies set by employment quota. Lack of social interactionswas the most difficult things in the process of working, and other invisibleemployment dilemmas relating to the invisible autism spectrum disorderwere easily overlooked. As an invisible disability trait, persons with ASD identity disclosure depend on the interaction between social stigma and self-identification. However, whether disclosure or not was not relevant to the support and assistance available at work. Lastly, the most important meaning of employment to the people with ASD was the wages they earned from work helped them gain more financial independence and self-determination. Some researchers have pointed out that employment can help building connectionsand social relations, but it was not for those people with ASD having limited social interactions with other people. In conclusion, lack of understandings about ASD in the employment service systemand the attitude towards people with ASD with medical model in workplaces has caused frustrationsfor people with ASD, and thus suffering a great deal in the process of employment.
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