A Guide for Employment Professionals Supporting Employment in Adults with FASD has been developed by a team of psychologists in the CanFASD Research Network in Canada. This guide is designed to be used on an individual basis for each client, and can be completed collaboratively with the client or independently by the employment professional.
The authors write that “the needs of individuals with FASD evolve across the lifespan. In adulthood, issues with mental health, legal involvement, medical problems, sleep disturbance, and problems with activities of daily living can get in the way of employment. This guide was developed to help employment professionals understand and address the strengths and needs of their clients with FASD in order to facilitate success in their employment journeys. Part of this is finding the right job fit based on the client’s individual strengths and needs, and then helping employers adapt their processes, interactions, and expectations to best support the employee with FASD”.
The document is intended to guide individuals and agencies in their work assisting clients to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment. It is based on current literature, interviews and survey data from people with FASD and their carers and support workers. The employment guide is separated into two evaluation factors: well-being factors and work factors. The work factors section is broken down into 3 phases: preparing for employment, obtaining employment, and maintaining employment.
NOFASD would like to thank Marnie Makela, PhD, Aamena Kapasi, MA, and Jacqueline Pei, PhD for permission to share this document.
Download the Guide for Employment Professionals here.
NOFASD’s website provides a range of resources for supporting adults with FASD, including a publication for employers called FASD in the workplace. This was produced by Claire Gyde from FASD-Can in NZ and is suitable for downloading and sharing with employers in Australia.
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