How to Support Your Young Adult in Gaining Employment

For Parents
October 08, 2025•1 min read
kj

Latest PostsHow to Support Your Young Adult in Gaining Employment

For many parents, helping a young adult with autism find and keep a job feels overwhelming.
The truth is—employment success doesn’t start with a résumé. It starts with identity.

Step 1: Help Them Discover Their Strength Identity

Before job applications or interviews, help your young adult identify what makes them unique.
Ask

  • What do you enjoy doing for long periods of time?

  • What do others often come to you for help with?

  • What activities give you energy, not drain it?

  • When they understand their strengths, they can look for roles that fit their wiring, not fight it.

Step 2: Build Confidence Through Small Wins

If the leap to full-time employment feels too big, start smaller: volunteer roles, internships, or part-time positions.
These experiences build social comfort and professional identity.

Step 3: Coach the Process, Don’t Control It

Let them take ownership of the job search process—but stay nearby as a guide. You can role-play interviews, help them plan logistics, and celebrate effort, not just outcomes. Remember: every step, even rejection, builds skill and resilience.
The goal isn’t just a job—it’s the confidence to keep showing up.

To help your young adult gain and sustain employment, check out working with Blake through his one-on-one coaching program.

dgg
Back to Blog