Employment in the community for people with and without autism: A comparative analysis

• Employment of people with and without ASD was compared.
• Significant relationships existed between demographic variables.
• People with ASD had lower odds of employment in the community.
• People with more severe intellectual disability had lower odds of community employment.

Employment in the community continues to be a major barrier for many people with disabilities in the United States. Analyzing the 2008–09 National Core Indicators Adult Consumer Survey, this study investigates community employment of working age (18–65) individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who receive services in the intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) service systems in 19 states. The findings show that 18.2% of adult service users of IDD services had a community job. People with ASD and people with ID had significantly lower odds of being employed in the community compared to those without ASD, after controlling for age, health, mobility, gender, level of ID, and challenging behavior. Results are presented in the context of current employment research and the implications of these findings are discussed.