Autism allies and autistic individuals working together
We develop useful products and provide effective services that support autistic individuals with real world challenges
Developing innovative tools to support autistic individuals
We made what we believe to be the world's first app to support autistic job interviewees
Practical tools to help with real world challenges
Our philosophy and approach
Autism inclusiveness at our heart
Autism inclusiveness at our heart
AutiQuest does not consider autism to be a "disorder" and we certainly don't regard autism as involving some sort of deficit!...we say wonderfully "different"!
The deficit model of autism, just as the medical, charity and legal models of autism, are no longer relevant - what has replaced them?.....the VALUE model - value in difference.
Ne
AutiQuest does not consider autism to be a "disorder" and we certainly don't regard autism as involving some sort of deficit!...we say wonderfully "different"!
The deficit model of autism, just as the medical, charity and legal models of autism, are no longer relevant - what has replaced them?.....the VALUE model - value in difference.
Neurodiversity - diversity means difference, not sameness, so we recognise that all autistic individuals are different. So any traits that we mention in this website and in our app are not attributable to all autistic people. What is common to all is that they are uniquely-abled.
We believe that autistic people should be respected for the amazing people they ARE who don't need to be "changed", "modified" or "cured"...they simply need better support and tools and we are focused every day on developing and providing better tools for autistic individuals.
THE AUTISM FUNNEL
With regard to sales, you've probably heard of the "sales funnel" - well now we can tell you about the "autism funnel" - certain types of brains in certain types of roles in certain types of environments can lead to huge results! They key is to recognise autistic talent, find the roles that fit and create a supportive environment. Up-front investment by organisations is also important.
Autism inclusiveness at our heart
Autism inclusiveness at our heart
Autism inclusiveness at our heart
AutiQuest's passion is to help autistic adults achieve more in their lives, particularly with regard to employment.
Our project comprises a mixture of autism allies and actually autistic individuals.
Autistic individuals are involved in the decision making of AutiQuest regarding our products and services - our best research comes from their
AutiQuest's passion is to help autistic adults achieve more in their lives, particularly with regard to employment.
Our project comprises a mixture of autism allies and actually autistic individuals.
Autistic individuals are involved in the decision making of AutiQuest regarding our products and services - our best research comes from their input. Many of our app's features were added owing to autistic individuals' amazing input. They, after all, have the "lived experience".
Special thanks to talented autistic artist Morgan, proprietor of Fairisle Design, who creates the super hand drawings for our app and voice-over artist Alex Rochon (alexrochon.ca) whom we employed to produce our soundtrack (watch out for future audio resources).
Our AutiQuest Steering Group is comprised of only actually autistic individuals and they expertly help steer our activities - after all, they have the lived experience!
We believe in supporting autistic individuals "as they are" and our focus and expertise is in the area of supporting autistic adults with regard to real world challenges that they face, providing resources that help them in practical ways, rather than trying to change them into someone else.
Supporting autistic adults to achieve more in their lives
Autism Support
The purpose of providing services is to deliver positive outcomes. Too many organisations focus on providing services because they "provide services" as if that's the aim. We believe that it is all about positive outcomes....these being a better future and outlook for autistic individuals as a result of their experience of AutiQuest's services and products. And being person-centred is key because:
PERSON CENTRED PRACTICE + OUTCOMES BASED PRACTICE = POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE
Facing and negotiating obstacles
Social Life
By diagnostic definition, most autistic individuals have challenges initiating, establishing or maintaining interpersonal relationships. Not surprisingly, therefore, many autistic adults become socially isolated. Being autistic in a neurotypical world can be like being an actor on stage without a script. It can be very lonely. It can feel like everybody else knows what's going on and knows what to say, how to act and react, but only you don't. You come up with scripts but they can often fall apart. And then come the consequences...often negative judgements, sometimes ridicule, sometimes even bullying. Through everything we do, AutiQuest attempts to promote the understanding of autism and of autistic individuals so that such painful experiences are lessened.
Employment and job interviews
Employment prospects for autistic adults are often problematic.
Firstly, it can be hard to negotiate the job application process, plus there is also the matter of whether to declare one's autism on the application form.
Secondly, comes the interview...a huge barrier to the employment of autistic individuals! (the "Tell me about yourself?" question may be a welcome opportunity for most people to seize control but for autistic interviewees it can cause a panic driven stall).
Thirdly, it can be challenging to hold down the job.
The fact is that there is an awful lot of chance at work regarding the employment of autistic individuals....a job advert that is clear and does not include a lot of excess requirements; an interview that really involves getting to know the skills profile of a candidate, by an interviewer who "gets" their interviewee; maybe chancing upon an autism friendly company or recruitment process and so on. It should not be all down to chance!
The interview experience for many autistic interviewees...
So little processing time
So lacking in clear structure
So many nuances
So loaded with ambiguous questions
So likely to miss outstanding autistic talent
SO MAKE THEM MORE AUTISM FRIENDLY
Housing
Housing options for adults affected with autism can be challenging. The result is that many people with autism live in situations where their minimal needs are not met.
Health Care
Not only is access to health services often poor, the characteristics widely associated with autism can hamper diagnosis for routine medical problems.
Feeling "boxed in" and trying to put square pegs into round holes, time after time after time, can be a familiar feeling for many autistic individuals leading to them feeling so drained and frustrated
AutiQuest's Job Interview Tips Autism Focused App
We made an App, which is designed to help autistic individuals over the dreaded job interview hurdle. These talented individuals are potential superstars for any organisation, if only they could get the jobs!
What are the issues addressed by AutiQuest’s App?:
• To disclose or not disclose?
• Reasonable adjustments/accommodations
• How do you confirm the interview?
• Not knowing the interview structure/timings
• Not knowing what venue/interviewer will be like
• Handling tricky ice-breaker/small talk
• Lack of processing time & information overload
• Not knowing what questions will come up
• Fast paced & multi-layered questions
• Ambiguous & hypothetical questions
• Misreading nuance & non-verbal cues
• Getting pace & tone of speech right
• How long to speak/when to stop speaking
• Getting distracted/losing focus/going blank
• Interruptions derailing interview
• Not knowing how to “sell self”
• What questions to ask & when
• Body language/eye contact issues
• Sensory over-stimulation
• Extreme anxiety & stress
• Avoiding a dreaded meltdown
• Being judged/fear of failure
How does the App help?/Key features:
• Autism friendly user experience
• Easy navigation
• Personalisation of background colour
• Facility to organise upcoming interviews
• All aspects of interview process covered
• Has linear checklists to aid organisation
• Advice on autism disclosure
• Reasonable adjustments/accommodations
• Shows how to confirm the interview
• Advice on how to handle phone screening
• Advice on how to handle panel interviews
• Advice on matching own competencies to job
• Lists 100 common strengths of autistic people
• Advice on “selling self” effectively
• Gives typical interview questions to expect
• Suggests good answers to typical questions
• How to approach answering questions
• Gives guidance on all aspects of speaking
• Smart techniques to stay on track
• How to prevent information overload
• Advice on dress/body language/eye contact
• Covers stimming
• Advice on sensory issues/overload
• Help with anxiety/shutdowns/meltdowns
• Relaxation techniques
• Handy Emergency Screens to show & share
• Facility to write notes & make voice notes
• Audio & video resources
• Templates for confirmation & follow up emails
• Multi-choice quiz to self-test knowledge
• Common pitfalls to avoid
• How to request post-interview feedback
• 10,000 word section to help interviewers
Available for iPhone and Android:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/interview-tips-autism-focused/id1575266130
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.autiquest
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