Turning Unique Skills into Careers

The Neurodiversity Advantage

Introduction

Employ for Ability is an innovative social business focused on helping organisations understand the benefits of hiring neurodivergent people as part of their social inclusion and diversity programs.

Employ for Ability staff can provide managers and neurotypical staff with autism awareness training and coaching. Employ for Ability also works with neurodivergent individuals to provide employment coaching.

Our aim is to move the conversation from disability to ability to showcase that neurodivergent people have unique strengths and skills that make them fantastic employees.

The Neurodiversity Advantage

Neurodiversity is the concept, that neurological differences like Autism Spectrum Disorder are part of the normal variation of the human population. It is a component of the social model of disability in comparison to a medical model where we need to find a cure.

Autism is characterised by difficulty in social communication, social interaction and restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests. Neurodivergent people are also hard working, loyal, direct, problem solvers, unique thinkers and honest to name a few qualities. Hiring people who can solve problems and think differently provides advantages to organisations. The Neurodiversity advantage.

Services We Provide

Neurodiversity employment programs

Employ for Ability assists organisations to plan, implement and support Neurodiversity employment programs. We remove the barriers people with Neurodiversity experience when applying through traditional recruitment programs.

Education and training on Neurodiversity

Employ for Ability can design, develop and implement tailored training, education and organisational change programs for clients on Neurodiversity.

School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) for Autism

The goal of the SLES for Autism program is for each participant to be given assistance in developing their own unique pathway to work, as well as build self-awareness of their strengths and skills required to participate in a work environment, which they practice in work experience opportunities.

Employment coaching for neurodiverse individuals

Employ for Ability provides individualised job coaching and mentoring for neurodivergent people to improve their job search outcomes. Programs include time management, executive functioning, social skills, Zones emotion management, as well as many other individualised courses targeted at building capacity and demonstrating those skills using work experience as the pathway to work

Coaching for managers on Neurodiversity

Employ for Ability works with managers to provide coaching and mentoring on how to get the best from your Neurodivergent staff.

Register for more information

If you would like to know more about how Employ for Ability can assist your organisation or help you or a family member to gain the Neurodiversity advantage then register below.

Register here

Meet David

David is an Autism and Neurodiversity employment specialist and advocate. He has worked for the last 20 years in the Recruitment sector coaching and mentoring clients, candidates and staff to reach their potential.

Since 2016, David has been focused on helping organisations become more inclusive by hiring Neurodiverse staff to gain competitive advantage. David has post graduate qualifications in Autism and Organisational Change. A researcher focused on Autism and Anxiety in the job search process and completed the Oxford Advanced Management and Leadership program.

David is a member of the ACT Chief Ministers Inclusion Council and a member of Marymead’s Autism Centre Advisory Committee. David is the father of 3 young adults with his youngest son having Autism Spectrum Disorder and a fantastic sense of humour.

Book a meeting with David

Award Announcement

We were extremely proud to have been a winner in the 2022 Telstra Best Business Awards for ‘Building Communities‘.

The category is for businesses working to make a positive impact on culture and society so people from all walks of life can thrive as part of a supportive community.

And this is a core part of our philosophy.

View the Awards at Telstra

Jordan Thugar

Prior to meeting David Smith, I had been job searching for a bit over a year.

I had been sending resumes out left and right, not even getting callbacks, or even a response going “thank you for your time, but we are not going forward with you. I was getting depressed and desperate. Then I met David. Upon talking with him, I felt a bit more at ease. David helped me get paid work experience at the NDIA, and even transported me there and home again with it.

That experience helped me get into the work force. He then connected me with Seeing Machines who engaged me in a traineeship with the Australian Training Company.

If it wasn’t for David, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Currently doing a traineeship, learning to drive, and happier then I have been in good while.

Christopher Cox

David provided job search and job coaching for me, for a few months as I had experienced no success using other disability job search services. He tailored a program to keep me searching and aiming for programs that suited my Autism profile. He helped me to attend a Autism program run by Specialisterne which I did well at. Following that program he assisted me to gain a traineeship at Seeing Machines with the Australian Training Company.

David’s support has been instrumental in me transforming my life.

View More Testimonials