ISAW Summer 2025 Newsletter

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Image description: A cartoon drawing of a blue macaw laying on a white and red striped lawnchair. He is wearing yellow sunglasses and reading a magazine that says ISAW. Green text to the left says Hot Bird Summer

Where is ISAW?
Past and upcoming trainings and presentations 

  • April 21: Autism at Work panel presentation at LFPL 
  • May 9: Including Autistic Youth in Community Programming, by Zoom for Boys/Girls Clubs of America 
  • June 11: Autism Informed Employers overview for Employment First Engagement Committee 
  • July 9: Anchoring Strategies for Classrooms with Autistic Students at Kentucky Autism Training Center Educator’s Institute 

Coming up

  • ISAW is preparing trainings for several Kentucky businesses including Sol Fitness in Lexington and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Northern Kentucky for August.  
  • In September, we will be offering a free workshop for employers interested in learning about how autistic workers add value to businesses. More information coming soon.  
  • Catch ISAW at the KDLA In-Person Programming Conference in Louisville November 5-7. Link coming soon.  

Continued work with Louisville Free Public Library

SHELVING MISCONCEPTIONS AUTISM AT WORK
A black and gold plaque on wood. 'လ autism Informed employers This award certifies that Louisville Free Public Library has completed training as an Autism Informed Employer. Presented by Innovative Supports for Autistic Workers Human Development Institute University of Kentucky'
Two people holding a black, gold, and brown plague

In April, The Louisville Free Public Library and ISAW hosted “Shelving Misconceptions: Autism at Work”. This was a panel of autistic workers discussing the challenges and triumphs that they have faced in employment. We would like to thank Micah Peace Urquilla, Jaz Brown, and Jay Tyner-Wilson for talking about their own work experiences. It was a great discussion! 
 

After the panel, Bev Harp (ISAW), presented Damera Blincoe, Manager of Library Experience at with a plaque officially recognizing Louisville Free Public Library as an Autism Informed Employer.  
 

Over the past year, all of Damera’s staff at LFPL’s staff completed our Autism Informed Employers training course. When asked why, she responded “I wanted all the staff to complete the training to promote a more diverse, inclusive, understanding, and effective workspace.”  

Yellow poster with colorful decorative dots. On the top left is an image of a family: woman and man holding a toddler. Under them is a row of 5 backpacks. White text in purple borders: Themed sensory kits are now available for checkout and in-library use! White Text in red/pink rectangle: Try out a sensory kit with your family! Best for PreK-2nd Grade Black text under backpacks: Each pack features a curated collection of themed sensory toys, practical tools, engaging books, and helpful guides that suggest ways to fully enjoy and benefit from the materials. Available for 21-day checkout (excludes in-library kits). White text in pink red rectangle: LFPL.org/SensoryKit A row of 4 logos and a QR code for the Sensory kit website line the bottom row. Logos: 1. LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY 2. WHAS CRUSADE FOR CHILDREN 3. LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION 4. THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION

On Tuesday July 11th, ISAW was recognized by Mayor Greenburg of Louisville for our work to improve understanding of autistic employees. We also joined LFPL to announce themed sensory kits. Each kit features a curated collection of themed sensory toys, tools, books, and guides on how to use them. The current themes are animals, bedtime, music, STEAM, and textures. 
 

We at ISAW are proud that the library has taken such active steps to accommodate and welcome autistic and other neurodiverse patrons. 

Infographic: Autism+
Autism and Co-occurring Disabilities

Autism Plus: Autism and Co-occurring Disabilities The co-occurring disabilities listed here are those seen more frequently in autistic people than in the general population*. Each disability affects and is affected by autism. It is important to think about co-occurring disabilities when considering what accommodations and supports an autistic employee may need. * https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(19)30289-5/fulltext ADHD About 50% of autistic people are also identified as having ADHD*. For these workers, executive functioning difficulties are likely to require additional supports, including use of shared calendars, organizational support, and opportunities for working alongside others doing similar tasks. *Rong, Y., Yang, C. J., Jin, Y., & Wang, Y. (2021). Prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 83, 101759. Anxiety Anxiety is common in autistic youth and adults and may be a response to sensory overload. The autistic employee with anxiety may benefit from smaller workgroups and remote participation in meetings, and advance notification of changes.* * Djela, M. (2021). Change of autism narrative is required to improve employment of autistic people. Advances in Autism, 7(1), 86-100. Intellectual Disability It is estimated that 40% of autistic people also have an intellectual disability, though this may be inflated somewhat by a bias towards autistic people receiving services. These employees may benefit from the assistance of OVR and an Employment Specialist, though some will work independently. Autistic workers with ID can be excellent employees with he right supports. * Maenner MJ, Shaw KA, Baio J, et al. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2016. MMWR Surveill Summ 2020;69(No. SS-4):1–12. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6904a1 Epilepsy A disorder that causes recurring seizures, epilepsy is far more common in autistic than non-autistic people (10-20% for autistic and 1.5% non-autistic*). Seizure triggers are different for each person and type of epilepsy but can include fluorescent or flashing lights and sounds of specific frequencies. The essential support here is understanding of the condition and avoidance of triggers. * Liu, X., Sun, X., Sun, C., Zou, M., Chen, Y., Huang, J., … & Chen, W. X. (2022). Prevalence of epilepsy in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Autism, 26(1), 33-50. Gastrointestinal Disorders Gastrointestinal disorders (GI) are some of the most common co-occurring disorders in autistic people. Researchers do not know all of the reasons for this; restrictive eating is associated with GI disorders but the cause and effect relationship are unknown.* *Baraskewich, J., von Ranson, K. M., McCrimmon, A., & McMorris, C. A. (2021). Feeding and eating problems in children and adolescents with autism: A scoping review. Autism, 25(6), PTSD The rate of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in autistic people is estimated at 30%-60% as opposed to 4.5% in non-autistic research participants*. Employers should take care to avoid potential triggers and respond calmly and compassionately to PTSD responses. Understanding the types of events that can add further trauma is essential. *Rumball, F., Happé, F., & Grey, N. (2020). Experience of trauma and PTSD symptoms in autistic adults: risk of PTSD development following DSM-5 and non-DSM-5 traumatic life events. Autism Research, 13(12), 2122-2132. Sleep Disorders It typically takes an autistic person longer to fall asleep than a non-autistic person. They also spend less time in REM or deep sleep. The causes are unknown, but sleep disorders can be caused by conditions like gastrointestinal problems, ADHD, depression, or anxiety. It can also be a result of sensory sensitivities to light, sound, touch (e.g. a wrinkle in a pillow), or the temperature of the room. A job with flexible working hours is ideal for many autistic people, greatly increasing productivity*. *Martin, V., Flanagan, T. D., Vogus, T. J., & Chênevert, D. (2023). Sustainable employment depends on quality relationships between supervisors and their employees on the autism spectrum. Disability and Rehabilitation, 45(11), 1784-1795. Depression Autistic adults experience depression at rates 4 to 8 times higher than neurotypical peers. Some signs of depression in autistic adults include decreased energy levels, lower ability to mask, and indifference to previously important specialized interests. Employers can support autistic workers with depression by ensuring they are not further stigmatized or excluded and by offering robust Employee Assistance Plans. Schedule a consultation with ISAW to learn more at isaw.hdiuk.org Contact: Bev Harp at baharp2@uky.edu or Brittany Granville at bgr263@uky.edu

Contrary to popular belief, a person can have more than one disability as once. That includes autism, which the DSM-V describes as a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing differences, focused interests, and repetitive behaviors. 
 

Common co-occurring disabilities include ADHD, depression, anxiety, intellectual disabilities, PTSD, gastrointestinal disorders, etc. Some may be caused by autism, such as anxiety. Others, like intellectual disabilities, may not be caused by autism but is affected by autism and vise versa. Either way, how one approaches these co-occurring conditions will differ from how they’d be treated in someone without autism. It is important to think about co-occurring disabilities when considering what accommodations and supports an autistic employee may need. 

Autistic Owned Businesses 

Did you know that ISAW maintains a list of autistic-owned businesses in Kentucky? Some entrepreneurs we have recently featured include TreeShine, Cody Clark Magic, and artists Chimel Ford and Nick Teale. Do you know a self-employed autistic person who would like to be listed with ISAW? Let us know at baharp2@uky.edu  or bgr263@uky.edu