There are several different employment options for individuals with disabilities.

Life Journey Through Autism: A Guide for Transition to Adulthood, by Organization for Autism Research, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, and Danya International, Inc. lists several possible types of employment:

Competitive Employment

A full-time or part-time job with market wages and responsibilities is considered competitive. Usually, no long-term support is provided to the employee to help him learn the job or continue to perform the job.

Supported Employment

In supported employment, individuals with autism work in competitive jobs but receive ongoing support services while on the job. The support is provided as long as the person holds the job, although the amount of supervision may be reduced over time as the person learns to do the job more independently.

Customized Employment

Customized employment involves finding creative ways to identify and using the strengths and abilities of individuals with significant disabilities by actively negotiating job tasks or duties with businesses. In a customized employment situation, the job and job description are uniquely created for the individual at hand.

Self Employment

Self employment involves matching an individual’s interest and strengths to a product or service that could provide an income. For some this can increase the opportunity to tailor the work environment to the needs of the individual, and to tailor the job, or a portion of the job to the strengths of an individual.