We are seeking a highly collaborative, intuitive, and neurodiversity-affirming Community Engagement & Employment Coach. In this role, you will partner with a high-functioning autistic adult with a Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile—often understood as a Pervasive Drive for Autonomy. Your primary mission is to facilitate community networking, volunteer opportunities, and short-term job trials. Instead of traditional caregiving or rigid coaching, you will act as a peer ally, using a low-demand, collaborative approach to help the individual explore their interests, build a professional network, and navigate vocational environments safely and autonomously.
Key Responsibilities
- Facilitate Autonomous Exploration: Help identify, research, and arrange community networking events, volunteer gigs, and hands-on job trials based entirely on the individual's fluid interests.
- Low-Demand Co-Navigation: Accompany the individual to community and work settings, providing a supportive, non-directive presence.
- Social & Vocational Mediating: Act as a bridge between the individual and community partners or employers, helping translate neurodistinct communication styles and managing social exhaustion.
- Anxiety & Environment Monitoring: Proactively read subtle signs of nervous system overload or PDA triggers (such as perceived pressure or loss of autonomy) and collaboratively pivot or exit situations as needed.
- Skill Transference: Co-develop subtle, non-rigid strategies for workplace navigation, schedule managing, and self-advocacy without using direct demands or reward-and-punishment frameworks.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Experience: Minimum of 1–2 years working with autistic adults, specifically those with a high-functioning, PDA, or highly autonomous profile.
- Approach: Deep commitment to neurodiversity-affirming practices and a thorough understanding of PDA (Pervasive Drive for Autonomy). Traditional behavioral compliance techniques (like ABA or token economies) are not effective for this profile.
- Soft Skills: High emotional intelligence, deep patience, exceptional active listening, and the ability to drop expectations and match the individual's energy.
- Logistics: Reliable transportation to travel together to local businesses, non-profits, and networking events.
Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
