Alex Livrizzi, 23, was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome when he was only five years old.
He hasn't let that diagnosis get in his way of becoming a productive member of society, though. He graduated from Cambrian College's accounting program and is now holding down two jobs. He works at Food Basics and does taxes at H&R Block.
It's the second job that is the focus of this story, though.
Livrizzi is part of Phase 1 of the YMCA's Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Project, a two-year pilot program designed to help young people between the ages of 14 and 30 determine the skills and talents they can bring to the workforce. Thirty people were part of the first year of the project. Phase 2 begins April 1, and another 30 clients will go through the program before it ends.
According to the National Epidemiological Database for the Study of Autism in Canada (NEDSAC), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most common developmental disabilities.
In Canada, one in 94 children is diagnosed with ASD. According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, approximately one per cent of the Canadian population is affected by ASD, which means there are approximately 100,000 Ontarians on the autism spectrum.
That's why it's important to have something like the YMCA's program in place, Livrizzi said, who has held jobs in the service industry in the past, but nothing that catered to his assets — working with numbers.
He said he wants to work and earn a paycheque, so that he doesn't feel like he's a burden.
“We want to be contributing members of society,” he said. “We just have different ways of doing things, and we need the support.”
Livrizzi has made a good impression with his employer at H&R Block, said job developer Christina Guillemette.
“They're really happy with Alex, and they want him back,” she said. “During the summer, they have a reduced staff, and said if they could keep him, they would. They eventually want to have him be a trainer in their tax academy.”
For his part, Livrizzi said he really enjoys the work and the people.
“I get anxiety when it comes to making phone calls to people I don't know, so they don't force me to do anything I'm not comfortable with,” he said.
Livrizzi is one of a number of success stories to come out of the pilot project.
YMCA Employment Services in Sudbury is one of only three agencies across the province to offer it, and the only agency in Northern Ontario.
“We are charged with the task of taking 60 youth in our area who are on the spectrum and placing them in meaningful employment based on their skills,” said Guillemette, who works alongside Catherine Labrecque, employment placement consultant.
Because it's a pilot project, they weren't given any real guidelines in how to develop it, she said.
“We tried to take our best practices from all of the other programs we run here and apply them to create something new,” she said.
Each client is thoroughly assessed to get an idea of their strengths, limitations, where they excel and where they need help, such as their communication, socialization or math skills, Guillemette said.
“We create a snapshot of each client, because they are all so very different,” she said. “We put them through pre-employment training that covers everything from how to fit in at work, managing their emotions, health and safety – everything they need to know in the workplace.”
Once an employer is found, Guillemette provides any kind of support needed to make the experience worthwhile for both the company and the client.
“We're there every step of the way,” she said.
Most companies she approaches are open to the idea of having an employee on the autism spectrum, but there are some that want nothing to do with the program, she said. That's because of the stigmas still attached to people with ASD.
“The whole point of this project (over and above finding employment for her clients) is to get people to see past the awkwardness, and to realize the true value of these clients who are so often being overlooked,” she said.
And there's a wide range of clients with an even wider range of skills and abilities.
“We have Alex, who is doing well,” she said. “We have one person who wants to work one hour a week, but we also have a computer science engineer who secured a permanent job with the IT department at United Way.”
At the end of the program, the hope is to have the ministry implement it provincewide.
“Our fingers are crossed,” Guillemette said. “We're finding there's a huge need for this type of program. A lot of families with children on the autism spectrum are used to waiting for these types of services, and they are surprised this is even happening.”
Guillemette said they are looking for more clients to get involved, as well as businesses willing to give them a job.
Interested? Give them a call at 705-675-JOBS or visit them online at sudbury.ymca.ca.
