Autism Inclusivity in the Entertainment and Digital Arts Industry

Access to Creative Industry Employment (sponsored by Snap Foundation)

County of Los Angeles

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

Each year, 1/44 children are diagnosed and apx130,000-190,000 individuals with autism live in LA County. All ethnic and socioeconomic groups are affected, minority groups tend to be diagnosed later, and less often. Those with autism are extremely smart, IQ scores in the above-average range. They are visual thinkers who see connections, patterns at a high level, and better long-term memories than neurotypicals. Despite this, they struggle to find employment. People with disabilities face employment challenges, but those with autism have the lowest employment level. Half of all 25-year-olds with autism have never held a paying job. When they do have opportunities, the interview, which rewards social and communication skills, can be challenging, giving candidates an unfair disadvantage. Implications of social isolation go beyond work. When loneliness sets in, the health costs are severe. Loneliness is associated with mental health, placing them at risk for suicidal ideation.

Luckily, mental wellbeing can be improved through social connection. While Exceptional Minds is primarily a job training program, the importance of creating community along the way cannot be understated. EM's Academy, is a full-time professional training program, where young people recieve training in in an array of professional software tools, as well as in portfolio creation, interviewing, and career planning – all developed to capitalize on participants’ unique strengths, and meet their own unique career interests and goals. The Academy is a three-year, full time commitment. EM offers employment services to ensure that participants can transition smoothly into roles with outside employers. We assist on both sides of the worker/employer relationship, creating a customized program that specifically addresses the employee’s needs while also meeting the Employer’s expectations. Services provided include employer education, job coaching, technical remediation, vocational support, and behavioral support. EMs' Studio is the center for all in-person training programs and paid work performed by trainees, with divisions for Visual Effects, Animation, and 3D. Graduates work in paid positions, while sharpening their skills for outside employment. Clients have included (to name just a few) Marvel, Nickelodeon, Sony, Cartoon Network, Netflix, HBO, Apple+, and Amazon, on titles such as Black Widow, Star Wars, Lion King, the Avengers, Spiderman, Black Panther, the Special Olympics.

EM is the nexus of diversity, equity, and inclusion within workforce development in the Industry. We will continue to break down barriers for young people with autism, thus shifting the paradigm and stigma associated with autism. Delivering a workforce prepared with the skills needed to obtain careers with upward mobility in the Entertainment Industry. While simultaneously providing the ongoing resources employers need to create a conducive work environment, resulting in transformation change. EM will help our industry partners by creating diverse teams with broader perspectives which in turn generate a better product.Not only by providing LA's autistic artists with careers but a sense of belonging and purpose. In addition, LA's industry will simultaneously benefit from this inclusion. When our artists' sense of acceptance is merged with diversity initiatives, our partners find their team members have a newfound sense of emotional intelligence and better communication skills.

There are many layers to creating the symbiotic relationship between autistic artists and employers. Exceptional Minds measures both tangible and intangible benefits for both our students and employers. Through anecdotal evidence collected via student interviews, we found that the EM Academy and Studio programs create a sense of community, which helps to assuage challenges beyond employment: social phobias, avoidance, and loneliness. Through collaboration with potential employers EM aligns our career readiness training with the skills needed to perform jobs. These relationships not only guide our curriculum but also provide internship and mentorship programs available to 100% of EM's students and graduates. Our most important success metric is employment. We are proud that 87% of our graduates have secured a job within the first year of graduation. It is imperative that EM continues to fund our ability to scale in order to provide ongoing support to our graduates and employers.