Struggling to Find Employment, Just Like Anyone Else

MADISON TWP., Ohio -- When Cheryl Callsen watches her 21-year-old son sit idle, she can see his frustration.
“Andrew’s got a lot to offer and, like anyone else does, he gets bored sitting around all the time,” she said of her son who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. “He wants a job.”
But with so many people out of work, even entry-level jobs such as bagging groceries are hard to find. While nationally the unemployment rate is 9.4 percent, U.S. Census data puts that figure at more than 62 percent for those with disabilities.
“Honestly, the toughest question from my clients these days is, ‘When are you going to find me a job?’ ” said Melissa Engle of Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley, who has been working with Andrew to find him a job through the agency’s employment services.
“I want to have a job,” Callsen said, “because I want to pay back society for all of the stuff they have given me.