Adam’s story

“I’m on the autism spectrum. I find socialization very, very difficult sometimes. You can imagine as a job seeker how difficult that would be at times.” 

I majored in philosophy at college and graduated summa cum laude. My struggles aren’t academic.

I thought I’d become a professor, but there are few openings. And then I got stuck. I want to be a productive member of society. But it’s just really hard for me. My dad persuaded me to give this a try.

The program’s helping me learn how to talk to people. It doesn’t come naturally for people on the spectrum. This has given me a valuable chance to work on that.

If you just threw me into a job interview without something like this, I wouldn’t have been ready. The program’s helped me so I don’t have to rely on charm or something. Because I can’t do that.

Adam Sponder participates in the abilITy Academy, part of NYC: ATWORK, which helps people with disabilities gain meaningful employment and provides resources for businesses looking to hire them. UJA together with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities supports NYC: AtWORK.