The Employables

James, 35, has Tourette Syndrome, which causes a multitude of unexpected tics including saying "hat", "nipple" and a maniacal laugh. Since dropping out of college, where he studied biology, he has struggled to find any employment. Jeff, 30, has high-functioning autism and a stutter, which makes communicating his thoughts to the outside world nearly impossible, but that doesn't stop his dream of working in a creative industry.

Aerial, 27, has Tourette Syndrome. Among a range of involuntary vocal outbursts and physical movements, Aerial also experiences a symptom called Echolalia which means she frequently copies any sound or expression she hears around her. Hayden, 23, was diagnosed with autism at age twelve. Hayden’s dream is to find a job that highlights his strengths.

Matt, 27, has a severe form of Tourette Syndrome that causes sudden violent body movements (tics), spitting and vocal outbursts, often triggered by being in cars or tight spaces. Nathan, 31, has high-functioning autism, also known as Asperger’s Syndrome, which makes it difficult for him to navigate social interactions; he also has an extraordinary obsession with roads and maps.

Victoria, 25, has autism spectrum disorder but does everything she can to hide it from potential employers. Gabe, 31, has Tourette Syndrome. He’s had a tic in almost every part of his body – even his eyes.

Angela, 31, has Tourette Syndrome and near-constant high energy tics that often include swearing. She lost her last job at a hair salon over ten years ago and has not been able to reenter the job market, but is hopeful to find work soon to support her seven year-old son, Jesse. Michael, 23, is autistic and often finds it nearly impossible to communicate his thoughts verbally. He has never had a full-time job.

Erik, 29, has high-functioning autism which can sometimes mean he has trouble communicating his thoughts. Jaleesa, 20, has Tourette Syndrome which causes a variety of involuntary tics such as ‘I’m a bagel’ or ‘I’m a bear’.

Fisher, 43, has Tourette Syndrome which means he experiences involuntary physical and vocal outbursts such as ‘razzle dazzle’, ‘dynamite’ and ‘bop bop bop’ — to name but a few. Jen, 42, has autism. She’s lived most of her life in various facilities and institutions but is now ready to re-claim her independence by finding a job.

Brenda, 44, has high-functioning autism. Her biggest obstacle to finding work has been a crippling fear of social situations. Ben, 27, has Tourette Syndrome, that causes violent body tics and some unexpected verbal outbursts, like “bats” and “tomato.”