By Chris Fletcher Goodwill Communications Director
PARIS, Tenn. — Keri Dougherty of Paris loves horses: sketching them, learning about them and sharing her knowledge with others.
“Did you know horses stand on one toe?” she asks, grinning. “Their toe is their whole foot!”
She also enjoys seeing the interesting items people give to the Goodwill Donation Express Center where she works in Paris, such as a metal pole for hanging intravenous fluids or a water filtration system. But Dougherty likes the interesting things donors say even more.
“Sometimes, they’ll tell me a family member has died or they are cleaning out their house,” she said. “I like meeting new people and hearing their stories. I’ve always wanted to be a good ear for people.”
Dougherty’s supervisor, Terry Dwyer, said there is no question Goodwill donors enjoy bending her ear. One woman recently told him she donates primarily so she can chat with Dougherty.
“People around here know her by name,” he said. “She is such a lovely personality. I get good comments about all of my staff, but Keri stands out.”
DIFFERENT CHALLENGES
One of the things that make the 22-year-old donation attendant stand out also gives her special needs — especially with regard to communication. Dougherty has autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder, which refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. One in 68 children is on the autism spectrum, and autism affects more than 70 million people worldwide.
Dougherty’s aunt and adoptive parent, Laura Dougherty, said her biggest worry before her niece took the job — found through a Goodwill Career Solutions job fair — was how strangers would respond to her.
“Keri is different, and we love her because she is different — but not everybody loves that,” she explains. “She’s very friendly and will talk to anybody and everybody, but (if you are Keri Doughtery) when do you stop talking, and when do you stay out of someone’s personal space?”
Communication challenges may contribute to extremely high rates of unemployment and underemployment among people with autism.
Some estimates of joblessness for people with autism top 80 percent, though there are no reliable statistics because the government groups all disabilities when tracking employment data. Unemployment in that sector was 10.5 percent in 2016, a rate more than double the national average. Meanwhile, the cost of caring for Americans with autism is estimated at $268 billion and will rise to $461 billion by 2025, according to Autism Speaks, an advocacy organization in the U.S. that sponsors research and conducts awareness efforts.
SUPPORTIVE APPROACH
When Keri Dougherty began working for Goodwill in June of 2016, it was her first real job. She initially struggled with some tasks, such as remembering where to put different donated items after sorting them. Her supervisor developed a checklist for her.
She also lacked confidence, particularly about interacting with donors. Dwyer helped her develop a “mental script” for those interactions — greeting the donor, collecting their items, handing them a receipt and thanking them.
Keri Dougherty said her fellow employees and family coached her through other communication issues.
“I would have trouble differentiating, for example, whether a co-worker was joking or being serious. It can be a confusing world when you have autism — all the hidden meanings in what people say or don’t say,” she explained. “I had to learn to set those meanings straight in my mind and react accordingly.”
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
It is not unusual for Keri Dougherty to meet dozens of new people in a single day on the job. In doing so, slowly but surely, her confidence grew. She became more adept at grasping verbal cues and body language — recognizing, for instance, when someone was in a hurry, or when they were teasing rather than criticizing. She worked hard at these skills, and the improvement has been “huge,” her aunt said.
The job brought other benefits as well, such as a motivation to get out of the house and lessons in responsibility, teamwork and the value of a paycheck, Laura Dougherty said.
“She can pay for her cell phone now. She can buy clothes if she wants to,” her aunt explained. “She was supplied those things before, but Goodwill has given her a sense of purpose.”
Keri Dougherty’s newfound maturity has given her aunt and uncle hope she can become fully independent soon, maybe even move into her own apartment.
“I think she’s much more ready to go out in the world. That’s why we’re looking at steps of getting her out on her own now,” Laura Dougherty said. “Goodwill has helped do that for her.”
UNIQUELY QUALIFIED
Dwyer said Keri Dougherty is now an exemplary employee with the potential to advance. He noted her strong work ethic and attention to detail.
Employers across the country have begun taking notice of these and other desirable characteristics often associated with autism, such as the ability to focus on a task for long periods of time, loyalty, and a preference for rules and repetition, according to Autism Speaks.
Keri Dougherty said her goal is to eventually attend college and study animal science — including horses of course — but especially the ways animals can benefit people.
That passion for helping people is another reason she loves her job working for a nonprofit organization with a mission of changing lives through education, training and employment.
She said she draws inspiration from a wheelchair-bound friend who has cerebral palsy.
“She’s one of the greatest things that ever happened to me,” Keri Dougherty said. “Wherever she is and whatever she is doing — she just goes for it.”
Keri Dougherty hopes her own example will motivate people with autism and other disabilities to reach for their goals.
“I’m proud of what I do,” she said. “I feel like I’m doing something for somebody else, and that’s a really good feeling to have.”
RESOURCES
Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee is one of Tennessee’s largest employers of people with disabilities. Information about employment opportunities at Goodwill can be found at givegw.org/jobs or by calling 1 (833) 4-GWJOBS.
Anyone seeking autism information or local resources can contact Autism Speaks’ Response Team at 1 (888) Autism2 or FamilyServices@AutismSpeaks.org.
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