21 June 8th–June 14th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | Opening Doors How Phoenix restaurants embrace people with autism as customers and employees. BY GERI KOEPPEL I n October 2020, Jonathan Sleiman got hired at Steak 44 in Scottsdale to do food preparation in the kitchen. For Sleiman, now 23, who has autism, it was a major accomplishment. The Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) taught him general skills such as how to get along in the workplace, how to take instructions from others and how to interview. He landed the job and has blossomed. “I do food prepping and I like peeling potatoes [and] bagging veggies,” Sleiman says. “I like the mushrooms and potatoes. Yesterday, they brought us doughnuts. They make us lunch on break. By the way, the people are good.” Across the Valley, restaurants are becoming more accommodating to neurodivergent people in both hiring opportunities and providing an understanding atmo- sphere for guests. It’s extremely difficult for those with autism to find jobs. According to the Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism (TPGA) and Market Watch, 85 percent of college- educated adults with autism are unemployed. And it can be challenging for a family with a neurodi- vergent member to enjoy going out to eat. Those with autism often need a quiet room or area and require patience in the event of a meltdown, which is an intense response to an overwhelming situation. On both fronts, Phoenix area restaurants are doing more to be welcoming. People with autism can thrive in food service Work training, including for jobs in the food industry, often starts with schools and agencies that support neuro- divergent people. Kati Sears, a culinary instructor at Arizona Autism Charter Schools, teaches kids to make food with little or no help and to serve each other in class. The students also learn social skills, adaptability and how to work under pressure. “Some had never even [cooked] an egg before, so it’s been really awesome to see their growth and development over time,” Sears says. “Watching them go from never being in a kitchen to feeling fully safe using the oven has been incredible.” The school also has a coffee shop on campus called Puzzle Press where older students make and sell coffee to teachers every Wednesday. Teachers also work with students to find paths in the food industry that best fit their personalities. “One girl currently works at a McDonald’s in a custodial position and her goal is to use the skills she’s learned here to become a line cook,” Sears says. The Civitan Foundation is another training resource for people with autism looking for employment. It has a culi- nary institute with a commercial kitchen called the Cook- er-y (it’s hyphenated to mimic a dictionary entry) where adults with developmental disabilities get real-world skills. Members earn a sub-minimum wage at the Cook-er-y to start, but compensation goes up as they gain experience and skills. And some members each year move on to fully paid jobs in the community. Veronica De Leon, the director of employment services at the Civitan Foundation says members help prepare burritos for north Phoenix restaurant 32 Shea, among other tasks. “We do lunches for a couple of schools. We do a lot of catering events. They do the breakfast and lunches for everybody at Civitan,” she says. Working provides people with autism rewards beyond income. “One of our members here, she was so scared of every- thing,” De Leon says. “She literally came here wearing gloves every single day and walking against the wall because she was scared of everything and everyone. She started working at the cafe and she’s just so radiant now.” Working at Cook-er-y has given the woman a “sense of confidence and pride,” De Leon says. Paige Raetz, the senior director of client experience at SARRC, says work provides a feeling of community and identity. “When you don’t have that opportunity, you can feel isolated,” she says. In the reverse of national statistics, about 85 percent of SARRC’s clients eventually find employment. Businesses can benefit from hiring neurodivergent employees In addition to agencies and schools providing vocational training, sometimes individual restaurants or restaurant groups take the initiative in hiring and training neurodi- vergent employees. Oliver Badgio, chief brand officer for Prime Steak Concepts, had a personal connection with Jonathan Sleiman’s father, Rudy Sleiman, that led to his hiring at Steak 44. But the company’s co-founder and CEO, Jeff Mastro, was enthusiastic from the get-go and helped create a training program to hire more people with autism throughout the company, according to Badgio. “They have such a wonderful demeanor and an energy about them,” Badgio says. “Their spirit’s contagious and the staff just wants to be around them. It improves our culture tremendously.” Badgio encourages other restaurant owners to follow suit. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to make our business more inclusive to so many people that have amazing talents,” he says. “Not only do they get a wonderful benefit from it, but as a company, we gain an amazing staff member to our team.” Raetz says there’s a myth that it’s expensive to hire and support neurodivergent workers. In fact, she states, there’s no increased cost to businesses. State funding through Arizona’s Division of Developmental Disabilities vocational rehabilitation program pays for on-site job coaches through organiza- tions like SARRC and Scottsdale Training & Rehabilitation Services (STARS), the latter of which provides Jonathan Sleiman’s coach. These coaches shadow and observe clients as they work, chronicle their progress and milestones and note challenges that can be addressed. De Leon of the Civitan Foundation says the food industry “has been a leader in inclusive employment,” but she hopes to open even more doors by spreading the word that people with autism generally already receive health care benefits through the state and have lower onboarding costs and higher retention rates. They also call out sick less and employers get a tax benefit, she says. “There’s a lot of upsides that employers are just not educated about yet,” De Leon says. Raetz also notes that when a workplace supports neurodivergent people, others benefit. For example, a restaurant might post visual instructions in a kitchen instead of handing out a manual. This can help all employees become more efficient. “Every business is better when they have multiple voices and multiple perspectives,” Raetz adds. “By having that voice at that table and having that different perspective, you’re able to understand your community better as well.” Restaurants seek certification to be accommodating Some restaurants train front-of-house staff to make the dining experience more enjoyable for those with autism and their families. Kind Hospitality licenses, franchises or owns 32 restaurant locations — many of them in airports — that are Certified Autism Centers through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). It pays for all employees to take the certification course, for which the cost varies ▼ Chow Kati Sears, a culinary arts instructor at Arizona Autism Charter Schools, teaches students Christy and Brandon how to prepare toppings for pancakes. Arizona Autism Charter Schools >> p 22