Objective of the assessment stage During the assessment stage the client’s abilities (and his personal network) are explored and set against the desire to work. The job coach will gain an insight into the right support/coaching method for the client, in order to develop a work identity and find a suitable workplace.
	Client profile / need for support The client profile is completed with practical observations and training results on skills. The client and job coach will learn to trust each other. A better picture is created of the way in which the client can define a work identity and the support necessary to function in a suitable workplace. This stage will define what is a suitable workplace and what method is needed to introduce the client to it (project development).

	The objective of the assessment stage for the client is to explore and define what he/she can do, would like to do, what his/her abilities are, how he/she can learn and what kind of work and work environment would suit him/her. Motivation, desires and actual prospects The client will investigate how his/her work requirement can be put into practice. He/she becomes aware of his/her own motivation and proceeds step by step in the direction of actual prospects. Often he/she will not really know what he/she wants. It is up to the job coach to help the client become aware of his/her own requirements by providing practical experience in various situations. This will help the client to discover his/her own abilities and define his/her actual prospects. Skills Feedback from conversations with work counsellors (together with the job coach), observations by the job coach and test results on skills and work attitude will give the client an insight into his/her own possibilities. This includes social skills, technical skills and the way in which he/she is able to function within a work process and environment. Learning method The client is taught how to learn on the basis of orientation training, other training, courses and practical experience. The job coach creates an inventory of the client’s learning methods and requirements. Environment and personality During the intake conversations the job coach will obtain a preliminary impression of the client. The assessment will generate a clearer picture as the client also behaves in actual work situations. The job coach will observe his/her behaviour in these situations. How does he/she interact with colleagues? How does autism manifest itself in a work environment (e.g. fear of new situations)? What about communication, does the client know when to ask for help? How does he/she stick to his/her own ideas about work? Can he/she reflect back to him/herself and will he/she accept feedback? Does he/she accept that there is a problem with his/her functioning at work or that he/she has unrealistic future expectations? In other words, is he/she aware of his/her own limitations? During the assessment stage the personal network gains an insight into their own abilities, ideas and convictions and how they can provide support with a view to finding suitable work for the client. Motivation, desires and actual prospects The personal network takes into account the client’s desires and motivation throughout the project. They respect his/her wishes and motivation and try to detach them from their own desires and motivation. Practical examples demonstrate to the client, and his/her personal network, what his/her actual prospects are. The personal network may well adapt its ideas with respect to the client and his/her future prospects. The personal network promotes the client’s participation in work integration and improves insight into actual prospects. By being realistic the network contributes to the client’s acceptance of his/her prospects. Skills The personal network makes a positive contribution to the project by being cooperative and having an insight into the project objective. Learning method The personal network contributes to the assessment by sharing knowledge about the client’s learning method with the job coach. It will provide details of the client’s demonstrable skills and where and how they were acquired. Environment and personality The personal network demonstrates its intention to cooperate with the job coach and has a realistic outlook. It will inform the job coach if the client shows signs of unhappiness with the project or if the client’s behaviour at home indicates that he/she is overloaded. The professional network (course tutors, supervisory counsellors, employment experts, reintegration assistants, therapists) uses the assessment stage to gain an insight into the method, position and perspective from which it can contribute to the achievement of the targets by the client. The professional network (course tutors, supervisors, employment counsellors, employment experts, reintegration assistants, therapists) uses the assessment stage to gain an insight into the method, position and perspective from which it can contribute to the achievement of the targets by the client. Motivation, desires and actual prospects The professional network will respect the client’s desires, even if they differ from the network’s own motivation, and is prepared to adopt a realistic outlook. Skills The job coach will try to find a work placement where (part of) the client’s skills can be utilised. Work counsellors and/or work placement assistants will give the client the opportunity to demonstrate his/her skills appropriately. Learning method Work counsellors and/or work placement assistants will report their observations with respect to the client’s learning and information processing abilities to the job coach. If necessary schools will provide information about the client’s past learning abilities. The job coach may also decide to call in a specialist (behavioural scientist) in order to obtain more specific details about the client’s learning abilities. Environment and personality The professional network (the principal) will cooperate, show an interest in, and be open to information about autism. It will proceed with patience and have a clear idea of the (im)possibilities of the project (e.g. finance).