Can u hold a job?

[momma7]

My son has very low confidence and not a lot of motivation - along with poss being aspie (dr thinks so n we r getting psycho-neurological 4 hour testing for him tmrw!! ) What kind of job do u hold ?

 

[Myway]

As in what do I do for a living? Or are you asking something else?

 

[dragonwolf]

Being Aspie does not preclude your son from being able to hold a job. While many of us are unable to work fulltime, there are also many of us who are able to, and many who fall in between and can work part time.

I've been employed in one way or another for over a decade at this point, since I was in high school. I also worked full time (or the hourly equivalent of full time) while attending college, and for a while worked, attended college, and cared for an infant. Like I said, being Aspie doesn't (in itself) preclude us from these things.

The key is knowing your own limits and knowing your own needs and strengths. One of the most important skills to have is self-advocacy and the ability to determine and enforce your boundaries and make it known when you need something. Some of us aren't cut out for college or full time employment in the typical sense, that's okay. That's not the only way to contribute to society or the family, and really, that goes for anyone, including NTs.

 

[Nisk]

I've been working construction (ironworking to be more specific) since I was 15 years old and got kicked out of high school. I managed to finish trade school and get a red seal (post secondary diploma equivalent for trades) before my friends were even done high school. Fast forward 17 years I'm still working for the same company I was at 15 but now I'm the boss, on track to being partners in the company in a few more years.

I agree with dragonwolf that being aspie isn't a deal breaker for steady employment, some aspies like myself will excel in a particular field more then NT's because of how our brains work.

 

[AsheSkyler]

I've been a receptionist and file manager since I was 15, an income tax preparer since I was about 19 or 20, a professional artist since I was 20, and I've held an assortment of odd jobs in between. None of it is full time outside of winter, so I do what I can to get by.

 

[momma7]

Thanks ev one!!

 

[Myway]

I have a job and I enjoy it sometimes. It seems hard, but it is fun when I am alone working.

 

[momma7]

The sad part is my son never seems to have fun. He's anxious all the time/he just put in an application yesterday for Petsmart and for Shoprite

 

[Myway]

I hope he gets a job. It might help his mind think better. You never know. It could be good for him. Keep encouraging him to apply for jobs. He is bound to one someday.

 

[Rocco]

I have always worked best alone. Despite my best efforts I have never really lasted more than a year to 1.5 anywhere, except military. I have had more than 20 different jobs and positions since 13 years old. Most of my work has been in the electrical field. The social aspect is what does me in, I am not always compatible with people, also despite my best efforts. I do excellent work, but am terrible socially. It is very stressful.
I have been to college and still I have not found a good fit where I am kept around for any serious amount of time. I joined a union finally to have some decent work, but I have been out of work since June basically.

 

[artfull dodger]

For years I have struggled to keep a job, some were to complex and I would become overstressed and quit. Others I wouldnt get along with others, or would have to deal with customers 1 on 1 to much. What I needed was a job that focused on one of my special interests. Mine are model trains and antique lawn tractors/mowers. While I am math challenged, I am mechanicaly gifted as long as it doesn't become so complex that I become overstimulated. So since we lack a nice local hobby shop that I could work at, I work at a local lawn mower dealership, having risen to the position of master technician. While that sounds grand, its a young company so the amount of repair work varies greatly. Right now we are slowing down and so is my paycheck, which is based on how much I fix, not a fixed hourly rate. If it snows during the winter, that helps the paycheck as our company also plows snow. So last winter my wife and I purchased an old pickup truck with a snow blade on it. I am alone or with my wife in the truck, no dealing with others. I do have an appointment with the local vocational rehab office later this month to see if they can find anything else for me that is more stable income wise and that will hold my interest. There are days that I come close to meltdowns, or have mini ones, but everybody there knows I have AS and they just give me my space so that I can cool down and regain my thoughts and words. Dodger.

 

[DC1346]

I am the chef instructor of a high school's Culinary Arts program. I have previously been an elementary teacher and taught grades 3-5 for 17 years. I have been an innkeeper, a breakfast chef, and a restaurant manager. While pursuing my master's degree, I was a motel desk clerk.

 

[Beverly]

Can I hold a job? No, not a mundane job where I'm only doing it for the money.

Do I have an amazing career? Yes! I am a singer, songwriter, musician, promoter, audio technician and more. I love my career, been doing it since I was sixteen and, seriously since nineteen. I built in on my biggest passion, I love music. A lot of it was hard at firs, the publicity, social events, interviews, dealing with crowds, people that seemed so much more powerful than me, all of that was difficult, and daunting, caused me several meltdowns. Then that amazing day came when those same people I used to fear and call Sir and Ma'am were calling me Ma'am, praising me to others, and the newcomers were just as intimidated by me as I used to be by those people I now consider my peers and friends.

I think, as Aspies, we may have to work at jobs we dislike and struggle with but, we should, no matter what we must do to earn money, work toward building a career based on our passions, one we will be willing to deal with the difficult parts of to make a living using our passion, doing something we love and are 100% focused on when we are doing it. When we do that, there is no stopping us, what we do doesn't matter, we will use our focus and determination and, ability to learn every detail perfectly to be the best and, that's a great feeling to know you are one of the best there is at whatever you do and, you love doing it.

Work and play gets blurred, work is play, your relaxation, you passion is your work, you're getting paid do be you and, that rocks.

 

[ASD_Geek]

I work in the computer industry in information security. I've been doing this since discovering computers in high school. Sometimes it's stressful but generally social interaction is at a minimum so I like it. Other days it's rough and too much and I just need to take a day off at that time.

I would encourage your son to follow his interests and see if that could turn into a job/career for him.

It's not easy, but it can be done for some people.

Best of luck!

 

[Myway]

Personally, I like quiet jobs at work. Maybe you should try to find a place where he can work in a quiet place and be somewhat alone some of the day. That might help him.

 

[umbrellabeach]

I work part-time as a grocery store bagger. Not too glamorous, but I earn money. (Sometimes I get tips too.) I don't know what I want to do as a career.

 

[Judge]

Hellyes. The longest I was employed by one entity was nearly twenty years.

Getting hired...now that's another matter.

 

[dragonwolf]

The sad part is my son never seems to have fun. He's anxious all the time/he just put in an application yesterday for Petsmart and for Shoprite

If he's young an inexperienced, then putting in applications and going to interviews is going to be daunting and a source of anxiety. See if you can find interview training services in your area. These will allow him to do mock interviews, so he knows what kinds of things to expect and is less likely to be caught off guard.

The biggest thing is very likely the number of unknowns. Anything you can do to help him learn what to expect should help him. As others have said, help him find a job that harnesses one of his interests. If he is already familiar with the subject matter, then he'll be more relaxed in the interviews and on the job.

Hellyes. The longest I was employed by one entity was nearly twenty years.

Getting hired...now that's another matter.

Heh, I'm the opposite. I can interview like a pro, but keeping said jobs for any length of time is where I fall apart. For whatever reason, I only last about 1-2 years in any given position before I start burning out and breaking down and need to change. Thankfully, I'm a software developer, and in my area, it has...like...a negative unemployment rate (ie - more jobs than developers and most developers are not jobless for long), so such change is typically overlooked in favor of skills.

 

[Warmheart]

Momma, after you obtain a diagnosis you can find an ASD specialist to work with your son.
An ASD specialist will take into account his task performance anxiety, sensory sensitivities, any auditory processing issues, etc. An ASD specialist will help support his challenges while helping find ways to play to his strengths regarding employment.

Best of luck!

 

[momma7]

Warmheart no way really !? Never new they had specialist like that - good to know - thank u soooooo much!