tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post6387087650686331097..comments2024-03-19T08:40:36.481+11:00Comments on Life with Aspergers: Improving Employment Prospects for Aspies - Part 1Gavin Bollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833941398375568706noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-4311300805385440902015-12-21T01:19:18.026+11:002015-12-21T01:19:18.026+11:00I've recently been diagnosed with Aspergers at...I've recently been diagnosed with Aspergers at age 34, but never had a big problem with employment. One big advantage was my extreme interest in programming software since I was 10 years old.<br /><br />Employers pretty much expected me to be a bit awkward anyways as a software developer.<br /><br />The only thing which really is a problem for me is the future, because my social anxiety issues limit me to grow beyond my current position.<br /><br />So I'll probably always be a developer.. Never a manager or anything like that.<br /><br />That's something I'm trying to accept lately.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-64940147899807693562015-01-21T05:57:15.255+11:002015-01-21T05:57:15.255+11:00I don't understand. Why should I limit my educ...I don't understand. Why should I limit my education and expectations? ok, I kinda get that I should expect employers to be clueless about me, but I still try to set my sights high. Also, I'm very glad that I became college educated, tho it does seem a bit overrated, too many dmoyers use a college degree as a gateway to many positions. Tho I know a true life example of a fellow who purposefully omitted the fact that he had a masters and a PhD, just to get his foot in the door. After his 6-month probationary period was over, he proudly hung his post-graduate degrees on the wall of his cubicle and yes his managers and HR were irate because it was company policy to give him a raise if he had these things. They admonished him for not saying that he had these degrees and he said that had he mentioned them he would have never been hired for his post, for which there was not much of an argument, and if they were to be an equal opportunity employer then that should not have been a factor. They begrudgingly gave him the raise. <br /><br />I hate this kind of thing but this is a true reality of things, one that my fellow employee was well aware of. I celebrate his strategy and his victory!! Hurray to the doctor!!! Boo to the employer!!!!Miguel Palaciohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02311154354365423829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-71824885894846610032015-01-21T05:34:38.752+11:002015-01-21T05:34:38.752+11:00"The surge in autism diagnoses - the U.S. Cen..."The surge in autism diagnoses - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" makes it sound like it's disease, possibly preventable. I can see why some people assign it such a stigma. Who knows? If they hang around me too much, they might acquire a shadow syndrome and before you know it they will start stimming and then before you know it the entire workforce will start stimming, and then it will become a movement! And meetings will never be the same. It will be like the Aspie apocalypse. Oh the humanity!Miguel Palaciohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02311154354365423829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-45642707454646170102010-07-20T14:11:50.173+10:002010-07-20T14:11:50.173+10:00Gavin,
I agree the problem is huge. And while th...Gavin,<br /><br />I agree the problem is huge. And while the "not being ready" isn't an excuse, it is an explanation.<br /><br />I recently obtained my degree in business administration with a concentration in business management. They're not only "not ready," they don't have a clue what they're not ready for.<br /><br />The training available to adults on the spectrum is not the only thing that's inadequate. Business professionals require training, too. Diversity programs tend to cram gender, racial, and ethnic diversity together--sometimes covering it all in a matter of an hour. Disabilities gets a mention, but there are no specifics and the topic of "invisible disabilities" doesn't come up--even in my months-long classes.<br /><br />That's why my first non-fiction book will be a manager's guide to neurodiversity. It's needed.Stephaniehttp://embracingchaos.stephanieallencrist.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-87526754000700370162010-07-17T03:44:33.099+10:002010-07-17T03:44:33.099+10:00This may be off the mark, but I took Limiting your...This may be off the mark, but I took Limiting your education as being a good thing if you are looking for a job and are having a hard time finding one. Limiting it as in limiting what you put on an application. My mother was told by a potential employer that she was over qualified for the job she was applying for, and no one was going to hire her because as soon as something better comes along a potential employer knows that she would leave. They want someone qualified enough to do the job, but not so qualified to loose the employee two months or a year down the road when another opportunity presents itself. It costs them time and money to retrain and look for someone else. I also know several people that will not take a job that is "beneath them" due to a high education. Thus increasing the span of being out of work, which also could be a turn off to a potential employer for many reasons beyond just looking bad. <br /><br />Securing a job when you are out of work proves to be a tricky and difficult thing at best for a lot of people. My Aspie son is only going on 10 yrs old, but that does not stop us from exploring the future potential employment opportunities. It is never too early to begin strategizing how to make himself a more attractive applicant when looking for a job. <br /><br />Our future steps are as follows: 1)pick a field of great interest so as to use his passion and knowledge to his advantage-basically his Aspie traits 2) determine if it is something that he will even want to do, to do this he could volunteer if possible, and if he likes it and does well it is a foot in the door and he has an established relationship 3)get necessary training or schooling for the job 4)my personal opinion, never neglect schooling for business-both my hubby and I have successfully been self employed, not a bad set up for an Aspie that can do it. It allows you to create the perfect job for yourself. <br /><br />My sons current interest is working with animals, we explored all the possible jobs and schooling required and he settled on wanting to work at a pet shop. He can volunteer at a vets office, pet store, animal boarding, Zoo, etc. See which one suits his fancy, then get a job when he is old enough, get appropriate schooling, and eventually own his own operation. It sounds great in theory, plans don't always work out the way we think they will, but we at least have a plan and are thinking about ways to find the right line of work and be sure about it before college, classes, degrees that take him in a direction that he may later decide he really didn't want to go in. <br /><br />My job is to support my son, and make sure he has the opportunity to see all his options and test the waters if possible before he makes decisions on the paths he wants to take in life. <br /><br />Working in a pet shop is his current interest, however, since 8 yrs old he has been doodling "to scale" the human body, skeletal, muscular, circulatory, and internal organs. This began at the age of 4 when he began drawing all his pictures with digestive tracts, hearts, lungs, stomach (always with food in it). I think he has the potential to work in medicine, but I remain silent and support him in just wanting to feed and care for animals. It makes him happy and it may just make him successful!Just another Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11055286051125648905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-26264870152075694112010-07-16T13:15:05.551+10:002010-07-16T13:15:05.551+10:00Riayn,
I'm degree qualified and no. I do beli...Riayn,<br /><br />I'm degree qualified and no. I do believe that aspies should get themselves a "normal" education. <br /><br />I certainly don't accept that there are limits on what an aspie can achieve if they really put their mind to it. It's more about doing things in an order which is appropriate and affords the best opportunities.<br /><br />My next post will cover this topic in a lot of detail. The points I'll be making there apply equally to neurotypicals and aspies alike. <br /><br />I've seen too many overqualified people talking about the jobs that they just can't get.Gavin Bollardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13833941398375568706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-72376950542501419192010-07-16T12:23:49.390+10:002010-07-16T12:23:49.390+10:00Can you please explain what you mean by the point ...Can you please explain what you mean by the point "limit your education" as I really hope you aren't telling people with Asperger's not to bother going to college or getting their PhD because they will always be unsuccessful so why bother. <br />I would find that stance really offensive.<br />We should never limit what have the capacity to achieve especially in terms of education.Riaynhttp://justcountingtime.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-43525775859902969132010-07-16T01:43:53.017+10:002010-07-16T01:43:53.017+10:00One positive point to make is that in some lines o...One positive point to make is that in some lines of work, Aspergers can be an advantage. In my appraisals, people always say that I am totally reliable, not afraid to tell people that something is wrong and stick to my guns, very focused on getting the job done, and more enthusuastic than 'regular' staff. In 13 years, they haven't noticed that I'm terrified of talking on the phone!jingardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-70287260551383798362010-07-15T23:23:22.865+10:002010-07-15T23:23:22.865+10:00I"m an unemployed Autistic adult in Australia...I"m an unemployed Autistic adult in Australia. I haven't been able to hold down a proper job since I left highschool, let alone make enough money to be independent or save things I want.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-57260477545819732512010-07-15T18:47:20.294+10:002010-07-15T18:47:20.294+10:00Another thing bothered me about the article when I...Another thing bothered me about the article when I saw it the other day. This was written in the United States where all young adults, as well as unemployed adults, are having difficulty in finding employment. <br /><br />The county's unemployment rate is growing rapidly and the country is in a deep recession if not a full fledged depression.Serenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16634339002042494410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-59226645915120352582010-07-15T17:40:26.862+10:002010-07-15T17:40:26.862+10:00My son (10.5) was dx in May with Asperger's. ...My son (10.5) was dx in May with Asperger's. We were told he wasn't dx in the past because his IQ was so high he was able to compensate so well for it and was just "lumped in" with all the "regular" kids. My mother who is a therapist has been fighting the dx tooth and nail. I finally told my Grandmother this weekend, we had planned a trip just the two of us, and God bless her soul...she responded with..."Oh well. There's worse things out there. He biggest question was what's he going to do for work? I had to giggle. He's only 10 Grandma. He can do anything. Let's give him some time. Thanks for your constant uplift for me. You have been a bright spot in my search for understanding. As a special education employee...I never knew there was so much I didn't know.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17294063475339291623noreply@blogger.com