Anyone else with Autism, ADHD or both gotten into full time employment & got their life together at age 25 ?

The best thing to do is to speak with someone at the college as there is often more information and ways around things than is available in the literature and websites. I got onto an access course with just one essential skills certificate I obtained in English over a short Summer course. You may also be able to book an appointment with your local Career advice service who should be able to work out a plan or pathway for you.

The idea was that you will be using enough English & Maths on the access course on your chosen subject. There was no separate English & Maths modules within the access course. It was straight down to your chosen subject from the outset. If planning to progress onto University from that, you have to be well organised as your application has to be in by the end of the first year of the access course as far as I remember.

My only advice if going down the access/university route is you must be 100% sure this is what you want to do. If so, put everything into making it happen now before you get older. Will you apply for the coming term ?

The only courses i can apply for that are accessible to me are access courses in Science, Engineering & Healthcare and their not qualification based. Access courses designed to get you into to university and are a fixed two year course of sixteen hours a weeks where they'll prepare you for university which is great as if they college decide to fund me i would be able to keep my universal credit and housing benefit.

They prepare you by making you redo your cores GCSE in maths and english to grade B or whatever is now equivalent to a B or higher and teach you about the specific subject like engineering and physics , only problem with access courses they only lead to university however its not impossible to do an access course and moved to a level 4 or 3 apprenticeships.

I have thought about doing the access course in engineering then progressing to Digital infrastructure or programming at level 4 which apparently is sensible move.

I've also looked into the level 3 courses under the national skill thing however in my area (Norfolk) T levels and that scheme are locked to under 25 and i turn 25 end of this month.     

Hi there, I am both autistic and ADHD. I consider myself very lucky in that I fell into something I love (and still do) very early. Found I was good at it - probably because I love it! I think you’re right not to be pushed into something you really don’t have an interest in.  What do you love doing or learning about? What jobs could that involve or lead to?

Hi Blue, have you looked any of the level 3 courses that are under the new national skills thing? they pay for them. Maybe there is something you would like there? Think there is some funding out there for Advanced learner loans too if you can find a course that is covered by it. 

I don't want to be dependant on benefit my entire life & i certainly do not want to be pressured into working in some of the environments i have previous worked in.

I'm currently in getting universal credit and its coving my bills at the moment but it takes one governmental screw up and i'm stuck in financial hardship again. It's not just about being employed and earning money i'm looking for some basic direction and independence & finding suitable employment or training opportunity would at least be the first steps in taking some control over my life.    

Hi,

cut yourself some slack... the number of Autistic Adults in full time work is very low so the fact that you’re putting yourself out there is terrific.

I’m 29, I work nights at a residential school with is occupied, ironically by Autistic lads. I enjoy nights because it requires a hell of a lot less interaction than days (having done both). I’m not crazy about my job and I want more from my life but it pays the bills etc.

good luck and keep us updated!!

cool - have a watch of some videos - like the Moeller Easy 4xx-series - to see how they are programmed - 4-step ladder logic.

For a lighting circuit it might be:

If switch = on

If daylight sensor = night

If movement sensor = active

lamp output = on.

All very simple stuff - but it can get a bit more complicated with timers and analogue inputs and outputs thrown in the mix - but all very logical if you get your head around it.  

Plastic, Thank you. you've actually given me some direction. I'm now googling and looking at ways of peruse this further. 

It's industrial automation with man-machine interfaces - so instead of a computer living in it's own world, you're connecting it directly to equipment to make things happen.

Simple ones are thing like Smart Switches (like the Moeller 'Easy' range) - little bricks that only have a few ins & outs to control things like lighting or maybe a swimming pool chlorine-dosing system - they are either stand-alone or linked to bigger systems.

The bigger systems can be controlling the production line in a factory - all the conveyors or robots.

Scada systems are usually for long-range control of systems - like remote pumping stations for the water companies - it displays lots of remote status info on a screen and controls basic plant - but there usually a human in the system somewhere.

The whole area is niche enough to be able to make your own - and the companies involved find it hard to recruit because it's so specialised.     You could probably convince them to sponsor you if there's something in it for them.

There's also a half-way house - working for control & automation companies as a 'go-fer' where you are in the production factory assembling the actual equipment and also programming the PLCs - usually part of a very small team doing complete turn-key installations - you soon become a Jack-of-all trades - programmer, fitter, electrician - all depends on your ability to pick skills up.

If someone gave you the parts, plans and showed you what to do, do you think you put this together?

Another off-shoot is BMS - Building Management Systems - usually looking after a huge premises monitoring and controlling all the air con, heating, water systems, security, general maintenance, organising repairs etc.    Normally comes with a nice office and comfy chair      You are the point of contact between the building owners and the people leasing the space.

Its not just about the qualification, its about getting the skills and understanding behind it all which is needed to get into sector and hands on experience. Google and YouTube tutorials can only get you soo far with developing skills before you hit a wall. 

I've been learning coding in my own time as well as how to use blender animation software, Unity Engine, sculpture and keep hitting brick walls because all the accessible tutorials are out of date and further software and updates has changed certain mechanics.

PLC or SCADA programming ? I've never heard of them know looking into them.   

What about on-line courses?   Surely they'll take anyone who can pay?

What qualification levels do you think you need to get your foot in the door?

Have you thought of slightly off the wall IT stuff like PLC or SCADA programming?

Hi Blue, just sent you a personal message following your post on the other 'Work Support' thread.  Sorry to hear you're still experiencing harassment.

illage2 said:

I tried to get into apprenticeships for IT years ago but at the time they were only for 16-18 year olds

Blue said:

September is the first time that any college in Norfolk is providing programming and digital infrastructure but their all T levels and restricted to under 23 year olds

Agreed its a pain when there are so many hoops to jump through with the courses likely to be most useful.  Some news articles have said there's a digital skills shortage but any job advert requires specific experience.

just make a copy for your own use and edit them out. In fact have a load of different CVs each one tailored to match the job criteria you are applying for

All of these companies will try to 'use' you - but it's your job to use them right back too.

I think a lot depends on where you are - I'm in a really high-cost area - there are no 'little' businesses because costs of being here are so high so there are more opportunities with proper companies - they all have a staff turnover so are more willing to offer jobs as assistants or temporary helpers - it's all good experience and, if you shine, it's good for your CV.

the fitness one i went to that i failed to get the job on also "helped" redo my cv too and pretty much did it themselves and it became a advertisement for themselves speaking more about themselves and their course on my cv than about me and my experience lol

Yes, you understand me.

never got diagnosed but i bet those programmes they sent you on are the same as the ones they send people on job seekers allowance on.... been on many of them and they are all useless. from cv courses that dont really improve your cv then you get sent to another one that says the previous one told us all wrong and those cvs are bad.... i almost got a fitness instructor position on one thing they sent me on but they had us all fight for 1 spot and i was clearly the better as all the others were fecking unfit and worthless but yet still they gave it to some kid whos mum knew the manager so that was a waste of time. other than that they do try to force you into *** places.... like hitchens food, a notoriously bad employer that treats staff *** and fails to pay their staff... or a recycling factory that knocks you sick as soon as you step through the front door, and that is the less foul smelling room.

That's the barrier i am facing now, The IT courses didn't exist in Norfolk when I was younger .in September is the first time that any college in Norfolk is providing programming and digital infrastructure but their all T levels and restricted to under 23 year olds. I've been doing a lot of online tutorials in how to code and use software like Blender animation studio and unity but hit wall of where I cant advance.

I did college when I was sixteen and my options where limited, I did animal care but because of family issues they stopped me attending and forced me to work on a livestock farm half way through my level 3. 

Thanks for passing on your wisdom again but all the apprentices that are accessible to me are in jobs that really shouldn't be allowed to be apprenticeships like retail apprentice at Poundland or apprentice in livestock which are basically entry level dead end job with no way of progressing. I have worked in all of them and done work experience.