Hello - Please help me to represent the Autistic community

I'd be happy to help if I can be of any use. I relatively recently gave up self-employment, running my own business, after years, to enter the world of work again. My re-entry into the working world has not gone well at all.

I'm really sorry to hear that.  Self employment is a great way for us to avoid the barriers but it is a huge responsibility and in addition your earnings can be insecure, which isn't good for spectrum folk.  I'm really sad to hear working for an employer is not going well.  Can I ask did you disclose to your employer? And are they disability confident?

I'm really sorry to hear that.  Self employment is a great way for us to avoid the barriers but it is a huge responsibility and in addition your earnings can be insecure, which isn't good for spectrum folk.  I'm really sad to hear working for an employer is not going well.  Can I ask did you disclose to your employer? And are they disability confident?

Thank you so much for willing to help me!

I have noticed your posts in the forum. They are often helpful to me.

Unfortunately, sometimes they are really long but I am extremely limited in time everywhere. I do not have sometimes time to read them properly. I wish I had time.

I am already spread too thin across so many things.

If I think of anything or come accross anything California I’ll let you know. 

I have disclosed to both employers that I've worked with since last July.

The first employer told me that I was too slow at my work and needed to speed up, or I wouldn't survive the busy period at Christmas. He started setting targets to get a certain amount of work done by a certain time, and I repeatedly failed at meeting them. The job was a physical one and I have motor difficulties which really came to light in this scenario. I quit because I knew I wouldn't get quicker, and didn't want to work somewhere for any longer where I knew I was inadequate at the job and was being pushed to work faster.

I then got another job where I was trained in one branch, and loved it. Everyone was wonderful to me. After my training, I was moved to another store and very badly bullied. I begged to be transferred back to the first branch and eventually I was allowed, with a lot of support from the manager who worked hard to get me back. Again, I was very happy and settled until I was accused of theft last week for an action that I had never been told wasn't allowed. I'm now under investigation and will potentially lose this job, but even if I keep it I cannot feel comfortable having seen how I've been treated like a thief. I'm a very good, moral person and anyone that knows me well would know that I'd never steal, but I've been accused by those I trusted and I'm now being treated like a criminal and left for day after day to stress without knowing the next steps.

I hated the stress of running my own business. I want a regular, secure income. But having tried three different working environments since last summer, I'm beginning to regret closing my business down.

Financial insecurity would be big problem. Earnings can be insecure, which a big problem for me as a spectrum folk.