Finding hard to fit on a job and find resources or support

I didn't return to work over a decade ago. I realised very quickly the way the workplace is designed is mainly for extraverts and careerists who are not concerned with the wellbeing of others - although this is rarely observed as so, these people are celebrated but their pestadal damages team moral. Those who are discontent are got rid of as any points of view are viewes as dissent against a flawed system. I also observed that there was very little concern at the top tiers of how companies might actually perform better in a functional sense (that many were just coasting in a kind of chance like way). Greedy grabbing hands. Not thoughtfully society conscious companies. Entire sections of indistries seemed to be acting this way, that is that 'we as a company' benefit from someone elses detriment. A form of negation. This seems to be a fundemental misunderstandig of society and one of the reasons why I am not working in insurance or banking, because even when these people fail there mistakes are underwritten and goal posts moved. Then the whole thing starts again until they crash the system again. That was my main bug bear that no one really ever adrressed this, these cycles of failure.

Although this might sound counterintuitive advice to give, I would strongly recommend to anyone (who the NT workplace is not working for) to leave their job and start working for themself. Some of these organisations are simply a shell of a brand operating on dispicable motives. My observations of being self employed were that there was a rapid learning curve, I would not really go back to working for anyone now as I view workplaces as a trap/designed to exploit new graduates and conscientious young people. 

In terms of support, anyone without in depth understanding will simply view adaptations and something they have to do. They might offer a room for you to work in or give you more time, but this really comes down to what the company are willing to offer at that time. Also whether the Director or Manager continue to view those adaptions in a sympathetic way. 

Unknown said:

Everywhere I look, I see mention of support in one form or another—yet it often feels abstract and intangible for me. I don't quite find it, or know how to do it.

I've never actually been able to land a job; however, in the interviews I did have, when the subject of support came up, my mind drew a blank, because I felt as though there's no way the support I'd actually need is possible in a workplace setting. Also, the fear that if I brought it up, they'd just hire someone else under the reasoning of "more experienced candidate".

Unknown said:

They do say that:

managing therapy or monitoring a health condition

but I am still considering it.

I would think that if you can tie the therapy into a specific, identifiable health condition then this could be the lever to move the decision for them. 

Therapy can cover such a huge range of subjects that in this case, I would use it for 50% focus on the health issue that justifies it and the rest would be on other autistic issues I need help with.

Agreeing this up front with the therapist should be straightforward as no health condition exists in isolation so treating related issues can be justified.

Good luck with it.

That seems useful, and I should try it.

It makes sense, but there might be ways to get essential help; at least in my personal case, I can't continue paying a psychologist, it is too expensive. One option is to wait until I can do it, another one is to try to get support for that.

For example, I'm still figuring out whether the Adult Disability Payment -linked in OP- should be requested for an autistic person to pay a psychologist. That would be very valuable for some of us at least.

They do say that:

managing therapy or monitoring a health condition

but I am still considering it.

Unknown said:

struggle to switch or find interest in other tasks

I have been finding for myself; that I need to acknowledge and own this by scheduling a sort of "spin-down ...spin-up" slot between my tasks. 

A conscious transition period (if that makes sense).

Unknown said:

Everywhere I look, I see mention of support in one form or another—yet it often feels abstract and intangible for me.

I think what you are finding is that support does not exist in a meaningful way for autists in a big way because we all have different needs.

The nature of a spectrum like autism means we all have different traits at different intensities and often these present differently from person to person because we often develop our own ways to cope with some things but not others.

What we actually need is for someone with a knowledge of the subject and traiining in helping those affected by it - a psychotherapist in other words.

Each path to help us will vary from any other autist because of our unique differences / lived experience / traumas and capabilities.

The NHS lacks the resources to provide anything close to this so they dont' even try. It is entirely understandable unfortunately so private treatment is the only effective solution from what I can see.

Many therapists lack autism knowledge and/or experience so there is a smaller pool of them to choose from, and even with a capable therapist lined up, we are often our own wost enemy and will not open up to be vulnerable to let the treatment begin as we have trust issues / cannot unmask or can be too stubborn to accept the need to change.

So in essence, you need to be able to afford therapy, be willing to open up to it and be willing to go through the pain of therapy to get the benefit of it.

That is how I see it anyway - I hope it is direct enough. This is for the sort of support that makes a real difference. If you only want someone to listen to you and tell you it will be alright then this is a different conversation.

There is no rainbow and unicorn solution waiting for you - you have to go get it and it is hard, sometimes expensive work