I'm quite curious what kind of work do people here do? I've seen from some comments in other threads that there are social workers and teachers out there. The stereotypical autism job is computer programmer, which I think is really cool and requires lots of talent. There are also students on this forum (I'd be interested to know what you're studying).
Also, what jobs do you think are well-suited for the autistic personality?
A vexed area in my family, i think.
My husband was a teacher but really would have felt more suited to being a lighthouse keeper, an archivist, a weather station operator, anything solitary. Househusband might ahve been better for his overall wellbeing? Why not?
And there were and are loads of other teachers in my family (coinciding, i think with the familial path of autism) but I mostly worked, mostly unhappily, as an accountant. It took a lot of years to know myself and my actual diagnosis only came at the end of last year so much of this unhappiness was due to lack of awareness, self knowledge and insight.
So... What would I have prefered? Writer, artist, garden designer, psychologist. I did eventually retrain as a counsellor, but by that time there were loads of other pressures within my family so felt it would have been unethical plus very difficult to continue.
Suffice it to say that work has proved to be extremely problematic for us. The skills and qualifications taught at school turned out to be a very poor match for the workplace. So, although academically quite successful, we struggled.
Well-suited? I'd firstly suggest working for yourself to avoid difficult hierarchical situations. Secondly, building up a portfolio of streams of income rather than relying on one because, if it's at all possible to do, this creates more stability and continuity should one venture fail. Thirdly, don't listen to what society tells us about so-called "good jobs". How are they good? Do they assume we're chasing the largest salary or the most prestige? How might they suit us over the years, bearing in mind our personailities and inclinations? Are we all necessarily suited to the workplace at all and, if not, what's so bad about that? Do we, and should we, all HAVE to work? (Why can't we have a citzen's wage, for example, why do people always ask "What do you do?" first and foremost when they meet us, why is there so much judgement around working/not working etc?)
Beyond that? Well, I'd say we're as individual as NTs so it's hard to be specific. But I did rather better as a self employed counsellor (earning only a small wage) than as an accountant (a so-called "good job" with a decent salary). In many ways I was contributing more to society too but it just wasn't reflected in my income.
I feel another thread coming on - the issue of work and conditions of worth.
I think I also have the experience that I did academically well in school, but struggle in real-life. It's so different.
I agree that doing a job you enjoy is much more important than what society tell us are "good jobs". I'd rather have a job I enjoy doing with a live-able salary than a job I don't like that gives a high salary.
I do think that we have to work though. If no one worked, there will be no farmers to grow any food (then how will society feed itself?), there will be no construction workers (so who will build the house you are currently living in?), there will be no autism support workers or clinicians (so how will you get your diagnosis and support?). Since there are people working, and as a group, that makes everyone else's lives easier. So work is kind of like a duty, everyone who works will be also contributing to that role in society - to help improve everyone's life overall.
I'm not sure. Another area of mixed feelings for me. I accept that we should each contribute what we can and I've always endeavoured to make my own contribution. But whether it has to be paid or formal work is another question. And whether there are enough jobs for all is another yet again.
Overall I think I've got issues with the ways in which contributions are appreciated, valued and rewarded. Many, for example, will be unpaid carers or volunteers (and I'm fairly sure that there's been an escalation of volunteerism in recent years). Others might be genuinely unable to contribute due to illness or disability. And others might not easily find a viable way to contribute in the current set up (in which case ways of making it more viable should be considered, I think).
Within my family are a couple of cousins and uncles who I now believe to be/have been autistic who always tried their best to contribute in the conventional way (I.e. studying hard then paid work) but who repeatedly either dropped out or were forced out. They somehow managed to always be at the top of the redundancy list, or to encounter some unforseen difficulty on a course that meant they couldn't continue. I think it might have taken a great deal of accommodation and support to keep them "on track" and I'm not at all sure that even these days, employers or educational establishments will go that far.
So for me the question would be how to bring the "outliers" into the fold, in one way or another. In days gone by my family members would probably have been able to help on a local or family farm. A family business still might suit (cos it seems to me that family are more likely to make the level of accommodations required). But that'd take some setting up and investment so it's probably more of a dream.
It all troubles me though. I've seen too many people pushed to breakdown or burnout by work situations and then, as soon as they're deemed well enough again, pushed back into the selfsame environments that made them buckle. To me this calls for radical change.
Yes, it's definitely had a cumulative effect. This makes me think that any future work would need to be chosen very carefully and I'd probably favour self employment in order to avoid many of the difficulties and misunderstandings.
I can understand how you're feeling and how difficult it is can people either disbelief or disregard your difficulties. I am similar to you and my life would have been easier if I could have gotten a diagnosis earlier. I understand very well the feeling of loss and damage the many years of accumulated misunderstanding from others is like. And, I can see that the NHS/employer/DWP system is very confusing and it can be difficult to get help and adjustments.
Yes, I think one of my issues is that I've somehow always been an outlier, on the tail of the bellcurve. And one issue that's kept coming back has been others' disbelief or disregard of my difficulties. Something along the lines of, "But you're so intelligent so surely you can... " or "But that's just silly" or "That's the job. Take it or leave it." And throughout this time I never had a diagnosis so I just kept redoubling my efforts and driving myself further and further towards breakdown.
It all feels full of potential conflict to me because I was always lumped with the majority of cases when actually something else was going on. Something else called autism. I can see now that many of my difficulties related to this and also that, if I'd had a diagnosis, some of my former employers would have fallen foul of legislation on disability and discrimination. However, although i suffered significant losses and psychological harm through all of this (and knew that this was happening even when I couldn't give it a name) there's no case against anyone and no compensation due to lack of knowledge on both sides.
So this is what I'd now fear from any official body working on a case by case basis. Lack of knowledge and awareness leading to predictable results. :(
now unfortunately it seems to me that the DWP is commissioned to shake out individual cases as far as practicable. So the weight of evidence for any claims is deliberately placed quite high. And reviewed quite often. This puts us on the back foot and in the position of seeking corroboration from employers and the health system. So the level of accommodation and understanding might depend upon the interplay between these three bodies - NHS, employers, DWP. i don't think I really trust this process so I'd probably begin here to redesign things. For a start it'd all have to come from a very different core assumption - not one of disbelief with a huge burden of proof placed on the individual, but a system in which officialdom works seamlessly to understand, support and find accommodations wherever possible.
i might be dreaming again though...
Yeah, I agree with the "outliers" problem. I was talking about the majority of cases, not considering those who can't work due to illness or disability.
I greatly appreciate and value volunteer work, and it's very admirable that they are willing to work and contribute to society without personal gain.
I agree the main issue would be to try to find a way to deal with the "outliers" who are struggling to find work, and those suffering from work-related stress. I haven't thought of a good way, as it seems it might have to be dealt with case by case depending on the person as well as individual companies.
Yeah, I agree with the "outliers" problem. I was talking about the majority of cases, not considering those who can't work due to illness or disability.
I greatly appreciate and value volunteer work, and it's very admirable that they are willing to work and contribute to society without personal gain.
I agree the main issue would be to try to find a way to deal with the "outliers" who are struggling to find work, and those suffering from work-related stress. I haven't thought of a good way, as it seems it might have to be dealt with case by case depending on the person as well as individual companies.
Yes, it's definitely had a cumulative effect. This makes me think that any future work would need to be chosen very carefully and I'd probably favour self employment in order to avoid many of the difficulties and misunderstandings.
I can understand how you're feeling and how difficult it is can people either disbelief or disregard your difficulties. I am similar to you and my life would have been easier if I could have gotten a diagnosis earlier. I understand very well the feeling of loss and damage the many years of accumulated misunderstanding from others is like. And, I can see that the NHS/employer/DWP system is very confusing and it can be difficult to get help and adjustments.
Yes, I think one of my issues is that I've somehow always been an outlier, on the tail of the bellcurve. And one issue that's kept coming back has been others' disbelief or disregard of my difficulties. Something along the lines of, "But you're so intelligent so surely you can... " or "But that's just silly" or "That's the job. Take it or leave it." And throughout this time I never had a diagnosis so I just kept redoubling my efforts and driving myself further and further towards breakdown.
It all feels full of potential conflict to me because I was always lumped with the majority of cases when actually something else was going on. Something else called autism. I can see now that many of my difficulties related to this and also that, if I'd had a diagnosis, some of my former employers would have fallen foul of legislation on disability and discrimination. However, although i suffered significant losses and psychological harm through all of this (and knew that this was happening even when I couldn't give it a name) there's no case against anyone and no compensation due to lack of knowledge on both sides.
So this is what I'd now fear from any official body working on a case by case basis. Lack of knowledge and awareness leading to predictable results. :(
now unfortunately it seems to me that the DWP is commissioned to shake out individual cases as far as practicable. So the weight of evidence for any claims is deliberately placed quite high. And reviewed quite often. This puts us on the back foot and in the position of seeking corroboration from employers and the health system. So the level of accommodation and understanding might depend upon the interplay between these three bodies - NHS, employers, DWP. i don't think I really trust this process so I'd probably begin here to redesign things. For a start it'd all have to come from a very different core assumption - not one of disbelief with a huge burden of proof placed on the individual, but a system in which officialdom works seamlessly to understand, support and find accommodations wherever possible.
i might be dreaming again though...
