Published on 12, July, 2020
My adult son (28) does not acknowledge his ASD diagnosis (which he has had since age 14) and masks his autism (and his learning disabilities) so well that he has been successful in getting jobs that he is entirely unsuited for. These jobs inevitably end badly as his employers realise his skill set is not what the job requires and/or incidents occur. He has completely unrealistic employment aspirations. Has anyone else had this experience and how can I help him become more realistic about work opportunities and open about his ASD with employers and others?
What does he want to do? What does he enjoy, or what might he be good at?
I have a half sibling who is the same. Eventually I spoke with her dad and suggested he help her follow her dreams by starting a course on the subject. This allows her to learn something and keep growing while feeling a sense of accomplishment in a direction she hopes to go. My argument here was that it can't harm and if anything, she'll be a wee bit smarter.
I was also in the same boat at 28. But my talents had been completely overlooked. No one knew I had potential for the career I found myself in. But I also had to sort out my diet, take a hormone balancing multi and something to boost GABA (now I take a nootropics blend for this). I had more clarity and better gut-health which had been affecting my ability to focus. My mother kept directing me toward extroverted jobs, but I discovered around 28 that I was actually quite good in an editing suite and in creative technical roles. We grew up quite poor, so I think this was part of it.