Work?

[TheNeil]

I keep seeing 'magic numbers' being bandied about when it comes to AS and various things but I'm especially curious about AS and employment and while I know that we're only a small group on here, I wondered whether the general statistics (that being that less than 20% of Aspies hold down a full time job) is actually true or not?

 

I've always worked (Je-he-sus that's 12 years now) and pretty much every Aspie I've ever met has been in work, has worked (and intends to work again) or is in a situation where they can't work due to things like being a parent.

 

So, are the numbers right?

[bid]

I have always worked: through uni summer vacation, after leaving uni, part-time when eldest was baby. Then break for 12 years until he went to residesi because of his difficulties. Then part-time until youngest went to school, when I went back full-time.

 

Phew!

 

Having said all this, I have never been able to 'manage' the kind of job that 'matches' my academic qualifications!

 

Bid

[Tally]

I have worked in supermarkets ever since I left school. I found it really hard at first, which was probably caused by my lack of maturity in early adulthood. I worked part time at first and then went full time, but when I moved to Devon I initially couldn't find a full time job, and then didn't look for one because I found I could barely cope part-time anyway. I did go full time eventually when our financial situation got really bad, but recently went back to part time and am coping much better with it. I am moving again soon and have no job to go to, but I have a few contacts who should be able to help. I plan to work only part time as I will be living with parents, and it's likely to be in a supermarket, though I also intend to do some voluntary work in a cat rescue centre, with a view to perhaps one day getting a paid position in one. There is a lot of competition for this type of job and I think my social difficulties and lack of formal qualifications in the area will let me down, so I hope that by proving my abilities and understanding of cat behaviour through voluntary work, I might stand a better chance of getting offered a paid position.

 

The reason I am not able to work full time is because I have ME which makes me very tired, and not because of the AS. Before I developed ME I was able to work full time.

 

Like Bid, I have also done jobs which do not reflect my academic abilities. I think it's partly to avoid a large amount of interaction with customers, but I am unmotivated to look for a sitting-down job because I actually like manual work. Also, supermarketing is what I know now and I don't really know what other kinds of jobs there even are except in other kinds of shops. As a child I used to go to work with my dad a lot and many of his staff took a shine to me and used to let me 'help' them with their work in the supermarket, so even as a first job it was already familiar. I probably also have a bit of a special interest in supermarketing.

[mossgrove]

There often-quoted poll by the NAS that said that only 5% of people with Autism worked. The sample was very skewed because they only asked members of the NAS who were also parents Autistic Adults, and not Autistic people directly. They then concluded that because only 5% this sample woked, it means of all adults with Autism work, but I ssuspect the true poportion is somewhat higher than that, albeit well short of 100%.

 

Simon

Edited May 19, 2009 by mossgrove

[NobbyNobbs]

i worked in 6th form, just a saturday job, i then worked in the summer at uni, but was very badly treated by the employer, and since then have been too anxious to work, although i am really trying to look for work at the moment. the jobcentre informed me earlier today i've now been unemployed for so long they'll actually pay someoen who'll give me a job for a year £1000!

[Mumble]

There often-quoted poll by the NAS that said that only 5% of people with Autism worked. The sample was very skewed because they only asked members of the NAS who were also parents Autistic Adults, and not Autistic people directly. They then concluded that because only 5% this sample worked, it means of all adults with Autism work, but I suspect the true proportion is somewhat higher than that, albeit well short of 100%.

I've heard (sorry, can't find link) that it's about 20% but a large majority of those work in employment not representative of their skills/qualifications.

 

[ScienceGeek]

Am in full-time education. I've found it hard to hold down any job for more than a few months at a time

[alanm]

Have voted "have worked and intend to again". The difficulty for so many with AS in finding employment representative of their skills I think is mostly with interviews, before that stage adverts stipulating good communication skills, and in the job when they want contact with customers and/or suppliers.

 

Found this thread on MoneySavingExpert, the poster had difficulties with being correctly diagnosed but what he writes about interviews says it all.

 

[bid]

I have always worked: through uni summer vacation, after leaving uni, part-time when eldest was baby. Then break for 12 years until he went to residesi because of his difficulties. Then part-time until youngest went to school, when I went back full-time.

 

Phew!

 

Having said all this, I have never been able to 'manage' the kind of job that 'matches' my academic qualifications!

 

Bid

 

Just to add, that when I was at home for 12 years as DS' primary carer, I was still involved with our local support group for families with SN children, was on the committee and volunteered a bit at the playschemes, etc. I also got volunteered to be a Brownie Guider

 

But then I've realised I'm not very good at not doing anything

 

Bid

 

[pearl]

I voted on behalf of JP who is working full time as an apprentice & in his 2nd year now

 

Just hope it continues

 

I found the results pretty encouraging Neil, much better than the "official" stats would have us believe.

[ricayboy]

I am not working have done and intend to do so in future

 

I have had a crappy job in a small tesco extra sized supermarket I hated which generally had arsey oap customers who in the main where unable to comprend that it was small shop that it had limited ranges and storage space plus the assistant manager was an ###### who would do very little whilst demanding the near impossible from the rest of the staff and could act as she liked as she regularly lent the manager money

 

I have gcses, a levels and an accounting qualification (aat) I have had 3 full time accounting jobs all ending within a month although one was due to one of the staff getting pregnant so they wanted to get rid of me as they didn’t have the staff to monitor/develop me I have had a couple of paid and one unpiad (through mencap workstart) part time accounting jobs which prove to me that I can work in accounting in the right environment but I doubt it will ever happen as im 23 on the 31st and my cv is full of too many gaps also I think with the current job market employers can be more picky as I have found myself getting rejected before the interview stage rather than falling at interview