AS Teenager

[squox]

Hi there

 

My son was dx very late (nothing new there I suppose), he has just turned 18 and has been dx for about 2 years now.

 

He has tried to hold down a part time job but they treated him awfully and has had to elave due to bullying and victimisation.

 

I am trying to find out if he is or would be entitled to any benefits as I don't know the first thing about them.

 

I do not claim DLA for him and he is now able to sign on but I am worried how he will cope with having to apply for jobs etc to qualify for JSA.. is there any specialist help I can get for him, or anything that can support him to try and work?

 

he has had his confidence knocked very badly with this experience and he does not feel he can trust any employer and he does not feel he can do a job properly, you know the kind of things I mean.

 

Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

[Canopus]

Allegedly 4 out of 5 adults diagnosed with AS are unemployed.

 

Out of interest, are you willing to reveal your son's previous career? It may have been something that isn't particularly suited to people with AS - either because of the nature of the work or because the type of people that are attracted to that career are likely to be hostile towards people with AS.

 

Help for adults with AS is scarce and I am in the process of identifying organisations who will deal with adults. Most help and support organisations focus on kids at school.

[TuX]

Hi there

 

My son was dx very late (nothing new there I suppose), he has just turned 18 and has been dx for about 2 years now.

 

He has tried to hold down a part time job but they treated him awfully and has had to elave due to bullying and victimisation.

 

I am trying to find out if he is or would be entitled to any benefits as I don't know the first thing about them.

 

I do not claim DLA for him and he is now able to sign on but I am worried how he will cope with having to apply for jobs etc to qualify for JSA.. is there any specialist help I can get for him, or anything that can support him to try and work?

 

he has had his confidence knocked very badly with this experience and he does not feel he can trust any employer and he does not feel he can do a job properly, you know the kind of things I mean.

 

Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

squox,there is an employment service for people with ASD,called Prospects-it's part of the NAS,but they're only in a few major cities-London,Glasgow,Sheffield and Manchester.

http://prospects.smartchange.org/

 

If not sure about trying for DLA,he should be able to get income support,with that benefit,a compulsory medical is required, albeit rarely.

JSA is not a very suitable benefit for someone with ASD as the job centre staff are too quick to force the person into any job,and do not like it when people have particular requirements.

 

Well known organization; Connexions: http://www.connexions.gov.uk/ might be worth checking out as well,as they will accept people up to 25 years old with learning disabilities,

they never advertise that for some reason,they help with careers,education,life etc.

 

 

 

I think Prospects will provide a job support worker for the person once they start work to get them used to it,although I might be thinking of another organization.

[BuntyB]

I would like to say that I recommend you apply for DLA if your son needs a lot of support. Try your local CAB and ask if they have a disability adviser.

 

Secondly, contact your local JobCentre or Job Centre Plus and ask for an appointment with their disability adviser. They should have a list of employers who will take on people like your son.

 

Don't forget that under the DDA, your son should not be discriminated against because of his disability. However, those who need a percentage of disabled people tend to be larger employers and not generally suitable for people with ASD.

 

What is he good at? What environment would he be happy in? I would recommend voluntary work as it gives people a chance to try out different work without being under any obligation and at hours to suit. It also gives him a chance to prove himself.

 

If your son gets DLA, he can work 16 hours and claim DPTC- this might suit him better than trying to work full-time.

 

You know him best. Have a think about suitable employment, or even self-employment and come back to us. I can give you a few more tips if you know what he might like to do.

Shona

[squox]

Many thanks for your input.

 

I have spoken to the job centre people and made an appointment for him to go and see them and they talked about the DEA, so thats something I suppose.

 

He is very good with his hands and he likes to be creative, though he does not like to be stood over and watched.

 

He tried a spell as a kitchen assistant but could not get to grips with the speed necessary to operate in this environment as he is very particular and things have to be done in a certain way and in his own time.

 

because of his interaction with people and his 'to the point' attitude, people tend to get the wrong isea of him, you know what I mean when I say this, so its difficult to say what area would best suit him, but something like building I suppose, and he is not sure himself.

 

He may be interested in the voluntary path like you suggest.

 

thanks again and I'll keep you posted.

[DiabolicalSpoon]

because of his interaction with people and his 'to the point' attitude, people tend to get the wrong isea of him

I get that trouble where I work (shop assistant at a wine merchants), since I generally don't talk "cheerfuly" and I'm not the most responsive person in the world to customer small talk. Pretending to care about the weather is something I have great difficulty doing.

 

 

Has your son ever been to college? It scared the hell out of me a couple of years ago when I started, but it changed my outlook and confidence immeasurably. I don't have problems talking to people I don't know any more, although getting nervous in certain social situations is still an issue on occasion.

[Zemanski]

there's a building college in leeds, maybe there's something similar in your area where your son could get vocational training without having to be 'on the job' so he is more confident when he starts.

 

building is a very cut-throat industry and the workers are very rough and ready on site, the work is intense and does require speed as well as accuracy, it is also not stable both in the sense of short term contracts and in the sense of having to move from site to site, often after only a few days.

something more like a high class cabinette maker where quality and accuracy are more important than speed might work though, also these tend to be based in small workshops where social interaction is on a more individual basis with well known colleagues.

 

hope you get something sorted

 

Zemanski

[oracle]

I am told that before you can access the NAS Prospects Course in Manchester you must have a DX of AS a Degree and be in receipt of Incapacity Benefit - which all sound very wrong to me. But then that's me.

 

Carole

[lynyona]

Carole kieran is 19 and he still gets dla and jsa and sickness benefit.A lady from the dss came around to see kieran and what we had to do was every so often get a sicknote from the doctor explaining why he couldnt work they d write and tell me when they were wanting a new one every six months i think it was and eventually they wrote and told me that i wouldnt have to send anymore certificates in to them, and he just gets his money put into my bank account each week as i am his appointee with the dss regarding kierans benefits etc ashe is unable to deal with his own affairs. lynn

[Malika]

Hi Squox

 

May be you can try this link and ask your son to have a look at it. He may get some good ideas of what he likes what he doesn't.

 

http://www.autism.org/temple/jobs.html

 

Best of luck.

 

Malika.

[streamdreams]

First le me say that I am an AS adult not diagnosed until 38, I am also married and in full time employment. So it can done, but it was not easy.

 

I believer that it was Sir Douglas Bader who was quoted as saying aim for the clouds and you will clear the trees, aim for the tress and you wont get off the ground�.

 

Canopus and I agree to disagree on the current statistical quotations, The fact it that it is very true that the is very little help for adults and even fewer studies about AS adults. The primary problem is that it is only the worst cases that get a DX in the UK as adults, the rest are left to struggle on their own with no DX and no help

 

In the US AS comes un the heading of PDD (Pervasive Development Disorder), Which is actual a very good way of looking at it. For a lot of us we find we our social and emotional development is behind as much as 10 to 15 years. Trying to hold down a job at 18 would have been too much too soon. But at 22, I could and did do it. I have has several bosses suggest I move on, and in one case even help me do so by giving me time off to attend interview etc.

 

I believe the trick is to harness the strengths of AS. To go with favorite subjects , obsessions etc. To avoid positions that are socially intense. Instead of jumping into employment try to find alternative forms of education, eg vocational training, until he is ready ( See capopus?s post http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=4168 )

 

You have made no mention of his academic achievements, can these be expanded on? Are the some small steps that can help to boost his self esteem and generate the confident to tackle less exciting options.

 

The are several resources by Jessica Kingsley publishers that come to mind http://www.jkp.com/

 

Employment for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome or Non-Verbal Learning Disability, Stories and Strategies - Yvona Fast

 

How to Find Work that Works for People with Asperger Syndrome - The Ultimate Guide for Getting People with Asperger Syndrome into the Workplace (and keeping them there!) - Gail Hawkins

 

Managing with Asperger Syndrome - Malcolm Johnson

 

Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome - A Parent's Guide to Student Success - Ann Palmer

 

There is a new one out tomorrow, which I have on order, in which Tony Attwood discusses some adult issues;

Coming Out Asperger - Diagnosis, Disclosure and Self-Confidence - Edited by Dinah Murray

 

Best of luck

 

J

[ceecee]

I too have aspergers and hold down a job bring up two kids run a home etc, but luckily mine is mild.I have been in the same job since I was seventeen so for ten years and I guess I wouldn't react too well to change or a job that involved making polite conversation with customers.I wouldn't have the patience>I work in an office and only have little telephone work.Best of luck in getting something sorted out.