ASD appropriate jobs

[TheSocialNerd]

Heyo,

I am posting here because I thought you all might have some useful suggestions. I used to work at McDonald's, but I resigned from the position in June, after a year. I resigned because it was an incredibly high-pressure position. I was constantly told to go faster, even when I was at my maximum speed. The managers were not the best, and I also had very few friends at work. Certainly, there was no one I'd want to hang out with out of work hours. That made the whole job harder. Additionally, while my sensory overload symptoms are relatively mild, I still feel like the noise, the sterility, the brightness of the environment, the smells, and the chemicals all contributed to making me very tired and very aggravated by the end of every shift.

This is a really long preamble to the question I wanted to ask. What jobs have you guys had that have worked for you with your condition? I don't like late nights very much, so bar work isn't an option. I am very creative, but its hard to get jobs in these fields. It seems, in fact, that it's hard to get jobs anywhere but McDonald's. I'm fearing I may have to go back there.

Any advice?

 

[Crossbreed]

I was an electronic tech trying to break into programming, professionally, but that didn't happen. Presently, I augment my Social Security by delivering free newspapers once a week [15.5 miles, by trike]. For the previous 11 years, it was twice a week.

My Aspie, college student son works as a snack foods detailer. He drives to many area grocery stores and makes sure that his company's products are properly stocked and displayed. He receives his assignments through texts and works independently.

 

[Progster]

I don't think that such a thing as a totally ASD, stress-free job exists, but the best one for me was proofreading, because I work at home and in my own time, and don't have too many dealing with people. However, it's a good way to supplement income, but not enough to live off alone.

 

[Major Tom]

I think it all depends on the person. I enjoy outdoor jobs, preferably not close to heavy machinery. I always thought of being a DNR officer, but never went through with it. The schooling was too much for me.

 

[LadyBird84]

Interesting topic. I work with children which I think is the opposite of appropriate. I wasn't diagnosed until two years ago and have worked in this position for 10 years or so. I enjoy it but not a day goes by that I doubt if this is a suitable job for me and if I'll be able to keep it up until retirement.

 

[Autistamatic]

We're all different as to what we are most sensitive to, so the ideals will vary. Myself I am very sensitive to auditory overload, but mainly from people. Working away from people but with noisy machinery suits me quite well, but a room full of people having separate conversations is very difficult.
Unfortunately there are few, if any, jobs that could be called ideal just because there will always be interactions with people and there will usually be layers of management all ready to pass judgement on you and your work.

 

[Mr Allen]

Yeah everybody's different, what could be the PERFECT job for one person could be absolute HELL for somebody else.

 

[Pats]

I've had different jobs before going back to school to be a nurse (which was because I needed something that would support my kids). I was good at my job but hated it. Before that I worked in a sewing factory which wasn't too bad. Hated waitressing. Enjoyed working at a dry cleaners and at a veterinary office once. My favorite was in an office for a trucking company (I love paperwork). Think of what you enjoy doing or might enjoy doing.

 

[Creep]

My longest lasting job (over 10 years) was doing data entry for a healthcare clinic. I might have still been there today, but was made redundant due to automation.

I got the data entry job through a temp agency & worked my way up from clerical support. It allowed me to pay off all debt, build a retirement fund, & save a bit.

The office politics were the worst. Healthcare is a huge racket & a business at the end of the day. There was no work life balance & our ceo made 800k yearly. Typical.

Kudos to you lasting a whole year in fast food though. I only lasted a few months before giving up. It was my first ‘real’ job. Then I moved on to cashiering at a pizza joint.

 

[Tom]

 

[tducey]

What we can do, as aspies, varies across the board. I think most of us would be good at data entry which is my background.

 

[Crossbreed]

I think most of us would be good at data entry which is my background.

I am a programmer, but my typing speed is atrocious.

 

[GrownupGirl]

All jobs are terrible, and the only reason people have one is so they'll have money to pay bills and be able to eat, which is barely enough money these days. It's even worse than school was. How do people expect me to get a job after being put through so much hell in school?

 

[Thinx]

I like to try to have a job I enjoy because it's hard to work day in day out if you don't enjoy at least half of what you have to do. I usually have managed to have that. The least enjoyable was complex benefits calculations that was like being in prison.Boring yet complicated.

I like to have opportunities to be creative. I prefer to work independently, think that's common for ASD? I d suggest getting qualified in something you enjoy, and progress while getting paid to do it ideally. Having an income offers more independence so I have always found it worth the downsides.

 

[Progster]

I once had a data entry/data checking temping job when I was younger, where I had to look for data no matching up in data bases, and correct it. I was very good at it, and the boss phoned the temping company and told them that I was very good. I think this is the kind of job where having ASD might be an advantage, because of good focus and attention to detail.

 

[Mr Allen]

I once had a data entry/data checking temping job when I was younger, where I had to look for data no matching up in data bases, and correct it. I was very good at it, and the boss phoned the temping company and told them that I was very good. I think this is the kind of job where having ASD might be an advantage, because of good focus and attention to detail.

I've applied for data entry positions with local Agencies, and it was a complete farce, for one thing they keep saying i can't type fast enough! I did an online typing speed test in 2008, and my speed came out at 59.5 wpm, they wanted 60, so I was literally HALF a word too slow.

I officially give up.

I could type the extra half a word quicker, but it would not be accurate, I'd type so fast I'd be doing bad typos, not good, so I slow down for accuracy.

I've also had formal typing lessons since I was in Junior school, because "they" said I'd never be able to do "joined up" writing.

 

[Crossbreed]

...they keep saying i can't type fast enough!

The fastest I have ever typed was 20wpm, but typing for programming is different than typing prose (at least, for me).

 

[Progster]

I've applied for data entry positions with local Agencies, and it was a complete farce, for one thing they keep saying i can't type fast enough! I did an online typing speed test in 2008, and my speed came out at 59.5 wpm, they wanted 60, so I was literally HALF a word too slow.

I officially give up.

I could type the extra half a word quicker, but it would not be accurate, I'd type so fast I'd be doing bad typos, not good, so I slow down for accuracy.

I've also had formal typing lessons since I was in Junior school, because "they" said I'd never be able to do "joined up" writing.

I have the same problem, I'm a very slow typer, much slower than you, and I make loads of typos because I don't have good fine motor coordination in my hands. I never managed to learn joined up writing. I hated it. It's one thing I refused to do at school and eventually the teacher decided not to pursue it any further.

Conversely, my hand to eye coordination is ok and I can thread a needle or play tennis

 

[Judge]

Unfortunately to my knowledge the standard for high-speed typing means being able to accurately exceed 100 words per minute. Like my NT nephew can do. Not that he uses it though working in finance.

Geez, I don't think I ever exceeded more than 30 WPM...lol.

 

[Gracey]

I’m going to guess that a suitable job will depend on capabilities.
For me:
- working from home not really an option and no interest in programming or computers.

Uniform or dress code -
It’s not a fetish
I don’t have to decide what to wear and I look like everyone else.

Mostly repetitive procedure within each section or department. Scripts are good too.
- a bit like McDonalds would have different procedures and scripts,
for example in kitchen, headset or on front counter.

Shift patterns -
Routine and structured rather than ad hoc or flexible basis.


Night shifts or late shifts seem to suit me personally.
(Never had a reliable sleeping pattern that fit into a 9-5 job and fewer people around/ quieter in evenings or over night)

I’ve just applied to The Royal Mail Group as a seasonal mail sorter.

Not at all glamorous but I have a bit of a thing about maps, organisation and post codes.

Can’t think of anything better that would satisfy the above at the moment