Is being underemployed or struggling to get into a career that pays enough to support oneself, common for people on the autism spectrum?

[AprilR]

You have no reason to feel ashamed and self conscious. It has been hard to find a job nowadays for some time. Having autism or a similar condition makes it even harder even when the traits associated with it could be an asset due to the focus on networking skills which we tend to struggle with.

Thank you. The problem is when i made my career choice i did not know i was autistic and thought my lack of social skills was because i had a bad/cold personality. Because of this i also wanted to quit college multiple times but my parents talked me out of it.

Now people at work always look at me like i am kind of mentally slow and weird for working minimum wage at my age.

 

[FayetheAspie]

I'm assuming that the rn refers to being a nurse. If the hospitals don't think your social skills are sufficient for interacting with patients, is there another position like back room lab tech or work from home medical billing and coding that you could use your medical knowledge to switch to?

 

[AprilR]

I'm assuming that the rn refers to being a nurse. If the hospitals don't think your social skills are sufficient for interacting with patients, is there another position like back room lab tech or work from home medical billing and coding that you could use your medical knowledge to switch to?

I am an attorney actually. Although i interacted with clients in the past, the main responsibility was always on my boss. I don't think i would be able to have my own firm because of my lack of social skills, but that is what all my peers do. I don't think i would be able to find clients either way.

 

[FayetheAspie]

I think there are law clerk positions that don't interact with the public much.

 

[Shamar]

You have no reason to feel ashamed and self conscious. It has been hard to find a job nowadays for some time. Having autism or a similar condition makes it even harder even when the traits associated with it could be an asset due to the focus on networking skills which we tend to struggle with.

Too many years ago, during a period when I had trouble finding work (I think it lasted from when I was 18 until I retired), I paid money I didn't really have for a job finding program. The first thing they said was that I approach someone in the industry and ask for contacts, then ask those contacts for contacts, and so on, and develop a network contacts to find where unadvertised job openings were. My first reaction was "This is the stupidest idea I have ever heard! Approach strangers and ask for a favor? ME?"

For the record, the job program where they noticed my autism was a different program and much later.

 

[Wolfiedog]

i wouldn’t know what a career was if it hit me in the head.
All i knew was work work work until something better came along.

 

[Steelbookcollector217]

yeah, i don't get it how why or how either most people, or just many people, are able to just naturally figure it out so easily on what they want to do with their lives career-wise.

I will admit, i kinda envy my cousins because they were able to get into stable careers without college education, but they mainly moved up or stay at their employer the longest.

 

[Mary Terry]

yeah, i don't get it how why or how either most people, or just many people, are able to just naturally figure it out so easily on what they want to do with their lives career-wise.

I will admit, i kinda envy my cousins because they were able to get into stable careers without college education, but they mainly moved up or stay at their employer the longest.

Some people know early in life what they want to do. I always knew I wanted to be an attorney, and I worked and sacrificed to achieve that. Other people just get the best paying job they can find and either grow into it and succeed or they find another job. Everyone is different.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

My dream was to become a theoretical physicist, never happened, became a chemical engineering technologist,
and expert in industrial coating and colour control, Maybe if I had know I was on the spectrum, life could have been different not complaining, worked out OK. Retired

 

[Steelbookcollector217]

Some people know early in life what they want to do. I always knew I wanted to be an attorney, and I worked and sacrificed to achieve that. Other people just get the best paying job they can find and either grow into it and succeed or they find another job. Everyone is different.

yeah, i'm worried about my future a lot

 

[Shamar]

Some people know early in life what they want to do. I always knew I wanted to be an attorney, and I worked and sacrificed to achieve that. Other people just get the best paying job they can find and either grow into it and succeed or they find another job. Everyone is different.

On a family vacation when I was about 6, I found a shoe box full of rocks. I was fascinated by the variety, colors, and textures. As you may know, I wound up becoming a geologist. I think I may still have some of those rocks.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I guess I know two geologists now.

 

[Mary Terry]

On a family vacation when I was about 6, I found a shoe box full of rocks. I was fascinated by the variety, colors, and textures. As you may know, I wound up becoming a geologist. I think I may still have some of those rocks.

My parents always told me that my first words included "instant rock" which meant "interesting" rock. I was 2 years old. I have a deep love and lifelong interest in geology and paleontology.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

The more I know about my fellow Aspies the more I like it.

 

[Steelbookcollector217]

yeah, well it makes me feel better knowing i'm not alone, neurodivergent people do have a high rate of struggling to live independently or achieving financial stability, getting into a stable career, yeah believe me i'm worried.

 

[Tony Ramirez]

Poor reading comprehension and math ruined my future for life. Yes I am going to vocational testing but even having public meltdown there when I couldn't even do 3rd grade math or reading comprehension showed how useless I was in person.

 

[Steelbookcollector217]

Poor reading comprehension and math ruined my future for life. Yes I am going to vocational testing but even having public meltdown there when I couldn't even do 3rd grade math or reading comprehension showed how useless I was in person.

you still think you are gonna be unemployed for the rest of your life Tony?

 

[FayetheAspie]

Don't get me wrong, I don't like to use autism as an excuse all the time, don't like to use it as a crutch, and overall, it's best to not blame it for everything, but my question is, is it normal or just common for people with Autism to be underemployed?

Or to live with their parents, folks, late in life or don't move out of their folks house until later?

Overall, not be financially stable yet or not have a job, career, that pays them well enough to make ends meet?

Just asking because I work at an Amazon warehouse making $20.90 an hour at the moment, and some days of the week, Friday through Sunday, i get paid $22.40 an hour, and I have been stressed and worried about my future lately. I normally work 5 days week. The only jobs, employers i have worked in my life, are at a restaurant, grocery store, and a warehouse. I'm at year number 3 at Amazon, and i previously worked at a grocery store for 4 years. So i'm proud of myself for being able to get and hold onto jobs, even if i have never had a high level corporate professional job, or something in healthcare, office, etc., jobs or careers that require college education, etc.

Because I do still get some financial support from my parents and obviously my folks are not going to be around forever, and that is no doubt a huge source of stress and worry for mine lately.

What do you people here do for work? But overall, is being underemployed or struggling with career, not getting paid enough, common for autism people on the spectrum? I'm open to believe that this is also common for people without autism as well, but i think its a little bit more common for those on the autism spectrum than those who are not right?

$20.90 is WAAAAY more than I have ever made before. If I can get a job making that amount, I think I will feel like I'm rich.

 

[Gerontius]

I was unedermployed but now I'm unemployed. Was making right at $20/hr in a factory job twelve miles out of town. @FayetheAspie it is not the worst money but if you have rent, bills, a car payment (please never buy a car on the instalment plan; there are so many old so-called junkers out there which will run fine with repairs that you can get by on a used machine) and all the other bills out there, $20 might as well be five cents and a half a stick of Wrigley's Gum.

Poverty is really getting boring and my English degree will do me no favors in the job market assuming I can finish the damn thing so guess who passed his D.O.T. physical to learn to be a commercial truck driver, hurrah~~

 

[FayetheAspie]

@Gerontius Hopefully the truck driver training will work out for you.