Aspergers and Careers

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There are AS-ASD people who are good to excellent at a wide variety of employable skills. But many are not allowed to use them because of lack of understanding and prejudice. Through merit, luck, and dogged willpower some people on the spectrum do break through the barriers and have success. While the employment rate for autistics is around 20% I have not seen figures for those autistics who are mildly effected colloquially known as High Functioning Autistics or Aspies.

Right now, I work two jobs. Both are data-entry. I've been at the first job (the morning job) 21 months; I've at the second job 33 years. With the second job, I will get a pension when I retire. Both only require a high school diploma. I did get my bachelor's (in speech pathology and English), at age 45.

I am fortunate to have learned to type at an early age; this is what has enabled me to exist independently. I'm quite a fast typist, which has enabled me to keep jobs despite my weirdness.

I have worked as a receptionist for an audiologist (was a summer job, circa 2005). This really taxed me, for my interpersonal skills aren't all that great. I suffered anxiety at times, which gave me headaches. I succeeded in the job, though.

I have worked many stints, especially more than 20 years ago, as a typist for temp agencies. By and large, I succeeded in these jobs.

I have worked as a "counselor" for a person with Wilson's Disease. This job lasted about 4 months. I wasn't really successful at it. I lament that fact.

I want to work as a transition counselor for people with autism spectrum disorders. I want to assist people in bridging the gap between dependence and independence. How do I go about getting that sort of job?

Federal Government IT Manager - I manage a team of database administrators. I may go back to being an IT analyst as I can properly use my hyper focus with that. Lots of aspies in the IT world.

I'm a pre-med (wish me luck...). I have volunteer jobs teaching sex education to 13-16 year olds, at a hospice, a hospital, a care home and a helpline. Lots of people based work!

Whatever you want to do is down to you, not your diagnosis. There may be some things that are harder for you or that you just don't like because of being autistic, but I don't think there's such a thing as "autistic careers", we're all individuals.

Good luck, Kittie!

(By the way, I meow in my cubicle at work) I send a meow to you!

What branch of medicine do you intend on pursuing?

I like your attitude pertaining to ASD's, and transcending the diagnosis.

government patent examiner

they let us work from home and never go into work

That job is so detail and research-oriented. You have to make sure the idea is truly a novel one. Am I right?

Correct. Detail research to determine if an invention is novel and non-obvious.

Thank-you!! I'm not sure, one of the reasons I like medicine is that it's so versatile as a field. I'd like to gain some more specific experience before making a decision.

I'm working on my PhD right now, so I get paid to assistant-teach university-level courses and conduct my own research. I can't complain, as it means I get to spend 2 months out of the year in the tropics playing with bugs.

I work in IT sales though that is always on the phone and e_mail. Not cold calling but looking after repeat customers and I have spent the last 12 years dealing with overseas customers so much more e_mail based as language can be a problem.

Start a new job in 3 weeks and that will not be overseas customers and I will need to go out once a month to meet a customer. I am sh***ing bricks over it already.

Biscuits would be a great icebreaker

I work 50 hours a week in a childrens day nursery, it's physically and emotionally draining and I do struggle but the hardest part of it is dealing with other staff members :/