A pattern among employed and employable autistic people

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Am not a huge earner, but tend to be steadily employed.

And I dont have any sensory issues that come to mind. None that are job related.

I havent asked for accomidation for sensory issues.

The OP seems to be implying that autistics without sensory issues are more employable than those with. I guess my experience would confirm that.

I work short hours, in a not very demanding job, for enlightened employers. I am always exhausted and stressed just from getting through a normal day. My sensory and social issues are minor compared to many people I know on WP. So I'll never be one to judge unemployed autistic people or hector them for not trying hard enough.

Just remember the normal world will forever hate and despise you, look down upon you, no matter how much you try to conform to their game, and play by their rules, despite how many times they smile in your face and pat you on the back and say "good job there pal." they will never accept you on their level. Its all a deception.

Just remember that it IS possible to beat The World at its own game.

Ah... the american dream, where every child is taught that THEY TOO can be top dog, despite being in competion with billions of people all clamoring to get top the top of the pyramid. If they just...work.. hard.. enough.

Sensory issues are some of the worst things I have to deal with. I always have to dim lights and the computer screen to the lowest level, avoid sources of heat and cold, and isolate myself from noise whenever feasible. The flip side is that I've built up a strong ability to withstand sensory assaults even though they feel like, well, assaults. I found especially that getting a lot of sleep (8-9 hours or more) coupled with focus on stress relief builds a protective layer onto my brain. Sounds are still awfully loud, but I can withstand it.

Sometimes an Aspie must take charge of a situation. In the above example, get up and close the door first. You don't need permission. If someone challenges you, just point to the sign on the door.

It is a lot harder to get a job when you have Autism.
Employers are more likely to employ a normal person instead of an Autistic person.
If an employer has the choice he/she will choose the normal person ahead of the Autistic person.
Having decent communication skills are needed in the workforce, normal people have the advantage over Autistic people.

There are even fewer jobs for non-grads.


This is one of the many reasons why we need a better-organized autistic community than now exists.

In particular, we need groups of autistic people who either work or want to work in particular categories of professions/occupations/jobs.

Once such groups are formed, those of us who can't handle job interviews could eliminate the need for job interviews as follows:

With the help of NT family members of some us, it would be highly desirable for some of us to organize cooperative teams of people who work in particular professions, e.g. programmers, with one relatively socially-skilled person (e.g. the afore-mentioned NT family member of one of the autistic team members) marketing the services of the entire team. The team could form, in the first place, as a result of interested people working on relevant unpaid volunteer projects together. (In the case of programmers, this would be free/libre open-source projects.)

See my Autistic Workers Project page. I will soon be launching a group with the tentative name of Autistic Techies of the NYC Area.

I would like to hear from anyone who is interested in starting any similar group for any other profession / occupation / job category and any other locale. If you are interested in helping to start such a group, you might be interested in participating in online chats of the newly-forming Autistic Peer Leadership Group.

Anyhow, I would strongly encourage all work-capable autistic people either to (1) go to college, if you can handle academic work, or, if you can't handle academic work, or (2) get hands-on training for a skilled trade (electrician, plumber, etc.)

The training is not enough, of course, but it is essential.

Who said anything about being "Top Dog"?  That is the Capitalist's Dream, not the American Dream, which is to be self-supporting and have enough income to own a home, get married, raise kids, and retire comfortably.  Even the stories written by Horatio Alger were only about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through good works.  Sure, everybody seems to have a "Top Dog" fantasy, but reality allows mostly for a satisfying, simple life as a reward for effort, diligence, and personal responsibility.

"Yeah, buts" and other lame excuses in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

I'll never be a "top dog"--and don't care to be.

"Top dogs" usually have little leisure time.

Most of these jobs are in manufacturing, warehousing, and retail -- not exactly the best places for people with sensory issues.For those who need the help, this is something that starts out as a good idea, then eventually becomes a crutch.  For the rest of us, excelling in STEM courses will over-ride the drawbacks of a "quirky" personality (not always, but more often than not).

Since it doesn't exist yet, you don't know what it will "eventually become." Certainly there are various potential pitfalls that we will need to be on the lookout for and try to avoid/fix.

But many of us do need this, and the possibility of various potential pitfalls isn't a reason not to try.


Less often these days than was the case when you and I were younger. Over the past several decades, "people skills" and "excellent communication skills" have become more and more important in many workplaces, even for engineers and programmers. Additionally, in the age of LinkedIn, the whole process of finding a job has become much more brutal even for many NT's, let alone for autistic people.

You do have a point.  However, I am basing my (subjective) claim on the fact that after having worked with similar organizations in the past -- both as an employer and an employee -- some people tend to look upon these organizations as more than just placement agencies; they seem to expect the agency to intervene on their behalf long after their contracts with the agency have expired.  If I may, then I would like to suggest that your agency provide training in how to be more self-reliant and how to communicate one's needs in an effective way (e.g., a way that does not seem like whining).Entry-level jobs are hard to come by these days, since few employers seem willing or able to devote a lot of time and effort to mentor freshly-minted graduates in the subtleties of interpersonal relationships.  Back in the days before the Internet, it was not unusual to meet an old-timer at work who would coach and advise you in how to get along with others.  Nowadays, you might have contact with coworkers and supervisors only through emails and Zoom conferences.  I am hoping that once the coronavirus threat has passed, we can once again make friends at work by simply buying a dozen donuts and leaving the box in the break room.

Indeed the above looks to me like good advice for placement agencies.

But I should clarify that what I'm trying to build is not a placement agency. Rather, I'm trying to build:

1) What I hope will eventually become a professional association for autistic computer professionals, similar to the many organizations that exist for members of various other minority groups in various professions.

2) An eventual project of the above organization to facilitate the development of teams that would provide contract labor as teams rather than as individuals.

3) A network of organizations similar to #1 above for other categories of professions / occupations / jobs.

There already do exist some placement agencies for individual autistic people, primarily for STEM jobs. See my list here.

Mona certainly put lots of thought into all this.....this is important in advocacy.