Careers for Young Man with Autism?

[Zahmir]

I need some helpful suggestions.

I have a friend who is suffering from a form of autism which is very mild at this point. He is able to communicate just fine. In most cases, his autism is reflected in a variety of other ways, such as hearing problems, compulsive behavior, etc. He is aged 20, graduated from high school, and doesn’t do much right now at all except play video games or play basketball.

I need to get him excited about providing for himself and living his own life and making his own friends. Even if he is still living with his family and getting the support he needs, I think it to be essential to human living for one to feel useful. He has suffered from depression in the past and I fear that without sustaining his own life, he will quickly fall into depression again.

I thought about getting him interested in a career in video game testing, but I’m not sure if that would be best.

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[dulcissima]

Autism is evidently very common in the IT field. He should go to college. His family shouldn’t let him just sit around and play video games.

 

[Em_in_FL]

Autism is evidently very common in the IT field. He should go to college. His family shouldn’t let him just sit around and play video games.

Agreed!
Many autistic people have an extraordinary ability to focus diligently on a task, be it video games, programming, assembly line working, etc, etc…
Find his “skill” and try to reach the highest potential where it can be applied!

 

[ack]

My roommate has Autism and he’s a security screener at an airport. This is not exactly an ideal career, but it’s better than sitting around all day.

(My roommate did go to college and graduate, but for unknown reasons, he was never able to use his degree. His case of autism might be much more severe than your friend’s, though.)

 

[kage_ar]

Video Game testing is right up there with movie star and astronaut - something every kid wants to do, but, the jobs are very rare. I’d not get his hopes up that is a viable carreer choice.

Contact the Vocational Rehab office in your state as well as your local community college.

There are many things this young man can do, so, education is the way to go!

 

[browneyes106]

Autism is evidently very common in the IT field. He should go to college. His family shouldn’t let him just sit around and play video games.

One of my friends suffers from Aspergers which is a mild form of autism and he works for an Internet provider as a field tec. I agree the family in this case should encourage him to go to college or get a trade.

Agreed!
Many autistic people have an extraordinary ability to focus diligently on a task, be it video games, programming, assembly line working, etc, etc…
Find his “skill” and try to reach the highest potential where it can be applied!

He could have skills in some area. I agree any skills he has and applied somewhere.

Video Game testing is right up there with movie star and astronaut - something every kid wants to do, but, the jobs are very rare. I’d not get his hopes up that is a viable carreer choice.

Contact the Vocational Rehab office in your state as well as your local community college.
There are many things this young man can do, so, education is the way to go!

Also some department of labor offices offer resources such as skills sessions and job training to people with disablities.

 

[Galnextdoor]

Vocational Rehab will does testing to determine what training a person might be capable of and helps disabled people find jobs. There are some Vo-Tech schools that are specifically for disabled people. Vocational Rehab will pay for the training or education for a person to become certified to work in a the field that’s best for that person. They will sometimes even pay part of the wages for a company until that company is satisfied that the disabled person can do the job. (Usually, it’s about 2 or 3 months.)

There are many types of autism. There are many people with autism who are simply unemployable. Many don’t have the social skills to deal with co-workers. Many have attention problems. Most autistic people are retarded in certain areas and above average in one narrow area. My 10 year old son, for example, can read an encyclopedia, but he can’t add 136 and 798. He can hear a song once and hum the melody perfectly, but he can’t tell you what he did an hour ago. He has a melt down, when I try to get him to eat something besides the 10 ten foods he likes to eat. He wont even eat a new type of candy.

I have a nephew that has autism who is 20 years old. He loves math. He has taken college math classes. He is great on computers. He is a fantastic artist. However, his parents have to force him to go to the restroom. They also have to force him to take a shower and brush his teeth. He also has to be cued to do a task many times before he will finish a task.

Instead of encouraging him to try to be a video game tester, encourage him to try to find a job at a video game store. They need people to rent things out or put things away. They also like to employ people who know a lot about video games, so these people can recommend different games.

Good Luck!

 

[LindaS]

Google Temple Grandin. She is a world renowned expert in designing stockyards. She has a PhD and is a professor at a college in CO. She has autism.

Peace,
Linda

 

[Morwenna]

I just read an amazing novel dealing with autism, called The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. In her acknowledgements, she mentioned Dr Temple Grandin.

As Linda mentioned above, Dr Grandin is autistic, and has co-authored a book entitled Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism.

Here’s a link to the book on Amazon:

amazon.com/Developing-Talents-Individuals-Asperger-High-Functioning/dp/1931282560/

It hope this book may be of help to your friend.

 

[Bataar]

I have Asperger’s and I’m still trying to find my special “skill(s)”.

 

[chevalier]

I second going to college and getting a degree. If it’s possible to become a college prof with autism, it’s possible to do similar jobs that actually involve some contact with people - maybe no contact sports or group animation, but still some. There are jobs in which you can stay home and design or write things, but I think one shouldn’t just give in and one should - for his health - try. Even if it’s difficult - just so long as it isn’t detrimental to one’s health or sanity. And yeah, use those skills that come with the illness. Wonder how many special skills people have, come with a disease, actually. This has been said of many geniuses.

 

[xyneshia]

Suggest he go to college! My DH is autistic and is an engineer. There is no reason why this young man cannot be empowered, educated, and employed and succesfull! I will say a prayer for him!