My Aspergers Child: Aspergers and Employment Prospects

Aspergers and Employment Prospects

I stumbled across another blog about Aspergers recently which said that unemployment for people with Aspergers was as high as 85%…which seems way too high in my opinion.

Gavin, the owner of the blog then carried out his own “quick and dirty” survey which found the figure in his group to be around 11%…but my guess is that’s probably a bit low.

My estimate would be around 20% - although to be honest as we all know there are “lies, damn lies and statistics!”

News flash - Having had a little surf further around the net the statistics are actually quite staggering certainly in the UK…

A number of sites quote the unemployment rate for people with Aspergers as 88% - and this statistic seems to originate from the highly-respected and knowledgable National Autism Society.

Scary stuff indeed…

But what can you as parents do to stop this becoming a reality for your child?

Well pretty much what you are doing already…judging by many of the excellent emails that I get in from so many of you.

In conjunction with school it is so essential to get your child’s social skills, interactional skills etc. as up to speed as is humanly possible.

When the time gets closer for your child to be thinking of work, then as parents you need to be really proactive in bringing this topic to your child and helping them to look for opportunities.

Plan out what your child would like to do and what looks achievable for your child - bearing in mind their own particular issues with regard to sensory stimulation, crowding, understanding
social situations.

Each child is different and so there is no catch-all solution.

But involve your child in decisions all along the way - don’t do it for them.

Then it may well mean contacting local businesses and working closely with the school and careers service in identifying a suitable employer who will have a sensitivity to your child’s needs.

An honest and straight forward explanation of Aspergers and what it means can help a great deal of employers who are happy to give people a chance - but are maybe wary or scared of the label Aspergers, simply because they don’t understand it.

Then it’s up to your child (often with support at first) to be able to convince the employer that they can do the job.

One tactic may be to ask for a 2/4 week unpaid trial in which your child can be given support to learn the ropes and then impress the boss sufficiently to get a permanent job.

There is a web page at NAS that would be helpful for you to mention to a potential employer (or even print off the details and actually take to show them): http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=444

If you wish to read more of Gavin’s Aspergers blog go to:
http://life-with-aspergers.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-does-aspergers-affect-employment.html

The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide: A Complete Resource Guide For Parents Who Have Children Diagnosed With Aspergers Syndrome.

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Parenting Defiant Aspergers Teens

Although Aspergers is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager with Aspergers are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the Aspergers teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

The standard disciplinary techniques that are recommended for “typical” teenagers do not take into account the many issues facing a child with a neurological disorder. Violent rages, self-injury, isolation-seeking tendencies and communication problems that arise due to auditory and sensory issues are just some of the behaviors that parents of teens with Aspergers will have to learn to control.

Parents need to come up with a consistent disciplinary plan ahead of time, and then present a united front and continually review their strategies for potential changes and improvements as the Aspergers teen develops and matures.

Click here to read the full article…

Aspergers Children “Block-Out” Their Emotions

Parenting children with Aspergers can be a daunting task. In layman’s terms, Aspergers is a developmental disability that affects the way children develop and understand the world around them, and is directly linked to their senses and sensory processing. This means they often use certain behaviors to block out their emotions or response to pain.

Although they may vary slightly from person to person, children with Aspergers tend to have similar symptoms, the main ones being:

=> A need to know when everything is happening in order not to feel completely overwhelmed
=> A rigid insistence on routine (where any change can cause an emotional and physiological meltdown)
=> Difficulties with social functioning, particularly in the rough and tumble of a school environment
=> Obsessive interests, with a focus on one subject to the exclusion of all others
=> Sensory issues, where they are oversensitive to bright light, loud sounds and unpleasant smells
=> Social isolation and struggles to make friends due to a lack of empathy, and an inability to pick up on or understand social graces and cues (such as stopping talking and allowing others to speak)

Click here to read the full article…

How to Prevent Meltdowns in Aspergers Children

Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and the Asperger’s child are totally exhausted. But...

Don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next - the meltdown can return in full force.

If your child suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, expect him to experience both minor and major meltdowns over incidents that are part of daily life. He may have a major meltdown over a very small incident, or may experience a minor meltdown over something that is major. There is no way of telling how he is going to react about certain situations. However, there are many ways to help your child learn to control his emotions.

Click here for the full article...

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Living with an Aspergers Spouse/Partner

Research reveals that the divorce rate for people with Aspergers is around 80%. Why so high!? The answer may be found in how the symptoms of Aspergers affect intimate relationships.

People with Aspergers often find it difficult to understand others and express themselves. They may seem to lose interest in people over time, appear aloof, and are often mistaken as self-centered, vain individuals.

A person with Aspergers may have trouble understanding the emotions of their partner, and the subtle messages that are sent by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. Because of this, a person with Aspergers might be seen as egotistical, selfish or uncaring.

These are unfair labels, because the affected individuals are neurologically unable to understand other people's emotional states, and they are usually shocked, upset and remorseful when told their actions were hurtful or inappropriate!

Click here to read the full article…

Older Teens and Young Adult Children With Aspergers Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent?

Parents of teens with Aspergers face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."

Parents face issues such as college preparation, vocational training, teaching independent living, and providing lifetime financial support for their child, if necessary. Meanwhile, their immature Aspergers teenager is often indifferent – and even hostile – to these concerns.

As you were raising your child, you imagined how he would be when he grew up. Maybe you envisioned him going to college, learning a skilled traded, getting a good job, or beginning his own family. But now that (once clear) vision may be dashed. You may be grieving the loss of the child you wish you had.

If you have an older teenager with Aspergers who has no clue where he is going in life, or if you have an “adult-child” with Aspergers still living at home (in his early 20s or beyond), here are the steps you will need to take in order to foster the development of self-reliance in this child.

Click here to read the full article…

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Aspergers and Employment Prospects

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