Should my ASD teenager get a job?

By Mark Hutten, M.A.
If you have the perfect situation and your ASD (high functioning autistic) teenager is excited about the opportunity, then go for it. You know your youngster better than anyone, and many ASD teenagers can do very well working for others. 
 
However, if you are uneasy about sending your teenager off to a job, then consider the possibility of starting a home business with him. You and your teenager can work together. You can help him learn about responsibility, customer service, sales, marketing and book keeping.

Here are some business ideas to consider:

1. Elderly care. Stop by once a day, to bring in their paper, take out their garbage, and check in.

2. Pet Sitting or Grooming. If your teenager loves animals (and doesn’t have allergies), pet sitting can be the perfect way for your teenager to make money and build self-esteem in the process. The only critical thing here is that you have to make sure they are meeting their appointments. Depending on your teenager’s level of responsibility, you may be driving and, possibly going with them. An alternative, of course, is to bring the pet to your home, if that’s an option.

3. Pooper scooper. Yes, you read that right. Yards get messy. People are busy. It’s a perfect fit. It’s not the most pleasant work, but, it is work that you can do on your own schedule. It’s flexible and it pays well.

4. Yard work. Raking, weeding, spreading mulch. All of these things can pay quite well for an ASD teenager. In fact, your teenager could easily make more money per hour than many of his classmates who have regular hourly jobs.

These are just a few of the many ways you and your teenager can build a business together. Please, if your teenager cannot function in a fast paced job like McDonalds or a Movie Theater, then don’t force it. There are ways to help your youngster to learn the skills needed to become an entrepreneur instead.

==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism

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