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Yeah, I think I got some aptitude testing from the vocational rehab program. I don't think there was anything in way of how I act during unstructured social interaction, though. It was mostly a coordination test, lifting test, general knowledge, response to distractions, and non-verbal IQ test. My counselor said that I did fairly well, but I did qualify for job support (someone tries to help match me with a job they think will be a good fit). I haven't seen my scores. I also know that I did not do that well during the response to distractions portion; I was so focused on everything else going on in the room that I could hardly focus on the questions.
The counselor seems knowledgeable, and I trust her judgement. It just seems to be taking a long time, though. I've been waiting on these people since when i applied in June.
Um, thanks for the usouthal link, but I'm living in Texas now, about a thirty minute drive to Mexico. I guess the same idea applies, though, even though I haven't been able to find any Spanish classes at all around here--weird.
This place is at least better than Alabama's vocational rehab center. The person who interviewed me there told me they didn't have anything for "that," when I told him I was diagnosed with ASD.
Where in Texas are you living? I am sure there are Spanish classes. Try the local high school for after school adult classes in Spanish.
I'd guess, like everyone else, you can't stick with something that doesn't really interest you. It sounds like you are trying to learn stuff not because you want to but because you think it would look good on your resume.
I think your real issue for employment is a bad record because of your ASD related behavior at previous jobs. Also it seems you don't seem to follow up on ideas or suggestions. You tell people what they want to hear but make up your own mind and follow your own path (like most people who post on CD).
I agree with the poster who said you need to be up front about your autism. You ought to get a written diagnosis of it from a medical professional to be able to show prospective employers.
Some employers like larger corporations and universities etc., actually have a quota of disabled people to keep on staff and accommodate their physical and/or mental disabilities. You may have to relocate from your present area to get one of those jobs.
Maybe I'm off base here but you remind me a bit of my cousin, who has paranoid schizophrenia. She also didn't want to go on disability and she was able to be on her own for more than 30 years now. She recently retired from a major private university in Portland, after working there for about 20 years. They made special accommodations for her and she had a job researching the financials of prospective financial donors for a department that raised funds for the college. She mostly worked alone on the computer and her supervisors were very understanding.
She constantly spitballs ideas of working in retirement (though she makes enough to live on her own with SS and a small pension), but nothing comes of it. She has seen a psychiatrist regularly for decades and is on meds, but occasionally crashes and burns and then gets on her feet again. She has lived alone for about 30 years and has managed to survive. She asks for advice and is grateful to get it but it just goes in one ear and out the other and she does whatever she wants to and is still doing it in her 70's. She has been like this since we were kids. Like most people I know.
Quote:
Originally Posted by krmb
I'm open to any career options suggested to me at this point, and I've told my counselor as much. I don't think that means I should stop trying to update my job skills to become an even more desirable hire to perspective employers, though.
Thanks for the link, but I'm trying to figure out why I haven't really been able to stick with anything. It may be that the courses that I enrolled in offered little in way of accountability, so they were easy to forget. I guess the online courses that actually grade my work might be worth looking into. Maybe that will give me a greater sense of accountability and provide more motivation. It really doesn't take that much. I've had luck with almost every online class I've taken, except for free or low-cost MOOC's, but maybe I haven't taken the right ones.
I'd guess, like everyone else, you can't stick with something that doesn't really interest you. It sounds like you are trying to learn stuff not because you want to but because you think it would look good on your resume.
I think your real issue for employment is a bad record because of your ASD related behavior at previous jobs. Also it seems you don't seem to follow up on ideas or suggestions. You tell people what they want to hear but make up your own mind and follow your own path (like most people who post on CD).
I agree with the poster who said you need to be up front about your autism. You ought to get a written diagnosis of it from a medical professional to be able to show prospective employers.
Some employers like larger corporations and universities etc., actually have a quota of disabled people to keep on staff and accommodate their physical and/or mental disabilities. You may have to relocate from your present area to get one of those jobs.
Maybe I'm off base here but you remind me a bit of my cousin, who has paranoid schizophrenia. She also didn't want to go on disability and she was able to be on her own for more than 30 years now. She recently retired from a major private university in Portland, after working there for about 20 years. They made special accommodations for her and she had a job researching the financials of prospective financial donors for a department that raised funds for the college. She mostly worked alone on the computer and her supervisors were very understanding.
She constantly spitballs ideas of working in retirement (though she makes enough to live on her own with SS and a small pension), but nothing comes of it. She has seen a psychiatrist regularly for decades and is on meds, but occasionally crashes and burns and then gets on her feet again. She has lived alone for about 30 years and has managed to survive. She asks for advice and is grateful to get it but it just goes in one ear and out the other and she does whatever she wants to and is still doing it in her 70's. She has been like this since we were kids. Like most people I know.
Wow, that's good to hear. From what I know about schizophrenia, she was definitely eligible to go on disability. Mine, though, is a little bit different, and you're right, I might benefit from having a doctor list accommodations, observations, etc. in writing, because otherwise it's fairly well hidden. I just act like your run-of-the-mill apathetic employee.
It's not so much that I'm just making up my own mind or intentionally ignoring advice (but I really think every past employer I've had would disagree with this). It's just that I don't always "hear" the advice given to me because I'm interpreting it to mean something else. It's hard to give an example. I guess I should start keeping a notebook and write down times when this happens. It doesn't help that I have a habit or turning a conversation into a mild "argument" just to learn new information. I usually don't realize I'm doing it, either.
For example...
If one of my coworkers says I heard that A and B is happening...
I might chime in and say, no, I read that C is actually how it works...
What I'm assuming is supposed to happen is someone is supposed to do fact checking and find out who was correct and then we can carry on a more informed intelligent conversation, as if it were a class, but...that's usually not what happens. It may result in people just leaving the room, changing the subject, or stopping the conversation? I don't like talking to my coworkers in unstructured situations because mistakes like this are far too common and usually too subtle for me to recognize until I've already done something to offend them...
Well, I can also give another example.
Someone on this site a little while back mentioned career counseling. I was not familiar with the idea that career counselors were assigned to vocational rehabilitation cases, so I was fairly confused about what was being suggested. At first I assumed the person meant a regular counselor, and my reply was that I was already seeing one of those. Then, I thought maybe the person was talking about a job coach, and my reply was that those services were too expensive and not covered by insurance.
When situations like this arise, I can think I'm following someone's advice to the letter, when in reality it looks to them like I'm completely ignoring the advice and "doing my own thing." It is true, though, that I often "do my own thing," because it's not always easy for me to understand what other people are trying to suggest or explain, especially when it's done in person in an informal setting, like the teacher's lounge, where it can be mistaken for polite small talk. Even if I am interested in what the other person suggested to me, certain contexts dictate that I can't just come out and say so, and that gets to me--most common example I can think of: lovely day today, isn't it? In person informal = fake?
Of course I don't know if the "mis-hearing" is all related to ASD; I might just need to work on paying better attention to people instead of assuming I know what they are trying to tell me. I think I can at least do that on a forum. In person presents greater challenges, however. There are even situations where I'm leery of calling people, mostly bosses, counselors, and other authority figures, on the phone. I feel like it's easier to mess up communication on the phone than with a text or email, and the superior I'm contacting may misinterpret what I'm trying to say, because what comes naturally to most people, voice inflection, knowing when it's your turn to speak and not "talking over" the other person, not "taking over" the conversation, etc., I sometimes neglect to do without noticing. I kind of feel like talking to a person who is unfamiliar with me, on the phone or in person, is almost like navigating a mine field. If I feel too comfortable and slip into informal speech or tell a joke, I could instantly offend that person in a way that would not be easily forgiven. I hate uncomfortable situations like that, so I like to avoid informal moments as much as possible and stay in a "safe" structured professional setting where I know what is expected of me, there is little ambiguity, and the goal is clear. I'm also somewhat comfortable, or was before I found out I had ASD, with being in a situation where I know I'm not required to know all of the rules, like a setting where there are a lot of people who are not from the U.S.
Also, yeah, I guess I need to work on my motivation mainly. With the online classes, it's just the idea that they probably won't count for anything and I may not learn the material anyway, so what's the use?
Thanks for the reply. I do agree with your assessment that "With the online classes, it's just the idea that they probably won't count for anything and I may not learn the material anyway, so what's the use?". I think unless you actually enjoy them for your own sake, there is no use.
I think I understand what you are saying about communication, you expressed it well. My Mom was a war bride from WWII and had difficulty communicating in English. She couldn't pass a civil service exam because she couldn't understand English idioms and slang. She was always on her best formal behaviour with people. I don't think she could be herself with anyone except relatives and some close friends.
Everything you said leads me to believe that whatever job you have it would be best if your co-workers and boss knew of your ASD so they wouldn't misinterpret what you are saying.
I think trying to hide your ASD is doing you more harm then good. And no employer wants "just another apathetic employee".
I don't know if you have joined any online or local support groups or organizations or services that support people with ASD, but if I were you I would seek them out. They may or may not suit you, but you never know. Good luck going forward and finding your niche.
Quote:
Originally Posted by krmb
Wow, that's good to hear. From what I know about schizophrenia, she was definitely eligible to go on disability. Mine, though, is a little bit different, and you're right, I might benefit from having a doctor list accommodations, observations, etc. in writing, because otherwise it's fairly well hidden. I just act like your run-of-the-mill apathetic employee.
It's not so much that I'm just making up my own mind or intentionally ignoring advice (but I really think every past employer I've had would disagree with this). It's just that I don't always "hear" the advice given to me because I'm interpreting it to mean something else. It's hard to give an example. I guess I should start keeping a notebook and write down times when this happens. It doesn't help that I have a habit or turning a conversation into a mild "argument" just to learn new information. I usually don't realize I'm doing it, either.
For example...
If one of my coworkers says I heard that A and B is happening...
I might chime in and say, no, I read that C is actually how it works...
What I'm assuming is supposed to happen is someone is supposed to do fact checking and find out who was correct and then we can carry on a more informed intelligent conversation, as if it were a class, but...that's usually not what happens. It may result in people just leaving the room, changing the subject, or stopping the conversation? I don't like talking to my coworkers in unstructured situations because mistakes like this are far too common and usually too subtle for me to recognize until I've already done something to offend them...
Well, I can also give another example.
Someone on this site a little while back mentioned career counseling. I was not familiar with the idea that career counselors were assigned to vocational rehabilitation cases, so I was fairly confused about what was being suggested. At first I assumed the person meant a regular counselor, and my reply was that I was already seeing one of those. Then, I thought maybe the person was talking about a job coach, and my reply was that those services were too expensive and not covered by insurance.
When situations like this arise, I can think I'm following someone's advice to the letter, when in reality it looks to them like I'm completely ignoring the advice and "doing my own thing." It is true, though, that I often "do my own thing," because it's not always easy for me to understand what other people are trying to suggest or explain, especially when it's done in person in an informal setting, like the teacher's lounge, where it can be mistaken for polite small talk. Even if I am interested in what the other person suggested to me, certain contexts dictate that I can't just come out and say so, and that gets to me--most common example I can think of: lovely day today, isn't it? In person informal = fake?
Of course I don't know if the "mis-hearing" is all related to ASD; I might just need to work on paying better attention to people instead of assuming I know what they are trying to tell me. I think I can at least do that on a forum. In person presents greater challenges, however. There are even situations where I'm leery of calling people, mostly bosses, counselors, and other authority figures, on the phone. I feel like it's easier to mess up communication on the phone than with a text or email, and the superior I'm contacting may misinterpret what I'm trying to say, because what comes naturally to most people, voice inflection, knowing when it's your turn to speak and not "talking over" the other person, not "taking over" the conversation, etc., I sometimes neglect to do without noticing. I kind of feel like talking to a person who is unfamiliar with me, on the phone or in person, is almost like navigating a mine field. If I feel too comfortable and slip into informal speech or tell a joke, I could instantly offend that person in a way that would not be easily forgiven. I hate uncomfortable situations like that, so I like to avoid informal moments as much as possible and stay in a "safe" structured professional setting where I know what is expected of me, there is little ambiguity, and the goal is clear. I'm also somewhat comfortable, or was before I found out I had ASD, with being in a situation where I know I'm not required to know all of the rules, like a setting where there are a lot of people who are not from the U.S.
Also, yeah, I guess I need to work on my motivation mainly. With the online classes, it's just the idea that they probably won't count for anything and I may not learn the material anyway, so what's the use?
I wish it were this easy. We retired to a Spanish-speaking country but the dialect here is like the U.S. Deep South, so "TV" Spanish won't cut it. We have been very lax trying to learn, for this reason.
No locals seem interested in learning English, either. We have to keep trying though. I can understand most of the subtitles, and can read Spanish somewhat, but speaking/understanding is a whole other thing.
Yes, there are different accents. I speak Spanish and grew up in Miami. I do find Mexican Spanish sometimes difficult to understand depending on enunciation and slang usage. Even on tv with trained actors, there are some who are more easily understood than others. I agree that it is much easier to hear/read and understand than it is to actually come up with the words and grammar. It’s good you are trying. I would be hesitant to retire to a country whose language I didn’t speak well, so I admire you.
But, one must start somewhere. Even if the accent where you live is difficult, it should be easier on you to immerse yourself in the “good stuff” accent-wise and if you become fluent in that, pick up the local speech. Keep trying! The locals will understand you if you have a good accent,even if the reverse is not always the case. I say that as someone who retired in the US South. I have been here 13 years and still occasionally run into a native English speaking person whose English I cannot understand.
Find a Spanish-speaking person who needs to learn English. Teach that person English and have that person teach you Spanish.
I did this in written form with an Internet friend from Costa Rica. I helped him produce a colloquially-correct form of his webpages in English and we corrected each other's attempts at using the other's language for some time.
In theory, I know how to teach myself these things, but in practice, I never get anything done and just wish I could afford a good old fashioned face-to-face class.
I doubt if you would be successful in a classroom situation because you wouldn't follow through with what you learned.
I've taught myself a lot of things, some out of necessity, some for fun.
Learning software code is probably useless unless you want to pursue a career in software engineering. However, learning to fix your computer is useful and the way to learn that is to buy the cheapest computer you can find, download the service manual, open it up, take out all the pieces, put it back together and see if it still works.
Learning Spanish in the southwest is probably useful. The way to do that is make friends with Hispanic people and talk to them in their own language while you are studying it out of a book. You'll learn it the hard way, but you'll retain it if you keep on doing it.
Don't bother learning something if you don't intend to use what you learn on a daily basis for the rest of your life.
I spent my career in high tech with titles like Chief Architect. In that kind of job, I'm paid to quickly learn and then make strategic judgements based on what I've learned. Usually, there isn't a subject matter expert in the building so I have to become the subject matter expert. Before the internet and web search engines, there was a heck of a lot more skill, cost, and effort in acquiring the information to teach yourself. Today, I can get the gist of pretty much any technology with a Google and some hours reading. If you don't have the personality type for it, you're probably forced to pay to have someone spoon feed the information to you.
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