Good job for some aspies: Direct Support Professional

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I'm not sure how many are aware of this type of work or the very high demand for it in most places of the USA, so I thought I would post about it to help some others who may be out there looking for more Aspie-friendly jobs.

For those unfamiliar, a direct support professional is someone who assists the developmentally disabled, typically in the homes where they live. Job requirements are minimal in most states: usually all they require is a high school diploma, vehicle insurance, and a basic background check.

So what makes this job potentially Aspie-friendly?

1) More relaxed pace with minimal social interaction. You don't have to do a zillion things at once, especially on the evening and overnight shifts. Interaction is mostly one-on-one with the disabled individuals (usually called "clients" or "consumers") and a fellow staff member, if the house where you work is double-staffed on a particular shift (most homes are). Overnight shift has the least interaction of all: you will focus primarily on paperwork and cleaning the home of the clients/consumers as they sleep. If you do a good job at that, no one will care all that much about your weakness with multi-tasking or networking with your staff members. Indeed, most neurotypicals get "bored" on the overnight because they can't focus on detail the way Aspies often can, so your services can be of great value to your employer.

2) The fact that you are working with the disabled themselves. Suddenly, your limited social skills may not seem so awful when compared to a disabled person who likely struggles even more than you do. You may indeed "resonate" more with your clients than a neurotypical staff would, and your clients sometimes appreciate that.

3) You have some control over the hours you work (but see challenge #3: there are some drawbacks here)

What might be some challenges?

1) The behavior of the disabled individuals. While there are certainly exceptions, the disabled often struggle more with controlling anger and exhibiting self-control than those without disabilities. You may have to learn to deal with their verbal outbursts, physical aggression in some homes, their lack of awareness of their own safety and those of others, etc.

2) The attitudes of your co-workers. If you aren't in a good home, then backstabbing, gossip, and politics can take hold as much as they do in other professions. You have to always be on guard against people who might not be so ethical. Since you rarely work with more than one co-worker at a time, word of mouth can often be a deal-breaker on the job, unfortunately.

3) High turnover rate and unpredictable hours. Sadly, few people can handle working with the disabled for longer than a few months. People often will look to get out of their shifts and throw them on another co-worker even while they do work, and you can get called at odd hours to hurry and fill a shift that someone else cannot handle. Turnover is typically between 70-80%. Some adaptability, then, is essential, and that can certainly be a struggle for Aspies. If it becomes a major problem, though, you CAN let your boss(es) know so they can schedule you according to your needs.