I want/ need a job, what do i do?

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hi, my dad couldn't find a job, so we are on an extremely low income, basically just enough to pay for the house rent, other than that, we cant afford anything else. i decided to get a job, but, i dont think i can get hired, based on the fact i have an extremely low stress tolerance, and i do not work well with others. but i am very good with Animals, retaining information, and feel most comfortable with animals, infact i find it relaxing to be with Animals. so i decided if i were to get a job it would be in the pet store down the street, but, im not sure which direction to take, because if i tell them i have Autism they wont hire me, but if i dont tell them i may get overwhelmed, meltdown and get fired. so im in between a rock and a hard place. what should i do?

Maybe you should apply for disability so you have something to fall back on if you don't get a job that you can do right away. Then you can assess what things you're able to do and what kind of jobs you could get, maybe you could try a program that helps people with disabilities find jobs, that could also help you determine what kind of jobs you'd be able to do.

You live in Canada, right? If so there are gov't programs that are completely free to help disabled people find jobs. Jewish Vocational Services (don't worry it helps everyone, you don't have to be Jewish) has some free programs too.

Some ideas: if you're good at retaining info, maybe you could work in a library or an office, there's still some interaction but less than in other jobs. You could try working in a pet store and see if you can handle it. I tried working in a vet clinic and only lasted two weeks. I love animals too but it is very overwhelming with all the smells and sounds and it's a lot of work to do, a lot of multi-tasking and prioritizing and a lot to get done by the end of the day. A per store might be easier though, I'm not sure.

i asked my doctor and he said if my Verbal skills are Severely compromised or i physically cant do something is the only time i could get a financial aid, or if i attend Therapy like Speach or Physio therapy. I only have very little I.Q problems and my only real problem is my behaviour,my ability to focus when im not interested,following instructions, working with others, and my ability to work under pressure (which doesnt follow the criteria for any disability benifets.

Canadian disability is far worse then ours in the states (you would think otherwise). It isn't very easy to get and far less money then here. Certainly NOT enough to even live on. Why this is I have no idea. I have some close Canadian friends (used to live and work up there) and one should easily qualify for benefits but sadly doesn't. They only thing she has better then us is her health plan, but then again most every industrialized western country is better then ours!

Ever think about pet sitting/walking Zombie? I know some people here in the states that do fairly well at that. Taking care of dogs/cats while the owners are working or away on vacation. I should think that is as prevalent in Canada as it is here. Many pet owners HATE boarding them in a kennel as it is stressful for the animals.

Hi there,

I'm glad you want to help your family. Why don't you apply at the pet store?

You don't have to tell them you have autism. You like animals; I bet you'd be successful there.

have you tried contacting vocational rehabilitation? its kind of a slow process at least in the states but its designed for people like us to get employment

yes, but i have a lot of trouble with Personal things like that. id rather work with many animals than just one persons pet.

Do they still have paper-people (the people who deliver papers to houses, then collect money from those people)? Maybe you could do that.

If you're physically strong, you could work stock at a retail store like Target or Costco. There's not much social interaction in that kind of job.

Or you could work the night shift at Tim Horton's Not much social interaction there.

If you're good with kids, of course you could babysit.

Does your high school have a guidance office? Maybe they could help with jobs.

Is this something you could do? It would be evening work, says little supervision so I take it little interaction with people. Only for the summer and it closes today so you'd have to apply quickly. I did same while going thru college and I made some fair money at it too. Worked after closing hours so no one to deal with for the most part.

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I don't know how similar the employment situation is in Canada, but here in the US, you are not required to disclose a diagnosis to an employer, but if you do, and you have the documentation to prove it, they are required to make reasonable accommodations to support you in your job; they are not allowed to fire you on the basis of a disability. Given that, if the same holds true where you are, it might be easiest to go through the interview process, and only mention the autism once you are hired. Have a list of reasonable accommodations you think they might be able to set up for you on hand, so you don't overwhelm them by making them come up with the (probably incorrect) decisions themselves with regard to what you need.

Working in retail and managing several stores you are correct they can't ask you about medical conditions. However it LEGAL to have you read the job description you are being considered for and ask if you can do the work without any special accommodations. If you say no, chances are you will NOT get hired. If you say yes and are later found to have intentionally falsified your answer on this, that is grounds for termination. There is ALWAYS a way round these things. Lawyers get involved and then most of the ADA becomes meaningless. That is why the employment among the handicapped is so pitiful anymore. Also they have the loophole of reasonable accommodations. They can say simply that in the case of the job that the accommodation you require is NOT reasonable for them. Many will cite that if they need to temporarily reassign you to another position, your handicap may prevent that and that would hinder the operation negatively.

Best thing to do is to deny it if after reading the description you think you can force yourself to handle or deal with it. Worse case is you are again looking for another job. As far as how Canada is in this regard, I have NO idea. I lived and worked up there but as an employee of a US corp on loan to a Canadian subsidiary (GM). So my bosses, pay, etc were all in Pontiac, MI.

Not to put you off but unless they (the pet store) are advertising a vacancy then why do you think they would hire you?

I had a friend who ran a pet store back in the 1990s and she ran her business on a very low profit margin. Unless you know the owner of the pet store and they have told you they are willing to take you on I don't fancy your chances.

If you like animals then why don't you invest in a short course in animal welfare or as a veterinary assistant? you might be able to get government financial assistance where you live and it opens up much more avenues for you beyond pet stores including animal welfare agencies, pounds, veterinary clinics and zoos.