Sometimes I wonder if society is more disabled than me
I have autism and tend to get frustrated more easily than most. Sometimes I look around me and realize that if the world were different in some ways then I wouldn't be as affected by autism. For example, I have a lot of things that I am not good at and some that I am very good at so when applying for jobs I rely heavily on the job description. Many times job descriptions are way off, so the wrong people apply and in some cases even get hired. I applied for one in a food lab and the description stated that there are no supervising duties in this job. During the interview I was told that part of this job involves supervising and making sure people follow the rules. I flat out stated that I have no supervising experience and that the job description stated that no supervising duties are involved. I don't have very good people skills so the last thing I want to try to do is supervise. I didn't get a call back and think that I dodged a bullet because if I was hired it would've gone downhill so quickly that I would've regretted taking the job offer. If job descriptions were accurate my weaknesses with autism wouldn't be such a problem.
Also the cost of living is so high in many places that many people who work fulltime but don't get paid enough for the area they live in rely on subsidized housing. My mom worries about me using that option for independence because some of those programs tend to attract people who don't want to work and make bad choices in general such as drugs. If the cost of living wasn't so high I wouldn't be considering it as much.
Overall I want to move closer to job prospects but want a safety net for if the job doesn't go well possibly because the description doesn't match and then still having to pay rent. I went through a lot of interviews just to land one job that didn't go well, and I heard that maybe interviewers notice that I am different and don't want to hire me even if I would do the job well, making the interview process another disabled part of society. Having to go through so many interviews means that getting another job if one doesn't go well would take a long time.
Anyone else feel that maybe autism is not the problem it is the world around us that most people are able to ignore?
nick007
Veteran

Joined: 4 May 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,184
Location: was Louisiana but now Vermont in capitalistic military dictatorship called USA
I have lots of various physical & mental disabilities in addition to my Aspergers & I've known people with various disabilities throughout my life. The whole system at least here in America towards disableds is very f#cked up. Lots complain about people being on welfare & getting money for nuttin but noone wants their tax dollars to be invested in programs that would actually help disables become more independent & eventually break out of the system. We could be a lot more independent if we had access to better medical care & programs & services that would help us find decent employment. Then we'd be paying back into the system with our taxes instead of continuing to be forced to rely on it.
_________________
"I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem!"
"Hear all, trust nothing"
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ru ... cquisition
I have noticed the same thing in many ways. It seems to be getting better at least in California. When I first got out of high school I went straight to college, no part time job because if I showed that I could work I would lose my benefits. Now they have a Ticket to Work program which prevents us from prematurely losing our benefits and streamlines the process of reapplying if we need them again. We just have to sign up with certain employment agencies like Department of Rehabilitation. They can also provide accommodations as well as job coaches if we need more specific instructions than companies are used to giving employees.
Also in the past we had no way of saving money in our own name without losing our benefits. There is now an option called ABLE accounts which allows us to put away up to $15 thousand a year depending on the state. The catch is the withdrawals need to be for disability and living expenses so there is no saving up for a big luxury like a BMW which I am willing to live with. It still allows for buying a basic car if we can drive. It can even allow vacation if we show that it helps us be more independent and increases our quality of life.
There are still many things that I wish we could change. I heard that HUD housing is updating their program but don't know what ways, hopefully they will have more work incentives so that we don't get evicted the moment we make a certain level of income and risk not being able to pay the rent in a market value apartment if the income can't be maintained because the job situation changes.
Unfortunately there are a certain percentage of people who game the system and those who do it really do it so that grabs a lot of attention and society overgeneralizes, including my mom. I feel the need to constantly reassure mom that I am not turning into one of those people.
Depending on your situation moving to a different state might be a good answer but can take a long time. Getting my own apartment is taking a long time. Sadly we have to be more patient than the general population and others just see the patience as unproductivity, I find myself needing to educate others on things that are common sense to people like us. It gets exhausting especially if it is someone really close to me like my mom in some cases.
My mom works with special ed kids and there seems to be a large amount of students whose parents might be gaming the system, so mom overgeneralizes that and sometimes almost lumps me together which is very hurtful. I have gotten so mad at her that I screamed and called her all kinds of names and asked her things like "What do I have to do to never hear that from you again?" I have been distancing myself from my mom and only talking about what she wants to hear.
I got especially mad when she accused me of being willing to settle for public housing when before she actually talked with me about getting on the wait lists. I am currently not working and taking care of my own personal development because I am going to be getting surgery in a couple months which takes a month long recovery. I don't see much point in starting a job and then taking a month off when I had just started, especially if I know about it ahead of time like I do. It is these transitional times when I just can't reassure mom enough. I am starting to feel like it is not my job to reassure mom and spend less time with her and quickly call her on it when she says things.
czarsmom
Pileated woodpecker

Joined: 17 Aug 2011
Age: 64
Gender: Female
Posts: 183
Location: midwestern USA
Anyone else feel that maybe autism is not the problem it is the world around us that most people are able to ignore?
Yes, I do. I live in the USA, and have noticed a steady and drastic decline in our society in general. Oftentimes the written rules and unwritten rules are very different, people says things they don't mean, there are more mean and selfish people around, and people in general have become unreliable and don't keep their word. I think many, if not most people are pretty stressed out just trying to survive and make a living and deal with their own problems.
_________________
Czarsmom
AAAAUGH......... another person making sense.
_________________
Diagnosed hfa
Loves velcro,
Similar Topics | |
---|---|
I am tired of society's non-stop obsession with marriage and |
Today, 7:10 pm |