Please help! I need direction!

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I am new here on this site, but old on the planet. It's been wearisome. I am in Orange County, California, and qualify for DOR Services. I don't qualify for SSDI. I am high enough functioning to not receive direct autism resources from a place called Regional Center which deals with more severe ASD. I need help in a few ways: If there's related posts for advocacy in DOR, anyone who lives in my area and can commiserate, have any of you kind folks actually worked in social services? I have an MSW, and while I may not be able to reflect, paraphrase, and ask questions in a typical, therapeutic way, many people describe me as warm and are shocked when they learn I am on the Spectrum. I am trying to return to the field with the idea of becoming a career counselor. Instead, DOR is feeding me jobs which I don't want, and I am trying to gently but firmly direct them to help me find jobs I do want. Another issue I face in advocacy is that I also must advocate for myself to get my Jewish holidays and Sabbath off, even if they are not paid time.

If the job was right, I would work for the state. My goal would be to make enough money to move farther north with my wife because of culture, climate, and more liberal political leanings. Anyhow, I had tried web development, but couldn't differentiate a method from a function. I had done technical support 10 years ago, and parts I enjoyed. I still like intuitively figuring out software problems. However, I was stuck at a soul-sucking helpdesk without promotion. My plan is to exhaust every possible lead within the window of what I want to do, and then consider technical support, and finally retail. I did some of that too, but it bored me. The right small, local book/cd/musical instrument store would be fun.

Again, if anyone knows people in this situation, can point me to existing threads, can reach out personally, I would be most appreciative.

Thanks and blessings,

David

I couldn’t find a way to edit the previous post. If there’s a way to do it, please advise.

I wanted to add that I no longer drive by choice as I wasn’t very good at it for 34 years and it made me anxious. Now take Lyft or an Access (call-a-ride) bus for work and out of network appointments requiring punctuality, but other rides are covered by medical insurance. Obviously, this limits certain jobs, but if I can go to and from one job location, I could handle that situation.

If had to learn and implement ABA techniques, I would do so professionally. The issue remains finding a job. Without casting aspersions, I am simply not thrilled about it and haven’t been exposed to much professional or personal education in the field. I have respect for those who are able to patiently help others through the use of ABA.

I know very little ASL and forgot a lot of Spanish from junior high and high school. I hope these issues won’t prove insurmountable.

I believe that I may best help verbal individuals, but if they write, maybe I work with them. It’s been a long time since I have been in social services, mostly because I was helping ill relatives, taking other jobs to get by.

Any ideas for social services aside from being a policy analyst or in clerical work would be helpful.

As for my next contingency, I have technical support. Honestly, I don’t know where trends are for technical jobs on the Spectrum, so feedback there would help. I was somewhat clumsy with a computer’s innards aside from installing memory or blowing out dust with canned air.

I don’t want to repeat getting IT certifications, except maybe Apple or Linux. I have an A+ and Network +, but it’s been a long time in using them. Working in a small shop doing software support or teaching skills might be okay but a Genius Bar or call center would be taxing. Given that the department of rehabilitation won’t pay for my career development training and they emphasize searching based on previous skills, I could use hints on finding work and training on my own or even better ways to persuade them to pay for any training.

Thanks again!

I hope you find something nice that you can cope with. I have no idea what most of those letters mean!

Thanks! FYI ABA is applied behavior analysis. ASL is American Sign Language. A+and Network + are information technology certifications. I don’t remember what other letters I mentioned so I apologize for any confusion. Best back to you!

is there no way that you could learn what you want from books. learn whatever it is and meet people. talk to people and try to complete the tasks you would be required to do in a job.
for instance, i wanted to try working in television, my brother works in film and tv in the camera department. he has experience and qualifications for that. i thought that i may give tv and film a go. so, i looked at lighting. the lighting department uses electricians for the job. they have the relevant skills and knowledge. but they have to learn the lighting trade. so electrician is a base to build on. also, getting work in a competitive industry is difficult, very difficult. i saw a mountain in front of me. but you start at the base and try climbing. there is a very popular tv show in england, "eastenders". they work all the time and i thought that would be a good starting point as it is very regular. i found the names of people who work on the show on internet movie database. it lists all their lighting directors. i took their names and searched linkedin. once i found them, i sent a connect request with a note. "please can you give me advice about getting work in the lighting department, i have electrical experience and qualifications, thanks". in one day i went through the list and sent off 42 requests. then waited....two days later i got a response from the head of the lighting department on eastenders. he gave me the phone number of the recruitment guy, i called him, sent him what he asked for (scans of certs and cv) two months later i was working as a trainee on eastenders, that was over a year ago. i completed the training year and left a few days before as i did not want to go through the good bye process, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PLEASANT! i did not get on with the people there. however, it is a good example of how you could apply yourself. only by asking the people that work in that industry are you able to get any idea of what job you want and how you will get it. people notice those that are motivated and eager. i notice all to often those that just dont care and i wonder how the hell they ever manage anything.
all of this is coming from some one who is currently looking to get back into work. i havent worked since end of january. i am really anxious about it. i dont really want to be an electrician but it is the one thing that has stayed consistant, offers a future and paid the best. i have a cv and covering letter, now i have to send it off. the thing that scares me is getting the job. then i have to go and put up with a lot of abuse, because those are the sort of people i will be around and i have not learned how to stick up for myself. i fear loosing my job if i say "f***off" or possibly a fight, (which could possibly happen!)
i tried doing the A+ long ago, gave up. it changes alot. if computers interest you stick with that. if helping others interests you stick with that. go with what you feel most comfortable with. as for qualifications, they are worth a tick in the box. whether you can do the job is another thing. i know alot of qualified electricians, some of them are clumsy and dangerous. some are lazy and dont do the job properly. but they have a piece of paper saying they are qualified.
i have to go and ask for help now.
all the best
simon

There is an Edit box next to the quote box. But it only stays active for a set period of time and then disappears. And it will only show up on your portion of the threads.

Thanks! I will try to look for it another time!

Thanks again to all for encouragement and direction!

Wow Ninjaman. That is quite a thing.
I have noticed time and time again how people with qualifications don't know what they are doing. The ones in the trade without qualifications tend to be the experts.