What kind of jobs can someone with Asperger's get?

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It's really good for people who aren't the best with the general public. Granted you will have to interact with coworkers but most of those conversations are really short, "Hey, can you help me with this? Thanks."

It actually sounds like a perfect fit for a lot of people here. If not a quiet(er) environment if you're stocking items in the back of a warehouse away from customers.

Computer techie (networks, hardware, w.e)
Animal groomer?
Data entry (if you can type, it should be seriously easy)
Teacher, if you could stay 'on task'

There are lots you could probably think of without the seriousness in socializing

It's not super quiet though, you hear forklifts and other machinery in the background but you learn to tune that out after a while. But I think it would be a good fit for a lot of aspies, it's definitely a good fit for me. And it's helping me lose weight to boot so that's another perk.

Back when I worked as a contract employee at the Pentagon, I was in a meeting with my supervisor and the rest of the information architecture staff. My supervisor, who knew I was a musician asked, "Why are you working here? Why aren't you making music?" I answered, "Because I need the money." He replied, "To hell with the money, do what you love, as the money will come later." We went through this spiel 3 more times. I finally responded, "I don't know why I'm here." He responds, "I just made my point, do what you love, the money will follow."

Problem is, the only thing my so-called family cares about is money. The only one I speak to nowadays is my youngest brother and his wife, who have 2 low-functioning autistics.

I'm studying to be a translator (along with my music), which is a job suited for aspies (you mostly work alone at the computer), is in the humanities, pays well and is on reasonable demand (at least where I am). So no, computer programmer or engineer aren't the only options.

The best advice is for aspies to follow each one's special interest, or to look for jobs that deal with things or data rather than people. Actuary, make-up artist for a funeral home, pet groomer, seamster/tress, etc, etc... dependin g on your personal strengths and weaknesses.

Also, what's with the stigma of working in fast food?

Besides the low wages, hours of standing, greasy working conditions, and being everyone's outlet for frustration?

hi guys,

I just joined this forum last week, after a friend suggested I may be an Aspie.

So far, I've read the first and last page of this topic, and decided to give my view.

I'm over 30 already. All along, I've been working as a programmer, and technical helpdesk (call centre) in the first few years. I never knew I had this condition. Just that, I can't click well with my colleagues. I can't joke with them on the same level at times. Some colleagues do not even understand what I was trying to say.

I then thought that, when I'm speaking to them, I should say in a way that they can understand, instead of just blurting whatever's formed in my mind. That helped sometimes.

But not when it's urgent. I'll just be murmuring out some keywords.

Then, now that I know more about AS, I begin to know why I have such behaviours.

As a programmer, I sometimes find bugs (or problems) but I'm not allowed to solve it, as it was not reported. I just felt "oh, well".

In my first job as programmer, there was one time we need to test modules written by others. In the end, I did so much testing that the module owner was displeased and irritated. But the boss was happy. The boss even teased that I should become a tester.

I did not pay attention to that line. Til today, when that friend thought that suggestion was spot-on, as he felt that really suited my Aspie strength very well.

But otherwise, all along I have no problem with the job. Just that I can't socialise well. In that first job, a colleague kept telling me I have to mingle around more, but naturally, I did not find a (compelling) need for that. More importantly, even when team members gathered to discuss some issues, I'm usually the last one to get the whole picture. But I still survived (ie, kept the job till today).

So my point is that, do not read into your Aspie's weakness too much. Do NOT let it hinder you at all. Unless it's that obvious to anyone who meet you.

Go for the job that interests you most. Prepare well for it. That is, if you like the job very much, find out (online) the common questions asked. Prepare the answer and memorise it well. Repeat it until the point where by, when you say it, you sound like you're thinking, instead of reciting a script.

But if this really is giving you more headaches than you expect, u either will have to overcome it somehow, or go for something else that will not put so much stress on you.

As an intelligent aspie, the thing is it's fairly easy to learn to do a lot of jobs.

Jobs I have had:
_ auto-electrician
_ timber yard worker (yuk)
_ government account clerk (yuk)
_ public servant (double yuk)
_ cleaner
_ technical assistant at a laboritory
_ offset printer
_ fruit picker
_ farm laborer (hard work)
_ computer programmer
_ systems programmer
_ computer science lecturer
_ research scientist
_ company director
_ gluten free development researcher and baker
_ gluten free beer developer and brewer
_ gluten free baker

Not a bad list is it??

wow, how did u end up being a fruit picker / cleaner and then becoming a company director / research scientist??

Cleaning and fruit picking done to support myself while studying, manual jobs are no big deal when they are just steps to get somewhere. They can also be a refreshing change from studying.

After graduating from uni and working in industry as a computer programmer/system programmer, I decided a job in academia would be much better, more independance, not carrying a beeper around on weekends, and more interesting people.

As a lecturer, I needed to get a PhD, which meant research. That was fun, and I got to go to various international conferences to present papers and meet interesting people.

My partner was diagnosed with coeliac (celiac) disease, which meant that she had to go on a gluten free diet. The only problem was the gluten free food available at supermarkets etc was very bad and not much of it.

So, using my research skills, we developed cakes , biscuits (cookies), and pastries which were all gluten free and as good or better than normal produce, and you could not tell the difference. We also made good gluten free bread.

We opened a totally gluten free bakery/cafe, which demonstrated that gluten free food was just as good as normal food, but we also proved that we were not good business people and lost a sh*t-load of money (ce la vie).

Any job can be done by a person on the spectrum if their individual attributes suit the career.

Yes it seems that there should not be any limits other than personal limitations on jobs that are just way out of a person's comfort zone. Each person may be different including people on the autism spectrum to include persons with PDD-NOS and NVLD. Since each person has a unique set of talents and interests then an interest in different jobs is expected. I would love to be an artist that paints all day and listens to my favorite music and then can live off of the profits of selling my art work.

Ok that is not possible, but I wish it was. Realistically, I am smart and can make excellent grades and do well on tests. Unfortunately I am not as good at social interaction as I am at taking written tests and making excellent grades in college and graduate level courses. I am still trying and not giving up. I like talking to people on the phone so I do not mind that part of a job and even though it takes some courage at first, if I make the same types of calls on a similar subject and it is done repeatedly I become quite comfortable at it.

My issues are with co-workers, bosses and politics where it can get really nasty, ugly and back stabbing, etc. My lack of non-verbal skills maybe show up in these instances. I have had my share of dealing with vicious people when I was in junior high and beyond. It is not unique to someone like me who has NVLD and possibly ASD. Even many NTs are dealt a mean blow of bullying in junior high and beyond.

The gluten free developer and tester jobs sound interesting to me.

They are, but good examples of where you use things you learned earlier that you though would be a absolutely no use at the time, or of no practical use.

Also when developing new things or with new ingredients, there will always be problems, and you have no one to ask about it, so you have to work out the solutions yourself.

This is where a number of the aspie traits come in very useful.

Jobs from employers who are unscrupulous and will hire and fire literally anyone.

Restaurants that pay $6 an hour, don't cover your gas for delivery driving, want you to work like 50 hours a week. Boss is an ex-LEO who knows how to manipulate people very well and nobody ever talks back to them as he's so good at manipulating and scaring people. Doesn't file taxes as he makes people pay at cost for any food they buy at his restaurant they're working in, but takes it out of their pay, thus paying all his total employees under 10K a year since they're too ignorant/tired to cook.

Selling windows at carnivals, rather convincing people to get leads. Will hire you because, f**k, why not, and fire you because you have terrible social skills and also when people say "well I have cancer and can't buy windows" and you say "Oh, OK, I understand ma'am," the boss comes and says "You should have pushed that one harder!"

Working with your father who's ashamed of you and thinks you're too clumsy to work on restaurant machines with him, and thus never calls you about working for him, but complains about how his joints all ache from working so much.