Adapting Jobs instead of adapting ourselves

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rabo
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

Joined: 14 Apr 2021
Gender: Male
Posts: 61

01 May 2021, 3:56 am

Hi,
I would like to ask a basic question here. Quite oftens NDs are treated like somehow "nice people", but nevertheless they are considered to be "difficult" and disturbing. In order to integrate seamlessly into modern society (and especially into modern working enviroments) they have to "adapt" themselves to be more "normal". "Adapting means to take medications in case of ADHD or to make therapies in case of Autism.

Honestly: If we think neurodiverdisity not as a disease, but as a possible version within a spectrum of given variations, there is not one reason why people should adjust . Rather the working conditions should adjust. E.g. I am two meters tall. So nobody would ask me to shrink in order to fit better into modern furniture and clothings. No, in the contrary, I buy furniture and clothes that fit me. But if we talk about neurodiverdisity, I should adapt. Why?

OK, I do NOT take medications nor do any therapy to be more "normal". I decided to change my working conditions in order to make them fit better to my ND conditions. But I must admit, it is difficult to do so.

What do you think about that? Does that idea make sense to you?
Thanks
rabo



KT67
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 May 2019
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,807

01 May 2021, 4:07 am

Depending on the job yeah that makes sense entirely.

According to my dad 'brick layers interviews' are a thing. You don't do an actual interview, instead you are judged based on your ability to build a wall for eg in the fastest time and with the best accuracy/workmanship compared to other candidates. Best builder gets the job.

Computer jobs should work like that. Best coder gets the job.

Where I think it doesn't work is a forward facing role based on suaveness. An aspie isn't going to be the best salesperson unless it's selling something to do with their specialist interest and even then - it will be a different skill to those that NTs use. That's fine. It's like expecting me to reach a high shelf or you to squeeze through a small door. Doesn't make us inferior, just means that we're not equipped for that specific job.

Why I am focusing on interviews so much is: that was my hurdle. I was an intelligent person with two MAs. I'm hard working, I know that from how hard I work myself when I'm on disability benefit and actually could just lounge around the house all day. I did my job for free and did well at it compared to other volunteers. But I failed to 'sell myself' at interview.

If I had been given a builders' interview for shelving, typing and/or computer coding, I believe I would've got the job and done well at it. But they were obsessed with things like eye contact and body language instead.


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rabo
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

Joined: 14 Apr 2021
Gender: Male
Posts: 61

01 May 2021, 5:46 pm

Yes, you are right. Selling yourself on interviews might be pretty hard. And as you wrote: If the are interested in eyes contact, and you don't like that, you don't get the job.

But I am right too. Cause if you (e.g.) do not like to have eyes contact, you might do a remote job, where you can avoid it, Eyes contact is nothing important or does not say anything about somebodies qualification. Therefore I try to concentrate on things I do well instead of concentrating on avoiding things where I know am bad.