The Autistic Adult – A Career Dilemma?

People with autism face different challenges in life, including: 

• Difficulty in making friends
• Obsessive interests
• Repetitive action (hand flapping and rocking)
• Delay in speech and language skills

Whether high functioning or severely autistic, adults with autism work very hard, compared to their neurotypical peers, to enjoy a fulfilling life. To succeed, they need the right support, understanding, love and an opportunity to work. Therefore, if an autistic child is given the required interventions at an early stage, they can grow into a productive and independent adult.

Previously, adults with autism spectrum disorder had a tough time finding regular employment with a decent salary. Now with various programs developed for treating autism, adults can easily manage the physical requirements of the job and engaging with their work teams. This helps them to find satisfying careers.

Adults With Autism Are Focused And Have Great Strengths

High functioning autistic children grow into adults who are honest, and more focused on their work. Some of them have outstanding talents in areas such as mathematics, visual art, music, and computer coding. They can be groomed into outstanding employees. Microsoft, SAP, and Walgreens are some of the companies that hire autistic individuals.

Inspirational Stories Of People Who Defeated Autism

Dr. Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism and was non-verbal until she reached age three-and-a-half. Later, through speech therapy, she was able to speak. A creative writer, she has written books on autism and also on animal behaviour. She is a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado University. This accomplished and well-known adult with autism is the author of ‘Emergence: Labeled Autistic’.

Albert Einstein

The great Albert Einstein is one of the most famed personalities who was diagnosed with autism. He did not speak until 3 years of age. He developed the theory of relativity and is regarded as one of -if not the- most influential scientists.

Andy Warhol

This famous pop artist was never diagnosed with autism, but showed many symptoms or characteristics that matched with autism. He found difficulty in recognizing people, spoke a few words, and obsessed with routine and uniformity.

Tony DeBlois

This blind from the birth individual was diagnosed with autism. Having a natural inclination for musical instruments, he mastered more than 20 instruments and played more than 8,000 pieces of music from memory.

Just like Albert Einstein and Tony DeBlois, some of the adults with autism spectrum disorder have a strong will power to overcome obstacles and achieve their careers and dreams.

Tapping Information And Advocacy

How can parents become well-educated about programs and resources? Non-profitable organizations like Autism Connect make it their business to inform parents. All they need are queries that can help the parents to take the right decision. The directory provided by Autism Connect offers addresses of service providers to manage the symptom of autism in individuals. They reshape their mind and behaviour to make them ready for their career transition as they enter their 20s.