If you have ADHD or ASD and are thriving at work, what do you do?

[TR888]

My DD11 is currently being assessed. I suspect she has inattentive ADHD because she's so disorganised, but it could also be ASD.

I worry about her. She's only young and obviously she lives at home and has our family to support her. But what will happen when she starts working? She's so messy... I have no idea what job could be good for her.

I sometimes read great stories about neuro diverse mumsnetters who love their jobs and are doing well for themselves. I need those stories now and any advice you can give me !

Thanks x

I’m diagnosed Autistic, looking at getting assessed for ADHD. I’ve been a nurse for years. I’ve worked in various departments but I work somewhere that’s quite routine but with a variety of aspects so you move round, perfect combo of routine and variety for me to not get bored. Only down side is I know some of the staff and management think I’m weird and one clearly doesn’t like me. I’ve had a lot of health problems which couldn’t be helped but is difficult.

It’ll depend on your DD’s strengths and interests but often people with ASD make good employees, I get praised for being thorough and methodical.

I have ADHD but I'm not thriving. I'm a programmer and struggle hugely at work with focus, deadlines and procrastination.

What suits someone will differ for every person but a few things that I can imagine might help are:

1. Find something you are truly passionate about. There will still be hard day's bit it's impossible to get motivated ever if you don't care about the end result or the application

1. Active and reactive jobs might be better than once where you have to plan in advance, be organised or be self motivated. Eg being a paramedic where you respond to an emergency is better than being a self employed accountant who is largely dependant on themselves to get motivated to work.

1. Medication. It's difficult to find the right med and at the right dose but once you have and once you've learnt how they work for you it's a game changer. A life changer.

@ThePontiacBandit

I’m diagnosed Autistic, looking at getting assessed for ADHD. I’ve been a nurse for years. I’ve worked in various departments but I work somewhere that’s quite routine but with a variety of aspects so you move round, perfect combo of routine and variety for me to not get bored. Only down side is I know some of the staff and management think I’m weird and one clearly doesn’t like me. I’ve had a lot of health problems which couldn’t be helped but is difficult.

It’ll depend on your DD’s strengths and interests but often people with ASD make good employees, I get praised for being thorough and methodical.

Off topic but I love your username

I love Brooklyn 99 in general but the Doug Judy episodes are outstanding!

Another nurse. Initially did ED too, very satisfying as fast paced and ever changing. I struggle on wards and basic nursing homes however nursing home management is where its at for me. High stress, high pressure but I can slack off at times too.

It seems that ADHD and ASD are almost opposite ends of the spectrum and it’s really important to get yourself into the right environment for you to thrive.

Can you have both traits?

It seems that there are obvious areas for ASD (STEM?) to thrive but ADHD maybe more problematic or less obvious?

What I am learning from this thread though is you really need to be in the right emotional and energetic environment and also to be valued for the differences and advantages that ND brings rather than it being seen as problematic.

Ha ha me too! It makes me laugh so much!

I have ADHD - I am also a nurse. I needed a work environment where I was always moving and busy, it was new and different every day, there is a crisis around every corner. I need a very stimulating environment. I actually functioned fine at work without meds but I couldn't keep my life together (housework, bills, taxes, appointments etc) outside of work.

I went back and did grad school and that is when I had to go back on medication as it involves a lot of sitting and deadlines and projects and needing to initiate and complete work independently - all things that are a nightmare for me! I change jobs every few years but have always been employed and earn a good living. I hve no trouble living independently but I live alone and I love living alone - efforts to live with other adults has had its challenges!

I am fortunate that I have intelligence and a very good memory that have helpd me compensate a lot over the years. If I don't take meds, I have no capacity to really organize or plan and I just run from fire to fire. While I like that feeling in someways as it is a good adreanline rush - it doesn't make one a very responsible adult! However if you have strengths and people like you - people are accommodating. I work really, really hard at building strong relationships because I need those when people get exasperated with me!

I am still always messy and always late. I need outside help to manage my day to day adult life or my house turns into an episode of hoarders. I can't tell you how much money I have paid in late fees and fines for not getting things in on time - but at the end of the day I have a pretty great life. I am happy, healthy, functional etc. And my nieces and nephews who are young love that they have an adult in their lives who doesn't notice or care about mess.

I'm autistic and cannot cope with any workplace.
My sons paediactric consultant who helped with his autism diagnosis is autistic himself and his advice to my son was to find a job that is to do with your special interest and that's what hes trying to do. His interest is music, he taught himself guitar and even though he only got 2 gcses hes starting a music degree in September.

Recently diagnosed with ADHD and work in charity comms and have done since uni. Working on issues that I really care about definitely helps me to stay focused and interested in what I do during the work day. The orgs I have worked for have all been fast paced without some of the bureaucracy you can get in big organisations and communications is never quiet so don't get bored. Also work remotely now and that helps a huge amount in reducing distractions and the sensory overload I would get in the office.

@DFOD

It seems that ADHD and ASD are almost opposite ends of the spectrum and it’s really important to get yourself into the right environment for you to thrive.

Can you have both traits?

It seems that there are obvious areas for ASD (STEM?) to thrive but ADHD maybe more problematic or less obvious?

What I am learning from this thread though is you really need to be in the right emotional and energetic environment and also to be valued for the differences and advantages that ND brings rather than it being seen as problematic.

Recent research suggests there is anywhere from a 50% to 80% comorbidity between ASD and ADHD. The traits are distinct though, with little overlap. They are similar but different enough to have separate diagnostic criteria. The spectrum also doesn't have "ends", it's more like a circle with everyone having different strengths and support needs

I'm autistic and STEM would be a nightmare for me - I can barely count and logic/problem solving is not my strong suit!

However, I 100% agree with you about the right environment being the key. I have felt like a tomato in a fruit bowl my whole life because I was trying to fit in to the wrong environment.

Not me. I'm bloody good at getting jobs and doing well for a few months. Then it all falls apart and I quit. I haven't worked for years now as I couldn't cope with the rollercoaster.

DD on the other hand is a full time English teacher and loves her job. But then books are her special interest and at work she has a captive audience. Likewise DH is a scientist which means he gets paid for doing what he'd be doing if he didn't have a job.

So from our experience the key to success is having a job that involves your special interest.

I'm not formally diagnosed but when DD was, the paed said it was pretty certain I was too. I'm a tv producer, suits me down to the ground: no two days the same, and I get to work on a different programme entirely every 4-6 months. Never boring, quite a relaxed atmosphere. And the adrenaline really suits me - I need it in order to perform. If I have adrenaline, I am organised; if things are dull I am pure procrastinating chaos.

Recent research suggests there is anywhere from a 50% to 80% comorbidity between ASD and ADHD. The traits are distinct though, with little overlap. They are similar but different enough to have separate diagnostic criteria. The spectrum also doesn't have "ends", it's more like a circle with everyone having different strengths and support needs

Also a massive overlap with dyspraxia which I also almost certainly have, as does DD

As another poster says, with neurodiversity focus on your strengths and passions. Don’t go into an area which causes you stress.

I have 2 friends who have autism who are both doctors, one is pathologist and one a radiologist. Both phenomenal at their jobs.

I’m a barrister, I have a phenomenal memory, pick up on tiny details, but also have dyslexia. So have gone into an area which is not too heavy on documents.

The most important thing is making sure if she goes into a job she has adjustments. Is aware of burnout (a problem for a lot of neurodiverse people, we mask until we crash).

I think I have ADHD but I'm undiagnosed. I'm a teacher which is a forgiving environment for this because I can flit between tasks between 7am and 9am and 3.30pm and 6pm when the children aren't in my classroom. I'm never bored because my work is timetabled and challenging. I'm always stimulated. I have a strong work ethic and work really hard for the 11 hours a day I'm at work. I do struggle to concentrate at meetings but doodle which helps.

However once I'm at home in the evening I'm done in.i will spend time with my kids for an hour or two then crash and go to bed early

I teach autistic children. They need a lot of structure and so do I. We are happy together.

I have ADHD and I work for a trade union in quite a varied role - some legal stuff, some 'people' stuff like recruitment and campaigning.

Despite it being one of the most overused mn expressions I work in a really niche sector that combines all 4 of my main interests. Think something like analysis, social science, medicine and IT.

What doesn't work for me are jobs with lots of admin or things I can lose, where I am not allowed to approach things as I want, can't be creative, can't use my perceptive skills or where my manager can't handle I'm very good at my job.

Bleurgh I hate admin. So boring

ASD here. Not diagnosed until my mid 30s. I can't give too much away, but I investigate people/their behaviour. I ended up in it by following my interests/strengths. It fits my need for fairness and my attention to detail.

I'm pretty sure I have adhd although I'm undiagnosed. Loads of ND in the family- DD has ASD, DN ASD and ADHD and Dbro dyspraxia.

The best job I had for my brain was commercial bid writing and development for a non profit. Hyperfocus on something for a few months, deadline driven, didn't have to do the follow through. I usually worked with a project manager who kept me on track for deadlines etc. Fundraising in general is good I think, especially if related to a special interest.

Now I manage a delivery team but I do all the big picture strategy stuff and policy and they do the nuts and bolts of delivery. It's very fast paced and varied. I concur with developing good relationships- if people like you and you get results they'll forgive a lot.

DD has ADHD. She’s hoping to go to uni this autumn to study either English and film, or liberal arts.
She struggles to get things down on paper, but her superpower is seeing things in a different way to NT people, so she’s really good at things like theatre set design and literature analysis.
DH is almost certainly ADHD too. He’s a classical musician, working in orchestras. Works really well for his ability to hyper focus, and varied days but within a regular structure.

He’s gradually learning to develop his own strategies for tidiness and organisation in the rest of his life (but still waits until 30th Jan to do his tax return every year…!)

Thank you so very much! I'm feeling so much more positive now about things. I haven't read all the answers carefully yet as I've been busy all day, but I'll put sometime aside tomorrow to do it xxx.

I have Autism and I work with children who have SEND, mostly Autism!