Autistic and can’t work but would like ideas of how to fill my time?

[furtheringeducation]

Once my youngest goes to school full time in September?

Im thinking about a OU course but is it worth it if it’s just for me and not towards a qualification specifically for a job but just something I enjoy ? Do they ever make you go in person or a it all done from home ?
Im also wondering about some DIY projects as I really enjoy this type of thing and the house does need a lot of work.

I don’t really leave the house much but can get into the garden although I know nothing about gardening at all. I just don’t want to do nothing I’d like to find some things to keep my mind active

Thankyou for a sensible and educating answer.

Teacake your very argumentative. As you have seen a pp has already answered in am informative polite manner, maybe you ought to take a leaf.

I'm argumentative?

Jesus Christ. You have been spouting ableist bullshit across the thread. You have had post deleted. You have ignored the majority who have tried to explain. You have agreed with the other vocal ableist on the thread.

But I'm argumentative?

I have explained already that I'm not particularly articulate and struggle to get my point laid out well but I have been 100% supportive of the OP and every other autistic person, including myself, in this thread

If people didn't post such awful ableist crud I would not have to be argumentative

Others have also had posts deleted.

Of course, it I was talking about you since you raided an issue of me being argumentative.

The penny has dropped now, you are goading me and I fell for it.

Perhaps just maybe don't?

You have goaded several people on this thread and I got some posts deleted aswell. Which you had a moan about

You really aren’t bringing very much to this thread. Maybe hold back and stop derailing, that way the OP might be able to glean some helpful information rather than wading through a tonne of ableist crap.

@furtheringeducation
My husband works but if isn't enough x

I haven't goaded anyone. I have stood up for OP and defended her right to know her disability better then anyone else.

Thankyou for your reply.

(You've obviously thought about it like I have. )

Oh I took that up until getting pregnant and it really did make a massive difference. I’ve been on sertraline since then and it’s not as effective on the social anxiety front. SA has been getting worse and worse lately. Perhaps I should consider going on venlafaxine again, the initial side effects were really rough though 😬

Bloody hell, the ableism continues.

How dare you say that the consequences of OPs disability are "unacceptable"? To whom?

And how dare you declare that OP is capable of work? You've never met her, and I'm willing to bet my house that you're not a psychiatrist or psychologist, nor any sort of ASD expert. And yet you know better than her what she's capable of?

The arrogance and ignorance on this thread is staggering and depressing.

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread, someone might have already suggested this. But have you ever tried any kind of coding? There are endless ways you can learn online from home. Tons of courses on Udemy (wait till they're on offer for about £12.99), or try Code First Girls for lots of free courses and you don't have to interact with anyone or even turn on your camera if you don't want to. I'm learning Python at the moment which is incredibly satisfying when something clicks.

Also I'm honestly not saying "oh you can look after a child/study, you should be able to work blah blah", but if ever you did want or feel able to try, I found out about this company recently, they specifically employ ND people for their particular abilities (my work have used them to provide contractors).

Bertrand Russell wrote something wonderful in one of his books about learning and knowledge being valuable for its own sake. From memory I think it was about how the knowledge that the word "apricot" had roots in the word "precocious" because it flowers early compared to most fruit trees, and that while this was fairly useless knowledge from a practical perspective it brought him pleasure every time he thought of it.

@PearlClutzsche you're actually taking over this thread now. Can you just move on please and let the OP get some nice 💡

I’m so with you Pearl.

I had life-saving (well so far treatment for cancer).

Funnily enough no one said it was unacceptable for me to potentially die from my illness due to the effect it would have on my children.

And yet with depression/anxiety/agoraphobia it’s considered unacceptable?

Some people don’t know how lucky they are. I’d give anything to not stumble through life constantly offending people and embarrassing myself. I’ve tried SO hard but I can’t see all the things that NTs see.

If you can interact with a computer screen to do on line learning, you can react with a computer screen to do work, and it is being very strategic to pretend otherwise.

Utter rubbish. The people you have worked with will be a self-selecting sub-group in that they are seeking to work. Some people would not be doing that because it is not feasible for them. As an autistic adult who works full time, I can tell you that there is a world of difference between working on a computer and using it to do self-led learning as and when you can with no demands and stress from anybody else. Very few job roles require no interaction with others at all, and no accountability or deadlines or pressure, even if you work 100% from home.

Could people just stop it now, please? No wonder OP hasn't been back.

Thanks for making yet another vulnerable person even more isolated when they try to connect.

If you want to argue and say horrible things start a new thread.

That was my first post in nearly two hours actually, and others have posted more; but yes I do get a bit of a bee in my bonnet when I encounter ableism.

I do take your point though, and hopefully more nice suggestions will be forthcoming for OP.

Therapies that work for certain conditions often don't work when the person has autism as well. CBT in particular makes things worse for lots of autistic people.

Hi OP

Thank you for starting this thread. I am physically disabled and use a wheelchair and I'm currently not working.

It's been really helpful for me to see lots of ideas.

My contribution is to suggest a musical instrument - I started playing trumpet after being diagnosed with asthma and I have really enjoyed it. I've been playing for over 15 years now and sometimes I play more than others but it's nice to improve and also nice to hear some music and have a go at playing it.

Trumpet is quite loud - there are many quieter instruments out there!

Thank you for all the kind and helpful suggestions. I’m definitely going to do some gardening as I think I’d find it interesting plus it will be nice to have the garden looking better for summer.
im tempted as well by the idea to get a pet .

For the less kind responses o really feel the need to explain about my children as a couple of people have questioned the level of care I can offer due to not going out /socialising .

On the 2 days my youngest is with the childminder they go to some nice groups or trips plus school runs. At weekends dh takes the dc out. Very occasionally I will manage to go it’s not often but we always makes sure to take a photo which we put on our photo wall- this is so the dc see on a daily basis reminders of time with me outside the home . There’s only about 4 photos from the last 18 months but it’s still a reminder which I thought would help.
I make sure I do nice activities at home with them, bedtime stories each night etc and they are happy and i don’t think that it’s even crossed their minds about me not going out

I'm glad you found some helpful suggestions, OP.🙂

You’ll need a winter hobby too! How about knitting?

OP do not feel guilty about this. You sound like a very caring mum and it's not like they don't go out, they go to plenty of places. I am a lone parent so often have to pay nannies to take my kids out on trips because I can't do it! I'm sad I can't do it myself but they still get those experiences. Your kids have their own father taking them places, there is nothing to feel guilty about.

Finally the weather is just starting to look up, so the perfect time to start on your garden. 😊