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

Sorry that wasn't at you @RegainingTheWill2023 it was to @Soontobe60 who made that awful comment, and the many others who did similar.

Hi KittyWitty,
Those art projects sound amazing. I’m going to mention them to my autistic dd who loves art and is always looking for other ideas. May I ask how you managed to find an autistic friendly art class to go to?

If you are quite handy, I'd really recommend DIY projects around the house, because you can teach yourself really from youtube videos. You might enjoy the challenge of scavenging for materials - you could do this via the internet on sites like nextdoor and freecycle, or ebay. Yes, you'd need to leave the house to get the materials but there would be minimal interaction with people. You may also have local groups that teach these skills and are into repairing things/upcycling - the people who run these are often pretty eccentric and probably easier to be around than many people are.

An indoors creative hobby a lot of my friends enjoy is crochet. If your kids are into that kind of thing you can make really nice, unique clothes items for them as well as you. Depends if they like quirky. It's very popular at the moment amongst a lot of teens.

Some of these comments are eye opening! Paid employment is not the be all and end all of life , so why should the OP force herself into work ?

I agree with poster who said learning for learnings sake is always valuable- it is ! OP have a look at some online courses, and also start thinking about your garden and what you can do , and your DIY projects too. You could unleash your creativity!

If you enjoy English maybe you could do some writing ?

And definitely don’t worry about trying to monetise your hobbies - you will just kill your passion for them doing this.

The world of employment isn't autism friendly to say the least and it is invariably a hostile environment depending upon what your abilities and level of communication is.

Most of us end up with mental illness due to trying to cope in the NT world. I was a nurse but I totally burned out at 50 and ended up depressed and suicidal. Many autistic people have some great abilities, but these don't necessarily translate into paid work due to the way the economy and employers are set up. 150 + years ago we'd have been quietly doing our thing by helping on farms, making things, repairing things, tending animals, making food, raising children etc. Now, we're expected to be out there communicating with dozens of people, having loads of energy, being socially savvy, having no downtime during the workday, making small talk, magically knowing what employers and co workers want, coping with being bullied and ostracised, laughed at and belittled, having people making complaints about you because you were abrupt, rude, dismissive etc. All the while feeling exhausted, run down, depressed and having an anxiety disorder - which all ND people have.

Helpful? When a disabled poster has specifically said quite clearly she cannot work, and the thread is not about work at all, to then start telling her that you know better than her about her disability?

I love gardening OP and working outdoors gives me a real lift - there's something about working in the fresh air and sunshine and getting my hands dirty that's good for my soul. I'd happily spend hours pottering about outside. I sleep better if I've had a good gardening session. I also love visiting paid garden attractions - the ones with fountains and fancy landscaping and dreaming about winning the lotto so I can have an amazing gaden like that.

If your condition means you're confined to home a lot, then gardening and/or DIY sound like good options. Do you like arts and crafts? I'm not crafty myself but I have friends who love things like crocheting and ceramics.

When I'm retired I'd like to do a course in an area I'm interested in - maybe history or art history or something. I don't intend to pursue a career in those areas so it will be purely for my own benefit and to keep me occupied.

No. You are 100% ignorant of the full extent to which neurodevelopmental differences can be disabling.

NT people have crafted and manipulated the world into being a ND hostile place. If you want us to hold down jobs then the onus is on the NTs to change it isn't it? You can't have it both ways.

💯 percent nonsense, not the same thing at all

@Callmenat your comments are shameful. Since you clearly know nothing whatsoever about autism it would be best if you don't comment on threads from autistic posters, or even on the topic at all, and keep your ignorance to yourself.

It was quite amusing watching the NTs throw hissies during lockdown because the difficulties they were experiencing were the difficulties we navigate every day in our lives. Then they complain of being traumatised by it and developing mental illness 🙄 welcome to our world.

I hope you are ok @furtheringeducation

Ignore the idiots who have no idea what they're talking about. Hope you get some useful ideas from the thread.

It's OK @Nepmarthiturn I understood.
I'm going to leave the thread because it's so disheartening. In autism acceptance week as well ...Guess there's a lot more work to be done.

I hope some posters here will take a moment to reflect and maybe watch the 2 Chris Packham documentaries on iplayer to get a tiny insight.

That amused you?! 😲

Painting - you need a board ( bit of plywood or mdf) some masking tape ( like for decorating) . Paper of decent weight from an art store ,prob at least 10”c12”, which you then tape to board so it doesn’t rumple when it’s painted.
Decent quality artists paint rather then cheaper graduate which won’t cover as well
Cadmium red, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, perhaps Prussian blue, burnt umber, burnt sienna, titanium white. Small tubes to start.Acrylic paint. I use an old dinner plate as a palette.
You should be able to mix all the colours from those.
A small easel for the table is nice but perhaps prop up the board initially.
Go to YouTube for lessons.
perhaps also a pencil to sketch picture first.

This comment is particularly low, it’s cruel and offensive, and if you can’t understand why then you seriously need to have a think about your world view, and get yourself some training about disability acceptance.

No it's not the same. Prozac is an SSRI(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and Venaflaxine is an SNRI(serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor). It may be worth a chat with your GP about protential benefits.

What is it that means you can’t work? I don’t mean to pry but it might help us understand what you can do

Good luck @furtheringeducation
I hope you have found some useful ideas and are able to ignore the useless ones

So you want everyone to suffer? Wow.

Do you also find it funny when kids go hungry because of all the starving kids out there? Come on.

I'm genuinely not trying to be offensive. Perhaps you are correct in that I need to increase my knowledge on this topic.

Yes definitely look into doing an online course in something you enjoy.
This can also be used in the future for when you need to get a job.

You could also look into volunteering.

I do not have much free time to volunteer due to being a single parent and working FT and so I volunteer for a DV charity and I just reply to the emails and send them to the right place or give them the information they’re asking for.

Look up volunteer roles from home.

It would be really nice if you could work towards volunteering in a charity shop for a couple of hours a week too.

The main thing you need to do instead of online courses or volunteering is sorting out your agoraphobia.
This is having a massive impact on you and your child and id use your time to research and try different methods of helping you overcome it.

Suicide rates from autistic women are THIRTEEN TIMES as high as for NT women. That is how difficult the world is for us and the damage it does to us. Damage from masking, desperately trying to fit in and function in a world that is hostile and overwhelming and distressing and confusing and frightening and isolating. Mental breakdowns from desperately trying to meet other people's expectations, often from trying to work in environments that will inevitably ruin our mental health. And yet apparently the solution is to just pretend to be NT and keep doing that.

And when somebody reaches out, trying to connect and find ways to make their life more bearable and manageable, they are met with this.

It's beyond disgusting.

@Newnamenewname109870

What is it that means you can’t work? I don’t mean to pry but it might help us understand what you can do

It's the autism. You know the disability.

OP doesn't need to explain that to anyone when asking for ideas of things to do to fill her time