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Original poster

Ideas for work from home part time job for autistic DS

28 replies

Verbena17 · 02/01/2025 23:03

So my DS is a young adult - he’s autistic and academic.
He doesn’t have a full set of GCSEs as he went to a special school that only offered 2, but he has maths and English level 8, a level 2 IT qual and a level 3 diploma in a graphics type qual. He can code Swift at a basic level and speak/read/ a complex language.

However, he’s selectively mute and so cannot /wont do an interview - in person or online.
He won’t volunteer and barely leaves the house, other than with me in the car for drives. He doesn’t talk on the phone but is very good socially online- he games and chats to friends on Discord. Or if say he has to email customer services about an issue to sort, he can do that and has great grammar skills.

Any ideas as to the type of work he might do from home- bearing in mind he wouldn’t be able to talk to a boss on the phone - only by email.

Any actual companies you could link - especially disability friendly. I’m seeing companies for remote work but I have no idea if they’re dodgy or not.

OP posts:
wizzywig · 02/01/2025 23:06

Apologies if I word this wrong, where you have said 'won't volunteer, doesn't talk on the phone' is that a definite no or that he could if he saw the benefit in it?

wizzywig · 02/01/2025 23:07

If he is unable to carry out an interview, could he set up his own business instead?

HowMuchShouldBePaid · 02/01/2025 23:07

Fiverr ? Offered his skills to code /excel/ design , all comms via text

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HowMuchShouldBePaid · 02/01/2025 23:08

Ive used it a fair bit never actually "spoken" to anyone

MinistryofThyme · 02/01/2025 23:09

Microsoft are very good at hiring autistic employees and making reasonable adjustments. I’d imagine he’d need to extend his qualifications a little more though. Might be something to research and work towards?

Dolphinnoises · 02/01/2025 23:09

If he has great grammar skills could he try proofreading?

HowMuchShouldBePaid · 02/01/2025 23:09

Etsy : design /print 3d models

HPandthelastwish · 02/01/2025 23:09

Possibly civil service or their arms length bodies, there is plenty of need for IT support type roles and they are probably one of the best employers in terms of ND acceptance. MI6 and GCHQ ran a specific recruitment campaign for ND applicants awhile ago.

He will probably be expected to take part in Teams calls though although can have his camera off so it's like online gaming. If he got through from the questions to the interview he could request the questions in advance which is pretty much the norm now and I got sent them in my last interview despite not being ND, ask for a remote Teams interview and to have his camera off or even to record his answers to the questions.

Other than a specific autism charity or setting up on his own I've not heard of any other more ND friendly large organisations.

It's also worth looking into the Access to Work scheme.

HowMuchShouldBePaid · 02/01/2025 23:10

Run text based d+d ?

Original poster
Verbena17 · 02/01/2025 23:21

wizzywig · 02/01/2025 23:06

Apologies if I word this wrong, where you have said 'won't volunteer, doesn't talk on the phone' is that a definite no or that he could if he saw the benefit in it?

No i mean his anxiety is super high.
Imagine being in fight or flight mode 24/7. I mean it’s not quite like that every day but if he doesn’t know what’s scheduled, he is so anxious and then unable to regulate.

OP posts:
Original poster
Verbena17 · 02/01/2025 23:25

wizzywig · 02/01/2025 23:07

If he is unable to carry out an interview, could he set up his own business instead?

He has dabbled with Fiverr but didn’t get enough to make it viable.
He has also got an Etsy shop selling art but although he’s sold a few, it’s not going to make him a living full time. He’s paid out more than he’s made so far.
Etsy are awful - fees for everything and because his art is printed in America as he only sells in the US, there are also bank fees for him when his money is converted to £££. Unless his art goes viral he’ll only sell a few here and there.

OP posts:
Original poster
Verbena17 · 02/01/2025 23:26

HowMuchShouldBePaid · 02/01/2025 23:09

Etsy : design /print 3d models

What would that involve? What type of models?

OP posts:
Original poster
Verbena17 · 02/01/2025 23:27

HowMuchShouldBePaid · 02/01/2025 23:08

Ive used it a fair bit never actually "spoken" to anyone

On Fiverr, he is listed to edit photos.

However, he kept getting dodgy people asking him to edit dodgy bikini photos!
He was thinking more of editing wedding photos but the jobs never came

OP posts:
Original poster
Verbena17 · 02/01/2025 23:27

HowMuchShouldBePaid · 02/01/2025 23:10

Run text based d+d ?

What’s this?

OP posts:
Original poster
Verbena17 · 02/01/2025 23:29

Dolphinnoises · 02/01/2025 23:09

If he has great grammar skills could he try proofreading?

That’s a good idea actually - I hadn’t thought of proof reading and there are lots of job adverts for that sort of work.
Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Verbena17 · 02/01/2025 23:30

HPandthelastwish · 02/01/2025 23:09

Possibly civil service or their arms length bodies, there is plenty of need for IT support type roles and they are probably one of the best employers in terms of ND acceptance. MI6 and GCHQ ran a specific recruitment campaign for ND applicants awhile ago.

He will probably be expected to take part in Teams calls though although can have his camera off so it's like online gaming. If he got through from the questions to the interview he could request the questions in advance which is pretty much the norm now and I got sent them in my last interview despite not being ND, ask for a remote Teams interview and to have his camera off or even to record his answers to the questions.

Other than a specific autism charity or setting up on his own I've not heard of any other more ND friendly large organisations.

It's also worth looking into the Access to Work scheme.

Edited

This is all really helpful thanks 🙏

OP posts:
HowMuchShouldBePaid · 03/01/2025 23:29

Text based d+d , dungeons and dragons , but there must be other role play games like that.

My son is "dungeon master" for a game , he organises/ referee it.

But his are over voice / head set.

There may well be other versions hat are Purley text based ?

Games can be run "professionally" and the dungeon master is paid per session, if he gets a good following the "games" can last for months / years.

The 3d printing would need a 3d printer , they have come down in price a lot recently, and if he's tech savvy then he'll pick it up in no time.

Either he can print items to sell online , or print items that are sent up.him in design form.

Also he could offer, if he gets fairly good at cad , to design models for others .

HowMuchShouldBePaid · 03/01/2025 23:31

There are lots of "free to print " designs for 3d online , tinkercad is a free online design tool, thingiverse is a model library.

Original poster
Verbena17 · 03/01/2025 23:31

HowMuchShouldBePaid · 03/01/2025 23:29

Text based d+d , dungeons and dragons , but there must be other role play games like that.

My son is "dungeon master" for a game , he organises/ referee it.

But his are over voice / head set.

There may well be other versions hat are Purley text based ?

Games can be run "professionally" and the dungeon master is paid per session, if he gets a good following the "games" can last for months / years.

The 3d printing would need a 3d printer , they have come down in price a lot recently, and if he's tech savvy then he'll pick it up in no time.

Either he can print items to sell online , or print items that are sent up.him in design form.

Also he could offer, if he gets fairly good at cad , to design models for others .

Do you he would do that in real life or online?
Because he won’t do anything in real life

OP posts:
HowMuchShouldBePaid · 03/01/2025 23:32

All the games are online , most voice based but others are just text

Original poster
Verbena17 · 03/01/2025 23:35

Ah ok. I’m still a bit confused about the 3D model thing - if it’s online, why would you need 3D models?

OP posts:
HowMuchShouldBePaid · 03/01/2025 23:35

Left field here , is he any good at ironing ???

You collect / drop off the orders , he does the main work .

Original poster
Verbena17 · 03/01/2025 23:37

HowMuchShouldBePaid · 03/01/2025 23:35

Left field here , is he any good at ironing ???

You collect / drop off the orders , he does the main work .

Thanks.
He wouldn’t do something like ironing I’m afraid.

We’ve been chatting today and it seems he’s going to try and keep going with his stocks and shares and see if he can make a go with that.

I do keep telling him he has some time - his peers will be at uni for another 2 years so that takes the pressure off him slightly.

OP posts:
HowMuchShouldBePaid · 03/01/2025 23:38

Sorry , the games are all online .

The 3d printing is a separate thing.

Either printing models to sell in Etsy etc

Printing bespoke models for individual customers , they send him the finished designs , basically for people who don't have a 3d printer

Aldi, he goes the actual design for individual customers and may also print it for them

SnugNightsss · 03/01/2025 23:48

https://employmentautism.org.uk/applying-for-access-to-work-part-1/

this should have info if you haven’t seen it already OP.

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