Careers for autistic people that help others

[ChocolateConnoisseur]

Hi Everyone,
My dd 16 is autistic. She is very bright, kind and caring. Career wise, she is aiming for speech and language therapy because she wants to help other autistic people. She couldn't find a speech and language therapist to shadow for work experience but was in a preschool for kids with additional needs including autism and she loved that. There were small groups and she got on well, showing 'a caring side'.
However, she realized that before that she hasn't really got on well with kids, she's just too introverted. There is also risk of overstimulation and burnout which aren't healthy.
Would anyone have any other career options for her to help people? Any other threads about ND careers are always IT, which wouldn't work for her.

TIA 💐

Would she be interested in the research science angle? As in, clinical psychological research/ neurology research? That would be helping people but with only limited contact with kids

Occupational therapy. ODT. Radiography. Pharmacy in hospital?

Radiography particularly is very ND friendly, i know a lot of autistic radiographers. Its still dealing with people, making sure they are comfortable, but the work is very methodical and detailed.

Or adult social care services?

Thank you both for your suggestions. @puffinchuffin would occupational therapy be different stimulatory and people wise to slt?

Also should she just push on with speech and language therapy?

You say that she didn't get on well with kids, is that kids in general? Was she okay with the autistic kids in their environment? If she's still unsure about working with children, then perhaps she might consider young adults with learning disabilities, including autism? I'm audhd and was a general nurse for a long time, but burned out due to being unable to interact with general people anymore. I'm now a part time carer for a young woman with LD and autism and it's far better because we're on the same wavelength. On the whole, autistic people get on better with other autistic people and there are autistic people of all ages out there who need help, not just kids, so perhaps your dd could look at other age groups. Perhaps a learning disabilities nurse?

SALT do adult services too so she doesnt have to go into childrens therapy. The do post stroke swallow assessments and rehab with them, and people who have had throast surgeries and trachies etc. Theres options within speech and language if thats what she wanting to do.

OT again theres a range of in hospital and social thing they do, go to peoples homes to make adaptions, and assessments for waht aids they need. Our in hospital ones also do home assessments to make sure discharges are safe for people after amputations etc.

Alot of these allied health profeesional roles have a huge range of job possibilities at the end. I would get her to some uni open days for the roles she is considering, and talk to the lecturers about job possibilites and go from there. She could even consider nursing, LD or mental health possibly? they also have huge ranges of roles and she can specialise in helping teenagers/young adults with autism and other ND conditions.

She says she got on well with the autistic kids in the preschool she was in. Outside that she hasn't done well. Thank you for sharing your story. Intellectual disability nursing could be an option.

Oh wow, I didn't realise the range both OT and SLT had! Thank you so much!

Alot of them have more potential than you would expect. for example i work with someone who trained as a physio, went on to do chest physio which as well as movemnet involes deep lung suctioning etc, he then trained further and is now an advanced clinical practitioner who sees assesses, diagnoses and treats patient in the ED, hes heavily trained in minors injuries and is our go to for a complex wound sutures! But he started his career in physio. They have so many career progression possibilities than you think when chosing a career path.