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Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

teens with Aspergers

12 replies

determinedma · 18/03/2013 20:34

Sorry if this is wrong place but I was interviewing today for a work placement for a college student to do admin. One boys responses were a little off the wall and he stared a lot. Then he said he has Aspergers and showed us notebooks crammed with notes which he used to help him remember things. I am keen to take him on, but as an an employer have some concerns about situations which might cause him stress. I fully realise that no two Aspergers are the same, but if parents of Aspergers teens could give me some hints and tips about how to make his work placement a success, I would be very grateful

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PolterGoose · 18/03/2013 21:13

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LapsedPacifist · 18/03/2013 21:43

Well done for wanting to take him on! Just a wee hint to start with though, they are not 'Aspergers' teens, they are teens with Asperger's Syndrome. I'll assume that was a typo! Wink.

My DS (now 16) needed to find a work placement in year 10. His school normally arranges placements for pupils with employers who are H&S and CRB checked etc, but after my very bright and polite son was rejected by 3 different employers, we realised that his Asperger's diagnosis meant no-one was willing to offer him a placement. Sad The school, to my absolute disgust, washed their hands of the situation and said he would have to come into school each day and do extra work instead. Angry

Well, I wasn't having any of that! I'm a mature student and I volunteer at a local museum. One of my university lecturers is also a curator at the museum, and as DS is a history geek like his mum, she kindly offered to give him a few days work experience. I ran through the following points with her:

DS is a charming boy but is a bit of a space cadet has a lot of trouble understanding retaining verbal instructions. Written instructions are best for him, he can refer back to them and ask for clarification. People with Aspergers can be very literal in their interpretation or instructions. Clear unambigious instructions are best and ask them to repeat them back to you to make sure they know what they are doing.

They can also be very anxious about making mistakes, and become disproportionally upset if they realise they have got something wrong. Pointing out errors needs to be done tactfully, along the lines of: 'perhaps you could do x instead of y, because of abc'. Aspies often like to know why things need to be done in a particular way because they like to understand how things work - this includes systems and processes.

Aspies often work best away from sensory distractions. A noisy working environment, or one that is too hot or cold can make them very stressed. Some Aspies develop tics and twitches when nervous - just to ignore them.

Don't expect them to make much eye contact or initiate conversations. Customer-facing roles may be difficult for them. A task which requires prolonged intense focus and precision can often work well - many Aspies work in IT for this reason. They can often surprise you with interesting solutions to problems - sometimes it's useful to have a non-neurotypical perspective! Smile

My DS spent most of his time at the museum working unsupervised, writing out index cards and record-keeping - jobs he admitted he found dull, but very easy to perform well. He has an excellent telephone manner because I have trained him to write out a 'script' before making a business call, listing all the points he needs to raise and noting down responses.

I would advise asking your young placementee if there is any 'reasonable adjustment' you can arrange to make his working environment easier, such as a desk somewhere quiet, facing away from other workers, or regular feedback on his progress.

Good luck! Smile

Schmedz · 18/03/2013 22:20

If you make the routine of the working day clear in advance (visual timetable if possible) and ensure they are taken personally to all parts of the work environment in which they will be expected to be, this can relieve some of the anxiety about being in an unfamiliar place. Depending on the person, they may need this to be repeated before being expected to move about independently.

Do also remember that if you are addressing instructions to a group of people in which someone with AS is also present, they will not necessarily realise a general instruction applies to them. Using someone's name before giving an instruction or asking a question will ensure they are aware you are directing the comments to them in particular.

If they have the name of a few select people to whom they can direct questions, this will also help.

If your Work placement teen is anything like my DD, they will be entirely eager to please, will follow the 'rules' rigidly and be honest and keen to do any task expected of them. The difficulties are mainly with social interaction and have nothing to do with intellectual capacity!

determinedma · 19/03/2013 09:23

Thanks all. I'm confused with the terminology though - Asperger's teen is a no-no, teen with Aspergers is ok, and "aspie" is ok?
I will take your tips and hints on board and see how I can structure his day to offer him support

OP posts:
nupurkumarika · 19/03/2013 10:48

Oh you are brilliant determined a for taking him on

Hallybear79 · 19/03/2013 11:36

I'll second that. You give hope to us all that when our littles grow up there will be kind, open minded employers that are willing to give our DC a chance & see them for their potential. Smile

determinedma · 19/03/2013 20:04

Oh, thank you. You know, life is hard enough for our teens trying to find work,without having additional issues to deal with. People out there have been kind to my dds at times, so its nice to be able to give someone a chance and pay it back.

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TimidLivid · 19/03/2013 20:41

I have no problem with aspergers teen as a way of putting across what you are saying it is clear you mean no harm.
I am more focused on the fact that you are looking to give a child on the spectrum a placement, that is a great thing to do. You have no idea what it will mean for the child and their parents that someone out there took a chance and looked at how to make it possible. I wish there were more poeple like you in the world.

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 19/03/2013 21:26

Well done, determinedma. You'll have made a few friends here today! Thanks

On terminology, generally the person comes before the disability. It's more polite and recognises them as a person first and that their disability is just part of them, doesn't define them. Eg, you wouldn't say 'squint boy' but a boy with a squint. He's not an Aspergers, or an Aspergers teen, but a teenager with Aspergers.

Aspie is more tricky. It's fine when used by a person with Aspergers, (or their parents?) but probably not by anyone else. A little bit like the N word being acceptable when being used by black people, maybe?

determinedma · 22/03/2013 20:51

OK all. I have labelled all the cupboards with their contents, printed out a sheet with all our names, what we do, our photos and our extension numbers, written out a step by step job sheet with clear instructions. Does that sound OK, or patronising?

OP posts:
amberlight · 23/03/2013 21:23

Sounds good to me. Hi. I'm an adult with autism, and I own and run a company. I'd love for my earlier employers to have thought ahead about what would make life easier.
And I'm totally happy with being called an autistic woman rather than woman with autism, since I'm not ashamed of it. We would say left-handed person, not a person with lefthandedness, because it's not something to be ashamed of. Same with autism, arguably. But others have a different view. And that's fine.

Much more interested in whether the work environment is autism-friendly. It would really help to have a standard lamp rather than overhead fluorescent lighting. And a lack of intense background noise. And a quiet corner to retreat to from time to time if those can't be made available.

troutsprout · 24/03/2013 12:07

Nothing to add .. Except thank you Thanks for being so ace

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