What sort of job support can an Aspie get in Australia

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I'm trying to help my boyfriend who is an aspie find a job. I have been helping him write his resume and cover letters and apply for jobs. He has been getting a few job interviews although they're all unsuccessful. Because he doesn't have a job and is finding it hard in interviews due to his aspergers he is losing money each time he has to catch public transport to go to a job interview.

He tried to go on the centrelink youth allowances to help him with transport and studying although he isn't independent (he's 18 by the way). He doesn't want to go to any disability employment agencies because if he does get a job with them, his colleagues will know that he has aspergers and they won't understand what it is and might think he is 'ret*d'. Is there any sort of support that he can get such as any allowances or some sort of employment help where his collegues won't know that he has aspergers. We live in Australia by the way.

As far as I know, there's no disability allowance specifically for Asperger's Syndrome in Australia.

The key to getting a job is to follow one's special interest.

What does he do in his spare time?

Well, I'm an Aussie on disability and bugger anyone who thinks less of me for being an aspie. And I get more $ on disability than I used to get on Newstart. Besides, my Doc added Parkinsons Disease to my list of bits and pieces, so I guess disability will become more necessary. My employment agency is Ability, though I've also used CRS in the past.

However, what might be of use, is that before I got on disability, I was with Employment Plus. I think back then the employment agencies were ranking people 1-4 depending on the amount of help needed. The further along he can get, the more help he might get, hopefully without needing to disclose any issues, since they're regular employment agencies, not disability agencies.

Could be worth looking into than angle.

But really, different aspies have different issues. Learn as much as you can on the subject, then profile your boyfriend. Regardless of what kind of agency used, they all advise defining what you want to do, rather than taking the 'will do anything' route. Play that angle. They'll appreciate him being assertive, knowing roughly the kinds of work he'll consider... which he'll be better able to do if he works out his characteristics.

I suck at interviews too, but have never let being an Aspie get in the way of anything, nor has been an issue anywhere I have worked if I tell them or not. This is the best attitude to adopt.

A tip for interview that i find works for me, just remember that there is a structure to any answer (rules are good, right?). Give an example, describe example (tell story), and detail outcome. Knowing the structure to any answer takes away some of the worry I have with the personality stuff that I know aspies may have. Just remember top try and make eye contact to each interview occasionally when answering (yes, I know this is hard for some, but fake it at least ).

get your guy to define what his skills and experiences are, and know them so that he can communicate them. Be more specific in job searches, align job searches to match skills, its no good "do anything" as this can be a case of trying to fit a square peg in round hole, never really works.

As for benefits, if he's 18 he can get newstart or other unemployment benefits, even get rent allowance with it as he can claim that he pays rent at parents place etc. Just give Centrelink a call and see what can be done. No need to play the disability card at all, and quite frankly I wouldn't as it sets up a bad mind frame if he is pretty much "normal", there are plenty of options available. Just play the unemployment card and there are options available.