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Aspies in 'caring professions'

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whatamarshmallow
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25 Feb 2010, 1:19 am

Descartes30 wrote:
emilyh wrote:
hey thanks for all the replies, its really interesting to see other people drawn to this sort of work too. And really helpful suggestions

I have a few questions -
- are you able to be open about having AS in your work (or about your communication style etc if even if you dont mention it by name) or do you have to hide it?

- I think the increased empathy and identification with the client group because i know discrimination as well is very accurate - do you have problems with this and the other staff/ the system? How do you know when choosing where to work that its somewhere that empowers clients rather than patronising them? (i had this problem working in a care home for older people before i was diagnosed, in the end i left because i was so uncomfortable with how ppl were treated).

- Ladarzak - what age group did you teach?

thanks :)


I brought it up even when I interviewed for the job. I knew it would come up as in issue eventually. I'm not that good at pretending to be something I'm not. And other people will always find the "weakest link", in my experience. Thankfully because I don't actually have to sell anything and it is an environment that seeks to understand mental disabilities or conditions, it has worked out thus far. There have just been a couple people that I have had to stop working with (other staff, not patients), but I didn't lose my job over either instance. In my experience, I have only known that it was an empowering environment by working there long enough. It also helps that it is not the type of institution where it is the last resort type place. We are the place that guardians want their wards to be and will do what they can to keep them here instead of having to ship them off to a more lock down institution. So our treatment and behavior are very much expected to reflect that we are a good place for them to be.


What kind of institution do you work in? Meaning, what population do you serve?


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whatamarshmallow
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25 Feb 2010, 1:20 am

Atropine wrote:
I'm going to fully read this thread later when I can pay attention long enough, but it sounds like it has alot of answers. Right now I'm an EMT, but want to go paramedic or Maybe even RN ( United States. Who knows what they call it in other places?)

Being a Basic has been hard for me, with the whole adjusting to people, but it's made me come out of my shell alot.
And the worst part is, there isn't enough information for me for process to make the emotions part of my brain shut off so I get scared, and then I don't talk to my patient. So I can't be cleared to run alone, I just run as an ALS Assist most of the time because I have the knowledge just not the personal skills.

I never thought I'd get this far. so it is possible for us aspies to be in so called "Caring Professions." It takes a long time for your work partner and everyone to understand. Just don't give up.


I can really relate to the 'I never thought i'd get this far' too.


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whatamarshmallow
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25 Feb 2010, 1:22 am

Meow101 wrote:
I am a health care professional, and I work in the field of neurology. It is definitely possible. I had some setbacks early on due to my not making eye contact messing me up in interviews, but I took a year and went to school part-time to get a second bachelor's degree and work on that. I've managed to adapt quite well in the professional sphere, even if personally I'm a mess. I work a lot with ASD children and adults, which is helpful, for me and for them.

~Kate


I try and make eye contact during interviews, but that's pretty much the only time. That and when the boss is speaking directly to me, like face to face. I'm sure i'm still 'off' when I try, but it seems most people don't pay too much attention to whether you're staring at someones' nose or looking into their eyeballs. ;) I work with ASD children as well. It's really nice to see other people on the spectrum, helping others of this population out! Before this forum I honestly thought I was a rare case doing what I do.


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Heliobacter20
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28 Feb 2010, 4:52 pm

I'm a nurse and very good at my job. I form excellent realtionships with my patients and get thank you cards from families.

Nursing is very political though, I am being forced off the ward I am on right now because of bullying but it is a crap ward that I wouldn't want to stay on anyway. I made it through the course, and I will find an area where I can suceeed I am sure.



Descartes30
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28 Feb 2010, 7:58 pm

whatamarshmallow wrote:
Descartes30 wrote:

I brought it up even when I interviewed for the job. I knew it would come up as in issue eventually. I'm not that good at pretending to be something I'm not. And other people will always find the "weakest link", in my experience. Thankfully because I don't actually have to sell anything and it is an environment that seeks to understand mental disabilities or conditions, it has worked out thus far. There have just been a couple people that I have had to stop working with (other staff, not patients), but I didn't lose my job over either instance. In my experience, I have only known that it was an empowering environment by working there long enough. It also helps that it is not the type of institution where it is the last resort type place. We are the place that guardians want their wards to be and will do what they can to keep them here instead of having to ship them off to a more lock down institution. So our treatment and behavior are very much expected to reflect that we are a good place for them to be.


What kind of institution do you work in? Meaning, what population do you serve?


I help developmentally disabled adults try to live out as normal of a life as possible. Basically, they have mental disabilities and range from low IQ to basically non-existent IQ. I help them do fun things, do their tasks of normal daily living, protect them from themselves and others, and assist them with any medical assistance needed. I'm not a nurse, I'm more like their parent. We have nursing staff and psychologists for our program, and we have a center that is almost like a school they go to each day so that they can basically hang out and have fun and also do all their appointments in one place. But when they go home, they have me and my fellow staff there to take care of them. So we are like their family, only we have to maintain professional boundaries so that they don't get confused. We are caregivers, that's all. We don't have them all together in one institution except during the school part of day. We have them in houses where they each have their own room. So typically there are only 2-3 of us in a house with 5-7 of them.


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Autumnphoenix
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27 Mar 2010, 6:01 pm

This thread is really inspiring!!

Has anyone here gone into counselling and have stories of success to share?