Do you/would you want to work with autistic people?

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Aunbuend.....


The most difficult part of my job is my own powerlessness.Not with the people whose house I work at but with my "managment" and fellow staff.I feel a strong obligation to advocate for the peple I work for
but it falls on deaf ears.My managers hate me because I "annoy" them with my observations of staff who are not respecting our "clients" rights or dignity.If they were doing something that was abusive I could report them to social service authorities but they are mearly being "lazy" and "rude".It is so difficult to even find people to work with our clients that they hire people who barely speak english and seem to have no concept that they are there to help human beings.If they get enough complaints from other staff,they eventually move the staff to a new house or new shift instead of firing them.When I directly confront a staff for....leaving a client in a shower chair ,with no covering ,while they chat on their cell phone.....or not document what our diabetic clients have had to eat....I get in trouble,for it.

Until our society starts valueing people "inspite of the fact that they aren't CEO's of a company",I dont think they are going to get quality care.I have been working for my company for over 4 years and have had a total pay raise of 50 cents an hour over those years.I have managed to stay at the job because it accomidates my own "disabilities" but it is a very frustrating situation.

I worked for a combine 8 years in nursing homes in California and Arizona. It's the same kind of work mostly.

I would like to work with AS kids, I don't know about working with low functioning autistics though on a daily basis, esp adults since they would be a lot stronger than I am and I'd probably get clobbered eventually. I also don't know how dependable I would be on a day to day basis, and if I had to do stuff to and with the AS kids I didn't agree with, because the authorities told me to, it would be hard for me.

Umm no.

Being a caregiver to children, elderly, mental patients, or mentally disabled people would be the LAST line of work I ever go into, ever. It would be a terribly agonizing experience for me. I can't even stand dealing with people when they are normal for crying out loud.

I'm with Litigious and Werbert on this one. I'm bad enough at dealing with people that I genuinely like and that do their best to make it easy for me to make friends with them. I actually have my suspicions that my youngest sister might have Aspie tendancies--she's a lot like me in a lot of ways at that age--and we tend to get along extremely badly. Actually, I do extremely badly with small children in general. I tend to flee at the first opportunity if there's no one I find interesting to talk to.

I plan to stick to dogs in my future career, thanks.

I wouldn't want to at all. I would just be stressed out beyond max 24/7.

It's funny, I've been thinking for several months now that I might like that sort of work. I don't think I could work with adults for the reasons en_una_isla stated...I'm very small and weak and I'd just get pushed around. I also couldn't deal with the long-term care of lower-functioning kids either because 1) I can't stand screaming and 2) I don't think I could change diapers - I've got some OCD cleanliness issues and I think dealing with poop is out of the question.

I think I could help parents to understand their kid's behaviors though. NTs seem to think that there is no rhyme or reason to autistic behavior, and that's generally not the case. I think I could be of some use in helping them see and understand that sort of thing.

I don't think I could, because I'd become easily upset and angered by the "rules" involved. Like, rediculous stuff that they tried on me. Like if you get a high grade, you shouldn't have any problems even if those problems are so freaking obvious, and we don't need to send you to a shrink. I mean, I was a Marilyn Manson fan in high school who cut herself. If that doesn't scream depression, I don't know what does. It's stuff like, how I'd have to sit there watching a student suffer at the hands of bullies, yet being told I couldn't do anything about it cuz the bullies are the "real victims". I'd probaly end up really jaded and twisted from that. Well, I already am pretty jaded. LoL

I don't think I could handle it. I wouldn't mind being a friend to people who are acrossed the Autistic Specturm, but I couldn't handle working with them.

I would love to care for them

Very interesting!

I would like to work with Autistic adults/children, what qualifications do i need and how do i get started.

I would give more information but I'm on a lot of Benadryl and not able to generate information on demand (including my demand) at the moment.

I'd say go here:

http://www.diverse-city.com/books.htm

Check out at least "Power Tools" and "First Contact". Pretty much all the other books there (at least the ones I've read, which is most), or by that author, have really important information on these topics in ways that... I'll just say I've had to stop loaning them out to staff because they keep disappearing.

If you can afford it (or know someone who can -- whatever agency you work for may have it, or may buy it for staff to watch), "The Ethics of Touch", which is a staff training video, is also really good. (And isn't just about touch.)

Thanks, I'll have to look for those books. As for The Ethics of Touch, my agency uses parts of that as part of the orientation for new staff, but I was hired before they started doing it so I haven't seen it. They also send staff to seminars on it (all day with David Hinsberger) - I haven't been to one yet but I'd like to go. Another thing you mentioned in your other post - I'd be interested in hearing what you think autistic/aspie staff need to watch for or do differently as opposed to NT staff, when you can think clearly. Hope you feel better soon! (I'm leaving today to for a week's vacation so I might not see your reply right away if you send one.)