Does adulthood suck for aspies?

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Here, here.

Being an intermittently long-term jobseeker for 9 years (the jobs I've had have been too short and too far between to really count as a break in unemployment), I've watched as it has got harder and harder to get a job. More hoops to jump through, less opportunity to jump them. Then comes the interview stage. Why I even appear, I have yet to find out. I've never once passed an interview, except one where I was shown the shop floor and asked what's wrong. I pointed out 47 health and safety issues, a shortage of staff, and 3 obvious results of poor management.

I guess the manager was a bit too embarrassed to NOT hire me to rotate stock. He was only looking to see if I'd notice there were gaps in the shelves. Talk about hitting below my potential. I couldn't do a management job anyway. I've known managers, and it's very difficult to keep afloat.

((((hugs))))

~Loving Light~

You need inspiration; watch Rocky, or anything with Scrooge McDuck.

Life is a mixture of how you make it, and how it gets made for you.

You can avoid it getting made sucky for you, by making it brilliant for yourself.

I've had disappointment and difficulty to the nth degree since leaving pris...school. Life's got easier to handle, but much harder to live.

I used to run, but my limited life kept me from running too far.
Now when I run, I have the freedom to run away from the whole world. That's not good. It feels good, but it can only serve to further hinder me.

Back to my point, I could have prevented... this.... by not running in the first place. I ran from school, which left me short changed. Most of my teachers expected me to pass my exams with A* grades. Through running away, I didn't get important coursework done, which counted 70% of the final mark. Even though I'd learned all I needed to (a bookworm and a textbook = team), I would only get F's if I aced the exams 100%. I decided there was no point in sitting them, and ran away.

This is the fundamental reason I have such a pathetic work history. Just because I didn't stick around to get the paperwork. Partly my fault, but doesn't it also highlight something about a piece of paper being more important than a human life nowadays?

((((hugs))))

~Loving Light~

I've always believed that the statistics for improved life finishing school (and attending college) are created by collages for profit (to gain more paying students) There are a large number of people who have been very successful in their lives even having dropped out of high school. I know more unemployed people who own a degree (and the HUGE debt that goes with it) than those who dropped out of high school who have no debt and have really high paying jobs. It's not always what you know, but who you know. I think life experience is as if not more important than a piece of paper... good connections are even better.

But those like me with pretty useless connections?

[answer subject to change] ...end up paying year upon year for a relatively trivial mistake.

To be fair, though, recent changes in the way my country's employment service works mean that I now can access very basic qualifications that everybody else already has. Higher up the ladder, but still on the bottom of the pile.

It wouldn't be so bad, except for the huge potential I know I have. Nurtured, I could be doing serious work that keeps me interested and motivated. Instead, I have been working with a charity for 6 years. It's great. I actually prefer donating my time to the charity than doing any of the real (employed) jobs I've had. I'd probably prefer it over a better paid job. Maybe even a high paid job. I think the key factor is the value of my work, not the returns.

I really want to make a difference. I think that's my main point.

((((hugs))))

~Loving Light~

Book smarts can only get you so far. What really matters is STREET smarts. School can't teach you that.

I am in my mid-40s and find that many facets of my unique way of being that seemed burdensome in my youth are a source of joy to me now. I am not diagnosed, but the psychologist who interviewed us to prepare evaluations for our children confirmed my suspicions on the matter. In the old days, we "heard a different drummer," "lived in our own little worlds," and were "late bloomers."

Despite the economy booming for most of that time? That is shameful: not a failing on your part, but the system. The situation's been similar in this country, despite the government here being of the opposite stripe from '97 to '07.

It's clear that NOT all Aspies have equal opportunities, and unfortunately I see great divides among those of us on the spectrum - whether on WP or beyond. Some of us will never be able to understand what the other goes through.

Adulthood is only as good as you make it. For me, as long as I have the support I need, and I can live comfortably, I am happy and can enjoy life.

My adulthood isn't perfect however it is a lot better then my childhood i give you that.

Childhood and teenhood blew for me. I love my adulthood WAAAAAAAAAAAAY more.

ah. . .didn't Rocky LOSE??

Merle

My adulthood had been heaven compared to my childhood and adolescence. I was treated like crap for going on about my special interests as a child. I was starting to think that I wasn't allowed to have them. My teenage years weren't any better. I was wanting to do my own thing, but my parents wanted me to conform to society. I also didn't feel that I was allowed to have any special interests, and that I had to keep them to myself, because that's what normal people do. Things have gotten a lot better for me, since I've been living on my own. I can do what I want, and I don't have to answer to anybody.

Frankly, I think it's better.

The sole frustration for me is having a productive career. I've always been able to work, but always at near-poverty wages because I can't seem to get into a good job (or keep one I manage to land).

However, the ability to live alone, by my rules, and dealing with more mature people than I was exposed to as a teen is a big improvement.

My adulthood had been heaven compared to my childhood and adolescence. I was treated like crap for going on about my special interests as a child. I was starting to think that I wasn't allowed to have them. My teenage years weren't any better. I was wanting to do my own thing, but my parents wanted me to conform to society. I also didn't feel that I was allowed to have any special interests, and that I had to keep them to myself, because that's what normal people do. Things have gotten a lot better for me, since I've been living on my own. I can do what I want, and I don't have to answer to anybody.

There's way too many other variables besides AS/autism to determine that. I find functioning independently difficult right now but it has much more to do with depression than autism.