Board index › General Discussion › General Autism Discussion

Struggling to find a job? BBC Project needs your help.

Page 1 of 1 [ 3 posts ] 

Previous topic | Next topic

Emma Optomen
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

User avatar

Joined: 5 Dec 2014
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Posts: 1

11 Dec 2014, 5:21 am

I am producer with a TV company called Optomen. I am developing a project for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). I am looking for people in the UK with Asperger's who have struggled to find work who are happy to share their experience.

The idea of this project is to look at the science of how people who could be considered to have a neuro -diversity are an asset to an employer, focusing on individual strengths, rather than difficulties.

If you live in the UK and would like to find out more please e-mail Emma at [email protected]

Thank you



eleventhirtytwo
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 23 Nov 2011
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Posts: 228
Location: Northern Ireland

11 Dec 2014, 6:56 am

Sounds like a cool project. If you need to conduct any interviews in Northern Ireland, I recently got a Canon XF100 and need to start justifying the expense lol (could save you a flight :wink:)


_________________
22, entrepreneurial and diagnosed with High Functioning Autism, ADHD, OCD and Tourettes. Also have problems with Anxiety, and more recently depression, although I seem to returning to my optimistic self =)


B19
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 9,993
Location: New Zealand

11 Dec 2014, 3:14 pm

Sounds like a good initiative. Are you NT?

There are so many factors - unemployment, under-employment, discrimination and stigmatization of autism,
the stress of working in environments designed by NTs for NTs: open plan/teams/noisy and harsh lights etc.

The biggest issue, so far as I can see is gatekeeping, and if this is as widespread as I have read, then it is fair to recognise it as structural economic oppression of people with ASDs.

The fashion for working in teams, and the culture of "team-playing", excludes many. That's the strongest example of the NT domination of the workplace. Mostly ASD people like a quiet place to get on with their job, instead of swapping long "what I did in the weekend stories, what I'm having for dinner" etc, NT small talk - time they get paid for! - that isn't the ASD way. We prefer to work alone or one to one so far as I have personally experienced.

Please include that some of us are very highly qualified - it would be sad if you stereotyped all ASD people as under-educated/uneducated and unable to participate in professions. There is a whole spectrum - though the PhD's tend to be employed and less recognised because they exclusively specialise in their field.

If you can broaden the public's conceptions rather than confirm their prejudices, that will be an achievement of some value. Mostly reality tv these days plays to populist myths; I hope your project won't. If you can speak with rather than for ASD people, that's a start..