Ageism and ASD

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LOL...if they'd give me a full pension, I'd retire at 55!

Then I'd use my sharp mind elsewhere!! !! !! !! !! !! !!

Fortunately, my pension plan is alive and well. I'm a member of NYCERs (The New York City Employee Retirement System).

If I retire at 62, I get a full pension; if at 55, I get a 25 percent reduction. I also have a 401k through my second job.

I'm not going to provide the exact figure--but I will get at least $3,000 a month if I retire at 62.

Awesome! Congratulations!

Thanks, Sir.

The first time I encountered ageism, I was 48, and a younger doctor in the USA wondered if it was worth fixing my finger. All through my 50s, I felt the same, and didn't notice discrimination on that count. In my sixties, I'm definitely feeling older, matching at least some stereotypes. Probably most of the problem is that I couldn't integrate exercise into daily life as well after a move.

Ageism is so rampant in our culture. I went to grad school and earned an alternative masters degree so I could teach. I looked for work, and found one job, but the area I was living in was devastated by a hurricane, and with no available housing and two children that needed me, I chose to stay home. My husband worked for a small branch campus of a large university, and had a tiny salary. TINY. I needed to work to supplement our income, but no one would hire me because of my age. I had all the credentials, etc. I was good at it. We moved again to another state, and I had two "last-minute" hires in a row, and they were disastrous. I started blaming myself, and of course even though I have not been diagnosed as an Aspie, I am bi-polar (depressive), and descended into the dark pit of depression. I went back to school for a special education certification, and re-applied for work where I was living. No luck again.
People lucky enough to not have any kind of mental wiring issues really don't have empathy for those of us that are not part of the 90 per cent (my stats) that "fit in." It angers me so much!
So now I am in another Southern state, and 55, very, very broke, and frightened. My husband retired with no pension, we live on Social Security, have a daughter that is not diagnosed, but has severe issues herself, and I am afraid that I will never work again.
Does any rational principal believe that a 22 year old fresh out of college has any more experience, wisdom, or knowledge about calming kids down than a woman that raised two kids through some terrible experiences, with little money, and little support from family? My husband is bi-polar, and he is finally at a point in his life where he realizes that his bad choices and ineffective medications had much to do with our financial problems.
I am afraid to go on any interviews; they are kangaroo courts, and you can't even formulate an answer to their questions, since the wait time is three seconds. Thanks for letting me vent. Ageism is real. I am living it.

http://www.ageismhurts.org/seeing-ageism

I know that as a young person, I hated being patronised by elders with the dismissive "What would you know at your age?" I think most young people do. It would have been more helpful to be asked, "What do you already know, at your age?".

It's the same for older people, only the dismissive attitude is "what use are you, at your age?" rather than "what do you find value in?"

Ageism impacts on all age groups, (prospectively on the young, who will be old one day) but more on senior people in a youth-obsessed culture; the impacts on older people on the spectrum have not been given any serious attention that I can see. Partly this arises from the relative invisibility of the elderly in the media (except as victims) and their perceived "uselessness" as consumers (they are less likely to want the latest fashions, which aren't designed with their needs in mind anyway). It goes to the heart of intrinsic cultural values.

Ha ha! The latest fashions are not designed for old folks because we usually have plenty of clothes, prefer familiar, comfy ones, and look ridiculous in trendy stuff. That goes for most consumer goods. We are also clogged up with a lot of obsolete information to sort through, slowing our thinking and ability to pick up new stuff. If they tell me anything based on Lego, Harry Potter, Twilight, Frozen, Facebonk, Twitter, or Television in general, kids have to start over with a new metaphor or give up. Guess which one they'll do? We are also unpopular for handing over a planet in such a sorry state. Even if we fought that kind of progress, it is hard not to be blamed.

My grandchildren have taught me a lot, and it's great! It's a two way process.

The environmental exploitation as significant damage began with the Industrial Revolution, it's not a generational thing. A lot of older people in NZ are "eco-warriors" -very much more so than young people who are occupied with trying to find a job or pay off their student loans..

Clearly, I forgot to mention that I find ageism toward young people to be as bad as it is toward "elderly" people. I believe that one should be treated with respect, dignity and kindness, regardless of one's age. I do apologize to anyone that thinks I am disrespecting young people; that is not my intent. The funny thing about teaching is that in the South where I live there are few to no unions, teachers salaries are mandated by each school district, and without years of experience, albeit having an earned master's degree and special certification, I might make about a $1,000 more per year, grossing $500.00. And with starting salaries at about $31,000, it is terrible that teachers make so little for doing so much.
I am also looking into a teaching job at local private schools (they pay less).
As for being a substitute, that is my next plan. I have to pay to apply for not only becoming a substitute, for yet another FBI background check, and take a mini-course in teaching, classroom management, etc.
It is a fine pickle I have gotten myself into!

No need to apologise, I didn't think that you were trying to disrespect young people.

Good points. I don't know any kids. As for generational responsibility, I've seen the world population almost triple, and personal energy use soar. The industrial revolution laid the foundation, but didn't warn of the consequences. Overall, we partied. Dazzled by wealth on-screen, we forgot about liberty, equality, and our common condition, another pillar of the prosperity, imploding the middle class.
Out of racism, sexism, and ageism, racism is the only one where the stereotypical characteristics can be easily and automatically changed by adoption or other environmental factors.

I have had my current job for a couple of years. It is a technical position. I am 57 and don't dye my hair so I probably look even older. I have never told anyone about my Aspergers.

The people I work with seem to attribute problems I have had all of my life to early senility. And why wouldn't they? I have problems with recognizing faces, word-finding, remembering oral instructions, getting from point A to point B in a large physical plant, conveying technical information to peers. If you did not know that I have had these same traits all of my life I can see where I would just look like a dotty old lady.

But it's better than giving yourself a label you can never undo.

61. Haven´t been able to get steady job the last 14 years. In these 14 years, the problem has been age-ism - overt or hidden.
Before that, I´ve allways either been sacked or quit myself anyway. I didn´t know, what was wrong.
Well - jobtrials go bad because of my confusion in dynamic environment, my momentary unability to understand, what is being said, my physical problems (can´t stand up for hours and can´t sit at a computer for hours) unability to shift focus and function fast enough, my need to have things written down until I have learnt them thoroughly. I most ordinary jobs, there is no time for that sort of needs.
I would function well in a nerdy niche job, but I will never see the shadow of one.
Now I have a label to explain things and I´m rather satisfied with that. I don´t get a job, but I feel better about myself.