Yesterday, my son was excitedly getting ready for a job interview. He has had several jobs since he was 14.5; he is now 17, a junior in high school. Each job ended with him being silently fired (not being put on the schedule) or being told that no one could deal with him, so they were cutting ties. Each time was crushing, but it never deterred him from continually trying, even begging the former jobs to give him another chance. He loves the idea of making his own money. He loves even more the idea of spending his own money. He was sometimes paid at 6am, but by 8am, he had spent all his money with online purchases and DoorDash.
My son has ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder. He also has ADHD with high levels of anxiety, is very impulsive, and has some behavioral disorders as well. I have taken my son to therapies, and he is on an IEP through school and in a closed unit for learning.
Recently, it has been weighing heavy on me that my son is months away from turning 18. Legally, an adult. Where does that leave him? Us? In the neurotypical world, we would prepare him to go to college, join the military, or go to trade school. We would talk about moving out. In our neurodivergent world, the military is out because of his disorders and being medicated for ADHD. College is out because he has zero interest in going to college. Trade school is still a possibility but most likely not a probability.
According to Taylor, J. L., & Seltzer, M. M. (2011), from the Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics, studies show that kids like my son struggle to be self-sufficient after high school. The studies further show that because of intellectual disabilities, these individuals are not finding ANY, let alone long-term, success at a job (2011).
Yesterday, my son was excitedly getting ready for a job interview. As he was getting things together to shower, he held up 2 pairs of socks and asked me, "Which ones do you think they will like?" I said, "You will be wearing long pants; they will not see your socks. Oh my gosh!!! Please do not pull up your pants to show them your socks!" My son thought that they would see him as someone who stood out from the other applicants. I thought they would see him as someone who stands out from the other applicants.
My son came out of the interview pretty happy and was told to return to meet with the GM and would then be told if he got the job. I did not ask if he showed the hiring manager his socks. BUT if he showed his socks, I hope the manager liked them; they're pretty cool!
Taylor, J. L., & Seltzer, M. M. (2011). Employment and post-secondary educational activities for young adults with autism spectrum disorders during the transition to adulthood. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 41(5), 566–574. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-1070-3
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