What kind of jobs are suitable for people with ASD?

Introduction

"What kind of jobs are suitable for people with ASD?"

"Is my current workplace difficult because I lack the ability to do the job?"

"Thinking about my child's future, what kind of work style would be reassuring?"

"If I have a developmental disability, are the jobs I can do limited?"

I think there are many people who feel this way.

People with ASD traits may be misunderstood in the workplace, struggle with vague instructions, or get tired from small talk and interpersonal relationships.

On the other hand, if the environment and role are a good fit, some people can demonstrate accuracy, concentration, depth of interest, the ability to follow procedures, and the ability to notice fine details.

That is why, when thinking about "jobs suitable for people with ASD," it is important not to make assumptions based solely on job titles.

"If you have ASD, this job is suitable for you."

"Because you have ASD, customer service is impossible."

"If you have a developmental disability, you can only work from home."

If you decide things this way, it becomes difficult to see the person's own strengths and hopes.

Even with the same ASD, some people are suited for jobs where they concentrate alone, while others demonstrate their strengths in jobs that involve interacting with people.

What is important is not just the type of job.

What kind of instructions are easy to understand?

What kind of environment makes it hard to get tired?

How much does the job involve interacting with people?

Is it a job with many sudden changes?

Is it a workplace with strong stimuli such as sound, light, or odors?

It is necessary to think about all of these factors.

This time, as the 29th installment of our developmental disability series, we will explain in an easy-to-understand manner "What are jobs suitable for people with ASD," including perspectives on ADHD, learning disabilities, the gray zone, adults, women, secondary disabilities, and reasonable accommodations.

What is ASD?

ASD stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

It is a type of developmental disability, and people may have difficulties with interactions with others, fixations, sensory characteristics, and difficulty in anticipating future events.

However, it does not mean that all people with ASD prefer the same way of working.

Some people are not good at conversation, while others are good at talking to people within a set role.

Some people are suited for tasks that require concentration alone, while others are suited for jobs that utilize specialized knowledge to explain things.

Some people are sensitive to sound and light, while others can concentrate for long periods if the environment is set up correctly.
When thinking about jobs suitable for people with ASD, it is important to look not only at the diagnosis, but also at the person's traits, physical strength, interests, tasks they are good at, and environments they are not good at.

Suitable jobs are not determined by job title alone

When you look up jobs suitable for people with ASD, there are jobs that often come up.

Data entry.

Clerical work.

Programming.

Research positions.

Inspection work.

Cleaning.

Working from home.

Some people are suited for these jobs.

However, they are not suitable for everyone.

For example, even if it is said that data entry is suitable, some people find it difficult to work in the same posture for a long time.

If you are not interested in programming, it can be painful.

Even in cleaning jobs, some people find environments with odors, sounds, or being chased by time to be difficult.

Conversely, while customer service is often thought to be difficult, some people find it easy to work in customer service where there are set procedures and the content of what to say is determined to some extent.

The important thing is not to judge by the job name alone.

It is necessary to think about the job content, workplace environment, interpersonal relationships, how instructions are given, and even the ease of taking breaks.

Characteristics of jobs where ASD strengths are easily utilized

Jobs that are easily suited for people with ASD have several common points.

The first is that the work content is clear.

Jobs where it is easy to understand what to do, in what order, and how far to go are easier to tackle with peace of mind.

The second is that the evaluation criteria are clear.

Jobs where numerical values, procedures, and the finished product are visible, rather than "feeling good" or "reading the air," can be easier to understand.

The third is that time to concentrate is secured.

Some people get tired easily in environments with sudden calls, phone calls, and a lot of small talk.

The fourth is that there is little sensory stimulation.

Some people can demonstrate their strengths better in environments with less sound, light, odors, and crowds.

The fifth is that it is connected to the person's interests or areas of expertise.

Fields you like or content you are interested in can lead to the power to continue learning.

Specific examples of jobs that are easily suited

Here, we will introduce examples of jobs where ASD traits can be easily utilized.

However, these are just examples.

It does not mean that "this job will definitely suit you."

For example, for people who are good at detailed confirmation, data entry, document verification, proofreading, inspection, quality control, and inventory management may be suitable.
For people who are good at following set procedures, factory work, cleaning, clerical assistance, library work, document organization, and warehouse work may be suitable.

For people who are good at learning one field deeply, research assistance, IT, programming, analysis, disseminating information in a specialized field, and technical positions may be suitable.

Even in jobs that involve interacting with people, there are people who can demonstrate their strengths if the manuals and roles are clear.

For example, even in reception, sales, welfare, educational assistance, call centers, and guidance work, some people can work if the environment and support are a good fit.

The important thing is not the job title, but looking at the content of the job.

It is also important to think about jobs that do not fit

When thinking about suitable jobs, it is also important to know about jobs that do not fit.

Among people with ASD, there are those who feel a heavy burden in the following environments.

There are many sudden schedule changes.

There are many vague instructions.

You are required to handle multiple things at the same time.

There is a lot of intense customer service or complaint handling.

There are loud noises or strong odors.

There are many implicit rules in interpersonal relationships.

It is difficult to take breaks.

You always need to conform to those around you.

Of course, this does not mean that you absolutely cannot do these jobs because you have ASD.

Some people are good at them.

However, knowing which environments make you tired easily is very important when choosing a job.

Thinking about both "the job you want to do" and "the environment where it is easy to continue" is important for working for a long time.

When ASD and ADHD coexist

There are also people who have both ASD and ADHD.

Coexistence means that multiple traits are present at the same time.

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

It has traits such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

As for ASD traits, there is difficulty in anticipating future events and difficulty with vague instructions.

As for ADHD traits, there are forgetfulness, tendency to lose focus, difficulty with time management, and a tendency to act on ideas immediately.

When these two overlap, ingenuity is required in job selection.

For example, there are people who can concentrate on one task but are bad at deadline management.

There are people who want to proceed accurately but lose focus and make mistakes.

In that case, reminders, checklists, task management tables, short confirmation times, and visualizing priorities are useful.

It is important to support with mechanisms rather than leaving it only to the person's efforts.

Job selection when there is a learning disability
Learning disabilities are also called LD.

It is a developmental disability that has difficulties in specific learning areas such as reading, writing, and calculating.

When there is a learning disability in addition to ASD, you may have more trouble with how to receive information than with the job itself.

For example, it takes time to read long manuals.

It is difficult to listen to explanations while taking notes.

You misread the meaning of emails or chats.

There is a heavy burden in writing reports.

You get confused with calculations of numbers or time.

There are things like this.

In that case, before giving up on the job content, it is important to think about whether you can change the method.

Read-aloud functions, voice input, templates, diagrams and tables, short explanations, oral supplements, and checklists may be useful.

It is important not to decide "I can't do clerical work because I'm bad at reading," but to look at "what parts can I do if there is support?"

Job selection for people in the gray zone

Even if there is no diagnosis, there are people who are troubled by work due to traits close to ASD.

This is the so-called gray zone.

The gray zone is not an official diagnosis.

However, it does not mean that there are no troubles.

For example, you are bad at small talk in the workplace.

You get confused by vague instructions.

You get tired when schedule changes continue.

You cannot concentrate due to sound, light, or crowds.

You are working while conforming to those around you, but you cannot move after returning home.

There are also people like this.

Because there is no diagnosis, you may worry, "Am I just unable to do the job?"

However, the fact that you are troubled is true.

It is important to think about a work style that suits you, not just whether or not you have a diagnosis.

In job selection, it is useful to organize things you are good at, environments where you get tired easily, interpersonal relationships you are bad at, and how to take necessary breaks.

Adult ASD and worries about changing jobs and finding employment

For adults with ASD, there are many people who worry about changing jobs and finding employment.

You can learn the job, but you get tired from interpersonal relationships.

You cannot talk well in interviews, and your true strength is not conveyed.

After joining the company, there are many vague instructions, and you stumble.

Break times and drinking parties are a burden.

You are working hard at the workplace, but you cannot do anything after returning home.

There are worries like these.

In the case of adults, it is often seen as "natural to be able to do it because you are a working adult," so it can be difficult to ask for help.

However, there are various forms of working styles.
You can also think about options according to your situation, such as general employment, employment for people with disabilities, working from home, short-time work, employment transition support, and continuous employment support.

The important thing is not to keep blaming yourself, but to look for a work style that suits you.

Women's ASD and work worries

For women with ASD, work-related troubles can be difficult to see.

This is because the power to conform to those around you works strongly, and it may look like you are not having trouble in the workplace.

Conforming to those around you so that your traits do not stand out in this way is sometimes called camouflage.

For example, smiling and joining in small talk.

Pretending to understand even if you don't.

Enduring odors and sounds you are bad at.

You cannot refuse when asked.

Conforming too much to the expectations of those around you.

As a result, you may get so tired that you cannot move after returning home.

For women with ASD, it is important not to judge that "it is okay because you are doing it at the workplace."

In order to continue working, it is necessary to think about environments and roles where you do not get too tired, rather than a work style of forcing yourself to conform.

Job selection to prevent secondary disabilities

If people with ASD continue to push themselves at work, it can lead to secondary disabilities.

Secondary disabilities are not the developmental disability itself, but physical and mental disorders that occur due to the accumulation of experiences of not being understood and strong stress.

For example, there are depressive states, anxiety, insomnia, adjustment disorders, difficulty going to work, withdrawal, and a decline in self-esteem.

If you continue to endure in a workplace that does not fit, you may feel that "I am a person who cannot work."

However, in reality, it may not be that the job itself is impossible, but that the environment or the way of conveying things does not fit.

To prevent secondary disabilities, it is important to notice signs of poor physical condition early.

You cannot sleep.

Your appetite drops.

You get palpitations when you think about the workplace.

You cannot recover even on holidays.

Words that blame yourself increase.

When a state like this continues, it is important to consult early.

What family can do

Family can be deeply involved in the person's job selection.

Especially when thinking about a child's future or an adult's employment or job change, I think there are times when you feel anxious.

The important thing is not to judge by job title or company name alone, such as "this job because it is stable" or "it is safe because it is a famous company."

It is necessary to see whether it is an environment where it is easy for the person to continue.

As for what family can do,
Organize together the environments where the person gets tired easily.

Find tasks they are good at.

Confirm patterns of interpersonal relationships they are bad at.

Look at the workplace environment, not just the job content.

Do not force them into a general work style.

Connect them to necessary consultation destinations.

There is involvement like this.

It is also important to create an atmosphere where the person can talk with peace of mind.

What supporters can do

Welfare personnel, educational personnel, and employment supporters have a role in connecting the person to the workplace.

What supporters want to be conscious of is not just looking at the person's weaknesses, but also organizing their strengths.

What kind of tasks can they concentrate on?

What kind of instructions are easy to understand?

In what kind of environment do they get tired easily?

What kind of considerations make it easy to continue?

How much should the traits be conveyed to the workplace?

What are the things the person does not want to convey?

It is important to organize things like this carefully.

Also, in employment support, it is important to convey not just "this person cannot do this," but in the form of "they can do it if you do this."

Reasonable accommodations that companies can do

There are ingenuity that companies and workplaces can do to make it easier for people with ASD to work.

Reasonable accommodation is adjusting the environment and methods so that people with disabilities can work more easily.

For example,

Make instructions concrete.

Convey not only orally but also in writing.

Clarify work procedures.

Show priorities.

Convey sudden changes early.

Prepare a quiet work environment.

Respect how break times are spent.

Do not force small talk or drinking parties.

Decide on a person in charge who can be consulted.

Clarify evaluation criteria.

There is ingenuity like this.

This is not special treatment.

It is environmental adjustment to make it easier for the person to demonstrate their power.

Also, easy-to-understand instructions and clear evaluation criteria are useful not only for people with ASD but also for the entire workplace.

What I want to convey to the parties concerned

People who have ASD traits and are worried about work may blame themselves.

Why am I not doing well in the workplace?

Why can't I work like those around me?

Is there even a job that suits me?

I think there are times when you feel that way.

But the fact that it is difficult in the current workplace and the fact that you do not have the power to work are not the same.

The job content may not fit.

The environment may not fit.
The way instructions are given may be difficult to understand.

The time to rest may not be enough.

The important thing is to know the conditions that suit you little by little.

Is it easier to concentrate alone?

Even in jobs that involve interacting with people, can you do it if the roles are decided?

Is a quiet environment necessary?

Is it easier to understand if you receive instructions in writing?

Is it better to start with short-time work?

Looking for a work style that suits you is not running away.

It is an important preparation for continuing to work for a long time.

Summary

Jobs suitable for people with ASD are not determined by job title alone.

The important thing is to think about the person's traits, things they are good at, environments they are bad at, physical strength, interests, and necessary considerations together.

For people with ASD, accuracy, concentration, the ability to follow procedures, the ability to notice fine differences, and depth of interest can be strengths.

Therefore, some people are suited for data entry, document verification, inspection, quality control, IT, research assistance, document organization, inventory management, cleaning, and clerical assistance.

On the other hand, it is dangerous to decide "suitable" based on job title alone.

Even in the same job, the ease of working changes greatly depending on the workplace environment, interpersonal relationships, and how instructions are given.

If ADHD coexists, it is important to support time management and lost items with mechanisms.

If there is a learning disability, it may become easier to demonstrate power by adjusting the methods of reading, writing, and calculating.

People in the gray zone can also think about a work style that suits them, regardless of whether or not they have a diagnosis.

In adult and female ASD, even if it looks like they are working on the surface, there are times when strong fatigue appears after returning home.

If you continue to push yourself, it may lead to secondary disabilities.

That is why, in job selection, it is important to think not only about "whether you can do it," but also "whether you can continue," "whether you can recover," and "whether you can work with peace of mind."

Understanding developmental disabilities is not for narrowing the possibilities of working.

It is for searching together for an environment where the person can easily demonstrate their power.

Recognizing a work style that suits each individual is a step toward a symbiotic society.

Next time, we will explain "Understanding necessary to live with ASD."